Chris was my brother, younger by just two years. He had always been different, never really having any friends. He followed me around and it bugged me. After high school, I got away from my hometown in North Michigan. I joined the Army to find myself. All the life changing bulls*** they say about the Army isn’t just bulls***. I went from being Dave, the guy with the weird brother, to David. Just David. That suited me just fine. After three years, I returned home during the week of Thanksgiving. I brought Ashley, my girlfriend of two years, along to finally meet my parents. I also planned on proposing to her. "It's so great to finally meet you," Mom exclaimed as we walked into the living room. "You too,” Ashley replied, smiling. I took our bags down the hallway into the guest room, and stopped at my brother’s door on my way back. "Long time, no see." I stood in the doorway, my hands jammed into my pockets. Chris sat up from his bed, pulling off a pair of headphones. He had grown a good foot since I had seen him last. His dark brown hair curled over the edges of a dark stocking cap he was wearing. A pale complexion and a patchy beard completed his vagabond look. "I didn’t think I’d miss you this much," I said, teasing, as I gave him a brotherly hug. Chris didn’t hug me back. He just smiled weakly as his eyes wandered toward the living room. High-pitched voices were drowning out the announcer of the football game my dad was watching. I stepped back a foot or two. "Yeah... We haven’t talked in a while..." His voice trailed off. "Yeah. You never wrote me back." "Oh... Right," Chris stated flatly before flopping back on his bed. He stared blankly into the dark brown shag carpeting. "Feel free to join us whenever. I’m sure Ashley would love to meet you." He nodded weakly as I left the room. Chris didn’t join us until supper. He walked quietly down the hallway, taking care with each step he took. He slipped into the only open chair next to Ashley. We bowed our heads, taking each other’s hands as we said grace. After murmurs of Amen, Chris quickly pulled his hands onto his lap. Ashley flashed him a friendly smile before his eyes locked on his glass of water. "This is my brother, Chris," I said, clearing my throat. "Nice to meet you," he said quietly, avoiding eye contact. Chris ate quickly, taking the occasional sip of water between bites. He excused himself, slipping out of the back door. "He’s just kinda shy," I said, breaking the silence. "How about dessert?"

After supper I stood out on the porch, looking over at Chris. He was standing in the driveway, leaning against the garage. Ashley slipped her hand in mine, squeezing it gently.
"What’s wrong?"
"It’s nothing," I said, forcing a smile as I looked away.
A cold breeze blew across our cheeks, breaking the silence. She pulled the jacket collar up over her ears.
"I guess I’m just worried."
Her hazel eyes looked up into mine, then over at Chris. "About Chris."
An old blue pickup truck, full of junk, sputtered into our driveway. A stocky man, with a grey beard stepped out, waving at Chris. They pulled a long, faded green bag out of the bed and carried it into the garage.
"He’s just always been different."
We stood together watching the sun set. I brushed her auburn hair off her pink cheeks. The black velvet box was burning a hole in my right pocket.

