“jerry, no one has been following you. you’re schizophrenic, and this is a result of it.” i said to him. “this is not my imagination, katie. this is real. i’ve seen him.” he tries to explain. “no, you haven’t, because he isn’t real. you’ve gotta understand, it’s an episode.” i tried to reason. “i haven’t had an episode in years. i take my meds everyday and i haven’t had anything else happen.” he says to me. “it’s an episode. just go get your coffee and come back. we’ll talk about it then.” i say, fed up. “fine,” he exclaims, and walks out the door. my schizophrenic brother is having an episode and swears it’s real. guess what? it’s tuesday.

-

“hey, jerry. are you okay? call me back.”

“jerry, i’m worried. call me back.”

“i’m sorry. you aren’t having an episode. this is real, and if you come home i can protect you. love you, call me back.”

-

“mom? jerry isn’t answering his phone. i’m a little worried.”

“has he been taking his meds?”

“yes. he said he was being followed, but i thought it was just an episode. i feel terrible. it’s my fault.”

“katie, we don’t even know if anything bad has happened. even if something has, it isn’t your fault. he’s a small, young male. he’s a perfect target, okay? not your fault.”

“okay, yeah. i’m gonna put in a missing persons report.”

“not yet, wait another hour or two. if he still isn’t there, then put in a missing persons report.”

“okay,”

-

“hi, i’d like to file a missing persons report.”

“his name is jerry rogers, he’s 5’8, about 180 pounds. caucasian, cropped blonde hair, brown eyes, but his right one is half green, and his right front tooth is chipped.”

“i last saw him about three hours ago.”

“thank you so much.”

-

“you found him? where?”

“um, yes. of course.”

-

as i walk into the hospital, i realized something. what if it is actually jerry?

“katie rogers?” a lady asks. “yes, that’s me.” i smile. “follow me,” she recommends, and stands from her desk. we go down flights of stairs, through many doors, and down many hallways. we then enter a room labeled ‘unclaimed bodies’ i shiver. the lady opens the door, and a chill hits me. i see at least 15 bodies. she leads me to a male, and i look at him. eyes, and mouth closed. this man is beaten so badly, i would never be able to tell if it was him if i stood here forever. “can i.. open his eyes?” i look to the lady. she nods. i open the left eye. a blood vessel is busted. badly. i open the other one. it’s brown, and half is green. no, this isn’t my brother. “his mouth?” i ask quietly. “of course. anything you need to do to identify him.” i silently open his stiff mouth. his front right tooth is chipped. i feel a tear roll down my cheek. the lady sees it. “we’re doing everything we can to identify the cause of death, and the police are doing everything they can to identify the killer.”

and then, the most obvious thing that i’ve missed all along. he was murdered.