The Perfect Son by Kyion S. Roebuck

“Where are we headed?”
    “I figured we could just drive around for a bit… Actually, to give us some direction, how about I show you a historical site most people don’t know about. It’s not too far from here, and we can talk along the way.”
    “Okay, great, I love history.”
     
    ***
     
    “What the hell? Seriously? I’m never going to get used to this,” Cody said as he looked around the car that had just abruptly stopped, jerking him awake.
    “Ah, the other identity. I’m Dr. Jacobs, and I’m pleased to finally meet you.”
    Cody looked at the man and his outstretched hand, and then leaned as far into the passenger door as he could. The last thing he remembered was feeling dizzy. Now he was with a strange man in what appeared to be Bumfuck, Michigan; at least he hoped it was Michigan.
    “Where the hell am I, and where is Nana?”
    “Your Nana, as you call her, is back at your house waiting for our return. You are about a twenty-five minute drive northeast of your home in a village in Clarkston, Michigan. As I told your other identity, I brought you here to show you a little-known historical site. That identity agreed, so here we are. I won’t move forward, however, until I have your consent as well. So, how about it? What do you say?”
    “I say that the other me is an idiot. There is no way I would have let you bring me out here if I had been in control. What does this have to do with hypnosis anyway?” Cody said in exasperation. Dr. Jacobs’ smile faltered slightly, but his face remained pleasant.
    “Actually, this has everything to do with hypnosis. In order to properly hypnotize a person, there needs to be a great deal of trust between both participants. When people are suffering from dissociative identity disorder, it is hard to build that trust because they don’t even trust themselves. Your reaction to my presence is proof of what I am saying. Therefore, I figured I would bring you to my hometown and give you a bit of its history. This way you can know more about me and where I come from, and hopefully, trust me enough to hypnotize you later on. Does that sound like a plan?”
    For several minutes, Cody just stared at the man. The doctor’s explanation sort of made sense, but he was still not happy with the situation. All he wanted was to be normal again, and each time something like this happened, he felt even further from that.
    “We’re already out here, so we might as well get this over with,” he said dryly, but the doctor beamed all the same.
    “Excellent! Let’s get started,” he said, and then jumped out the car. Cody followed with much less enthusiasm.
    “What you see here is the Sampson Estate. It was built in 1903 as a wedding present to Frederick Sampson, the police chief’s son, and Margaret Kettering, the mayor’s daughter. It is in need of a full makeover, but considering its age, it is still in superb condition. Let’s take a look inside,” Dr. Jacobs said as he hurriedly walked up the stairs.
    Cody attempted to follow him, but the minute he came in contact with the building, he felt a bone deep fear. Every hair on his body felt as though it was standing on end, and his body refused to move forward.
    “What’s the matter?” Dr. Jacobs asked worriedly when he looked back, and saw the boy frozen to the spot.
    “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t think I want to go in there. That place is creeping me out,” he said with his voice wavering. Dr. Jacobs saw the fear, and made his way over to him.
    “I know it may be a bit intimidating, but I assure you that there is nothing to fear in there. I visit this place regularly, so I know what I’m talking about. Let’s go in, have a look around, talk a bit, and then head back. What do you say, son?” he said, and then rested his hand on Cody’s head, similar to how his father used to do. Immediately, the fear receded as though it hadn’t ever been there.
    “Okay,” Cody said a bit breathlessly, before walking into