The next morning Chris was outside, sitting on our front steps. I stood for a second, watching him.
"David, your breakfast is going to get cold," Mom nagged, interrupting my thoughts.
"Mom, why is he just sitting there?" I sat down at the table, salting my eggs liberally. Ashley was already sitting down with my dad. It suddenly got quiet.
"Just eat, son," my dad grumbled.
"He’s waiting," Mom said lifelessly as she stared into her coffee, her spoon clinking as she stirred in more sugar. The screen door creaked open. Chris was standing in the living room, his arms full of luggage. He was smiling.
"Here, let me help you." I stood up, taking a few bags out of his hands. They were surprisingly heavy.
"You can just drop them off in my room," Chris said breathlessly as he went back outside. I went into his room.
"It’s so nice to see you again Erica," Mom’s voice echoed through the house.
I set the bags down carefully. "I didn’t know you had invited someone, Chris," I called into the hallway. When I turned into the living room, I saw Chris standing next to who I assumed was Erica. Her arms were at her sides. Golden hair fell onto her shoulders. Her face was round, with a set of red, painted-on lips, and a pair of green eyes that lacked sparkle.
"David, this is Erica. Erica, this is my brother."
The room fell silent. I didn’t know what to say. “Uh…“ I began.
"She’s a little shy," Chris interrupted, staring into Erica’s eyes. He stifled a laugh, shaking his head while she stayed silent. "I do not! You are something else.” He turned to me with a smile. "She says all I do is talk about you... Anyway, I’m going to help her get settled. It was a long drive from Green Bay. She goes to school there, David."
I didn’t know what to say. My jaw had literally dropped. Speechless.
"David,” Mom continued in a harsh whisper. "Don’t say one word."
"Don’t say a word? Mom, seriously? Is this some kind of joke?"
"Not another word. I will explain later."
"What’s wrong with him?"
"David," I felt Ashley’s hand on my shoulder. "Maybe we should go take a walk."
I nodded as she led me outside. We walked along the edge of trees that bordered our backyard. "Erica." I started laughing, throwing my head back. "This must be some kind of joke."
I felt Ashley’s eyes on me. She was worried. I stopped laughing as we continued to walk.
"He wasn’t like this when I left..." I started weakly, finding the right words to say. "Chris was different, but he wasn’t crazy. He wasn’t making up stories, or people, or carrying around a life-sized doll... I just don’t understand."
I stopped talking. This isn’t how I envisioned Thanksgiving with my family. I didn’t expect my brother to bring a mannequin over for dinner.

“He was just surprised to see you, that’s all.” Chris shut the door behind him. Erica sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at her bags. He sat down next to her.
“He doesn’t like me, Chris. Did you see the look on his face?”
“He didn’t expect me to bring someone. He will like you; he just doesn’t know you.”
“I guess you are right,” she admitted with a smile.
“Of course I’m right,”
“Oh hush,” she replied playfully, taking hold of his wrist. Chris put his hands on hers and they shared a moment. It was one of those times where nothing needed to be said. He could look into her eyes and know that he was truly happy. The only time Chris ever felt that feeling was in that moment. In that moment, they could live forever. And they did.
They smiled at each other. “You look different from what I remember.”
“I do?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.
He paused, examining her. Studying her. He looked at her skin. Fair and smooth. Her cheeks were a light pink. Her lips were full. Blond hair was tucked behind her small ears. Green eyes shimmered with a smile when they met his. This isn’t how he remembered her though. Maybe her eyes were a bit greener. Maybe it was her hair. Had it always been this blond?
He shook his head. “Nah, I think I’m just imagining it. It’s been so long, you know. Ever since,” he paused, thinking. When was the last time he had seen her

“Chris?” Mom knocked at the door. Chris stood up, opening the door. She stood there, smiling. A red and white apron was tied at her waist. “Chris, honey, why don’t you go to town with David? I need a few things for dinner tonight and it’ll give you two a chance to spend some time together before he leaves.”
“Okay, Mom. I’ll be right out.”
She smiled at Erica. “How about Erica helps Ashley and me get everything ready for dinner tonight?”
“That’s a great idea mom. Isn’t it?” Chris asked, turning towards Erica. She sat still with that painted-on smile. “She’d love to,” Chris said finally.

