TO OVERCOME

Stephan called at 3 a.m.

"Please," he said, "I need help."

We had always been close until he met the demon. Since then I watched in frustration as his life disintegrated. Remembering the fights we had about it would have made it easy to ignore him now - but I knew I must go.

When I arrived I saw that he had gotten worse. He was thin and was shaking as if freezing. Unable to look me in the eye, he retreated to the seclusion of a dark corner and sat on the floor.

The telltale signs of the demon that had destroyed his life were everywhere; blackened and burnt spoons, syringes scattered about like garbage, and tin foil with scant traces of the evil itself. I wanted to tell him what a fool he was but instead I noticed how really scared he looked, his face wide-eyed and confused. Then tears came and he began sobbing.

My brother, my best friend, was still in that body somewhere and I wanted him back. Knowing he depended on me to help him find his way, I sat down next to him and held him close as he continued crying.

"I don't know what to do," he said. "I want to quit, God I want to, but I can't."

"Sh, Stephan," I said, "I'm here now. Everything's going to be all right."

Two years later, clean, sober, and as a team, Stephan and I run our own business.

THE END

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