I headed into town with Chris. It was quiet, except for the rumble of the truck’s engine. My eyes were glued to the road. I couldn’t look at him the same. I just kept thinking about Erica. The mannequin. The doll. How could this have happened? How did my parents play along with this? Why didn’t they tell me? How long had this been going on? Question after question. It didn’t end. I tried to look for signs. Chris and I had written back and forth for a while. He never mentioned an Erica or any girl for that matter. He seemed like himself for a while. Then his letters got shorter, sadder, until he finally stopped writing. When I called home he was always too busy to talk.
“So what do you think?” Chris asked me, interrupting my thoughts.
“What do I think? A-about what?” I kept my eyes on the road.
“About Erica. What do you think? You like her?” He paused, waiting for my answer. I didn’t say anything. “Cause she was really worried... You know, that you wouldn’t like her. But I told her, ‘David is gonna love you.’” I glanced over at him. He was smiling, looking at the trees we passed. “She’s really special, David... Special like Ashley.”
I looked at him, stunned. I didn’t realize how much my brother cared for her, whether she was real or not. I forgot that my brother had feelings. He was human, too. He just had problems.
“Chris, do you know Erica isn’t-” I turned my attention back to the road. A deer was standing casually in the middle of the road. I hit the brakes. When I felt the truck sliding on ice, I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer. I opened them to see we had stopped inches from the deer. I was just glad we didn’t hit it.
I turned to Chris. He looked as if he just saw a ghost. The color had drained from his face. His body shook back into the seat, petrified with fear. An unuttered word remained on his lips.
The deer ran toward the truck, smacking the hood with its face. It stumbled backwards, before running to the left side of road in a zigzag.
“E-Erica...” he finally whispered huskily.

Mom stood by the counter, stuffing the turkey. “It’s better if you just go with it. If you argue with him, he just gets confused... He gets scared,” Mom confessed. She sounded like this was her fault. “I’d rather give him a day where he can just be happy.”
“Wh-What do you mean?
“Uhh.. I don’t...” She took a deep breath. “Erica is a real person. It’s not like he made her up out of thin air.” She paused, continuing to stuff the turkey as she thought. “She is his girlfriend... Was... He met her after David left,” Mom stated finally.

“So... uh Chris, h-how did you meet it- Erm, her, I mean. Erica.”
“I met her on my way out of town. She had a flat tire. It was raining, so I decided to help her.” Chris looked out of the window. Trees blurred as they passed by. He closed his eyes and continued, remembering that night as if it was yesterday.
“I couldn’t,” he admitted, laughing. “So I offered her a ride home. She had been crying. Her make-up was running. Like this,” his fingertip traced beneath his right eye. The image of her that night stuck in his mind, hanging in his sight. She looked terrified, but she put up a good front. That was when he knew he loved her.
“Erica told me when she got in my truck. She said she ‘wasn’t scared’ and if i tried to kill her, she’d ‘fight back.’ I didn’t say anything.” Chris didn’t say anything because he was too scared. He tried not to look at her, but it was hard. Erica was beautiful, even when she looked like a mess. She was wearing a jacket with purple plaid lining and a pink shirt of some sort.
“We got to her house. It was dark and I couldn’t see anything. She said thank you for not killing her, and asked for my name. Then she was gone.” At that moment Chris could smell her. Obsession and honey. He took a deep breath and could taste her.
“Oh.. How long have you known her, just out of curiosity?” David asked as he turned down a street that was different from the normal route back home.
“About two years... Where are we going?” Chris looked frantically through the windshield, out of the window, and back again. The road curved in a familiar way, but the trees were different. They reached a stop sign.
“A shortcut. I always used to take this way, remember?” His fingers tapped on the steering wheel. Tap-tap-tap.
Chris froze, the tapping sound echoing in his ears. “Yes,” he lied as his chest grew tighter. The road grew narrow as the trees reached down to grab the truck. He flinched.
“Chris, are you okay?” David asked fearfully.
“I’m fine.” Chris took a deep breath, tasting strawberries. Erica. Setting his head against the cold glass, he pressed his hands to his cheeks. “Stop.”
David pulled over, shutting the car off as he turned towards his brother. “Wha-”
“David, drive,” Chris pleaded. His eyes wandered to the forest, watching red and blue lights play tag before squeezing them shut.
David reluctantly started the truck up and continued to drive home.
The rest of the ride home was tension-filled. Chris wished David would say something. Anything to break the silence.

“Chris, we’re here.” I grabbed the bag for Mom as Chris lifted his head from the window.
“David, I’m sorry... For what happened today... Just don’t say anything.”
“What the heck was that? What happened earlier?”
"I just don't know how to put it into words... I just don't want mom to get worried or whatever."
Never had I been more terrified of my brother. Anyway I looked at him I couldn't help but scream monster. Freak. But he was my brother. He needed help.
The walk up the driveway seemed to last for hours. I kept looking over my shoulder at him, as if he was going to change form or something. It was silent except for the wind and the sound of our boots crushing crunchy snow. We continued to walk up the stairs, onto the porch, and into the house.
"Hey mom, we’re back," Chris called as I carried a bag into the kitchen.
"Just set it down. Keep him out of here," my mom said urgently in a hushed tone.
"Keep who out?" Chris asked as he came up behind me. "What's going on?"
"You need to get out. Now. Both of you." My mom pushed us out of the kitchen. I saw Ashley's shoes peeking out from around the counter. She was kneeling on the ground. Erica was nowhere to be seen.
"What's going on?" Chris asked again, resisting my mom's pushes. "Where are Ashley and Erica?"
"David, honey, take Chris out-"
Chris pushed through my mom. I grabbed his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. He walked into the kitchen, turning around the corner. He crumpled to the floor.
"Erica? Erica?" It was all he could choke out.
I walked closer. Ashley was on her knees. Her eyes were red from crying. She backed away from Erica, who was lying on the ground.
"I'm sorry," she apologized weakly, standing up. I walked over to her, wrapping my arms around her.
Chris sat on the blue and white tiled floor. He held Erica's left hand in his and started to cry, silently.
There she was, on the floor. Headless.
"It was an accident." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I was just fixing her hair and... It just... it was an accident." I held her tightly. My mom stood in the doorway, holding onto her silver necklace. Chris just sat there. He carefully picked up her head and smoothed out her hair. He pulled her body up to his, cradling her, Closing his eyes, he started to sob. I couldn't watch him anymore, but I couldn't look away. Never had I seen him so upset about anything.
I stepped away from Ashley and knelt down next to him. "It was just an accident Chris. Ashley didn't mean-"
"It was my fault. I shouldn't have- I should've went with." He looked at me, his brown eyes filled with tears. "I should've went with her, David." He held the mannequin closer.

Erica was Chris's girlfriend. It was the week before Thanksgiving, last year. She invited Chris to come into town with her. He was too busy. On her way back home, her car slid out of control, sending her down the side of a hill, to another street. The shortcut street that Chris freaked out on. A stop sign she had hit went through her windshield, decapitating her. Killing her instantly. They didn't find her until dawn. Chris passed it on his way to work. Catching a glimpse of her car, he spun around and demanded to know what happened. They tried to hold him back, but he saw her.
That Thanksgiving he brought "Erica" to dinner. My parents played along. After all, it was just that night that Chris pretended. The next day he was back to his old self. Until Christmas, when Chris brought her back.
I always thought my family was normal. My dad watched football to drown out Mom’s rants. And Chris was just my little brother with a few anti-social problems. Then Erica happened and my parents turned the other way. I couldn’t do it though. I couldn’t pretend.
We didn't stay for dinner that night, or any night after. I didn't have to go back.
"David, I'm sorry." Ashley put her hand on mine as we drove away.
"Honey, you have nothing to be sorry for... I'm sorry. I didn't expect it to turn out this way." I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. "I always thought my family was average on the 'normal scale.'" It was silent. "Let's just go back home and forget about this whole visit."
I could go back to Georgia, back to the life I was making for us, back to the life we were making. I could be David.
That's when I realized I couldn't run from it. At home, I would always be Dave, the one with the weird brother.
And that's when I decided I was never coming back.
"Looks like we are spending Christmas with some normal people," I said, turning to Ashley with a smile. Her family.
"Yeah, David, about that."