John Kennedy and castle of water lilies

Tokyo 1951, the Kennedy brothers Jack and Bobby had greatly enjoyed their long trip in the depths of mystical east. However, their trip came to a sudden halt when Jack got seriously ill. Without any of hesitation Bobby rushed his older brother to a local hospital, where his fever got higher and higher.
"Don't worry Jack, everything is gonna be okay." Bobby chanted while he was wiping beads of sweat from his brother's forehead.
Jack's fever had quickly reached to 107 decrees and without of anyone telling, Bobby knew his brother's condition was very serious.
He didn't dare to leave his brother's bedside, he was afraid, if he would leave Jack even for a minute, he would surely die.

"Bobby," Jack whispered.
"Yes, Jack? I am here."
"Remind me to thank father for that lovely weekend at the beach."
"Don't trouble yourself with that Jack, just rest now."
Instead of resting Jack opened his tired eyes and looked at the end of his bed.
"What is that place," he asked.
Bobby looked at the direction which his brother was watching, and he saw an old painting of Japanese castle surrounded by a pond of water lilies.
"Just some artwork about an old castle," he replied.
"I would like to go there Bobby, can you get us the tickets?"
"I will look onto it Jack, please sleep now so you will get better."

For Bobby's relief Jack didn't protest anymore and he closed his eyes again.
In his mind Bobby didn't know which one was worse, to command his brother to sleep or to listen his delirium? From obvious reasons Jack's silence was more terrifying than him talking, but the doctors had told Bobby not to bother his brother too much.

For all these years Bobby had always relied on either to Joey or Jack for guidance, but now when Joey had perished in the war and Jack was fighting for his own life, all responsibility fell suddenly onto him.
He had to keep himself calm and find a way how to get help for Jack.
Bobby was sure that their parents would never forgive him if he would let Jack die in here.
He crossed his hands and squeezed his rosary.
"Dear Lord, help us," he prayed through oncoming tears.

Praying had always eased up his mind at the time of trouble, but this was something which he hadn't faced before. This kind of trouble went beyond of him, so hard he had tried to prove everyone in his family that he wasn't the runt of the litter anymore, but his own man. Maybe they all had been right all along, he was still so young in his years and Jack had constantly mocked him from that and now when he needed to be the man, he had no clue what to do.

Then in his darkest moment a bright idea came to his mind. It was as swift as the flaming sword of archangel Michael's. Bobby remembered that during the war the American troops had set up a military hospital to Okinawa, if that place was still operational, Jack would have a chance.
A small spark of hope flared into a raging fire in Bobby's heart and right away he started to organize Jack's move.

In the meanwhile, Jack Kennedy was having his own battle. He stumbled in the darkness, finding his way with his hands. He had cried for his brother, but only silence replied to him. He was totally alone.

Then he saw a dim light far in the distance. Without of a second thought Jack started to walk towards it. The light grew brighter and brighter as he approached it. He felt it calling for him with the most beautiful voice and he had no desire to resist it.
Soon the darkness abandoned him, and the bright light transformed to that beautiful castle surrounded by water lilies.

As Jack was looking at the wonderous sight on front him a familiar figure appeared from the other end of the castle's bridge.
It was Joey.
He was still wearing his pilot's uniform and he waved merrily his hand to Jack.
Jack ran to his brother, and they embraced each other.
"O my goodness Joey, how on Earth you are in here?"
"You know me Jack, I needed to get away from home, away from the constant pushing of our father." Joey replied.
"We all thought you were dead!"
Joey's expression grew serious.
"My plane was hit yes, but I managed to escape and for this failure I didn't dare to come back."
"Wasn't that bit too extreme, you didn't even send us a telegram or a letter!"
"Well, what is done is done. It serves no purpose to dwell in the past Jack. However, I set myself free and it is such of wonderous feeling," Joey replied and patted his brother's back.
"You should have said something. What you have been doing all these years?"
"I know it, but now we have all the time in the world to catch up. But first I want to introduce you to a someone."

Door of the castle opened and Joey lead Jack to dimly lit hall. Soon a beautiful pale faced Asian woman joined to their company. She was dressed into blood red kimono and her long black hair hung openly on her shoulders.
"Jack, this is Daiyu, she is the mistress of this castle, and she would like to have you as her guest for a little while."
"Really?"
"Yeah brother, if you are going to let this opportunity to slip between your fingers, you are a bigger idiot than..."
"Shut up Joey." Jack snapped at his grinning brother.
"Hmm, in that case I will leave you two alone." Joey replied and disappeared to the shadows.

Sweetly smiling Lady Daiyu wrapped her soft arms around Jack's neck and gave him a welcoming kiss.
After that day Jack spent his time listening how Daiyu played sweet music with koto, prepared tasty meals, massaged his aching back with warm oils and let him to make love to her.

"I could stay here forever." Jack remarked idly on one late afternoon.
"You could my love." Daiyu pointed out softly and drew invisible lines with her fingers to Jack's bare chest.
"No, no I can't," he denied and got up from the bed.
"Why not darling? You know that you do have a sanctuary in here."
"But not freedom. I miss my home and I need to tell my family that Joey is alive."

Daiyu got also up from the bed and wrapped a silk sheet around her narrow body.
"Are you going to leave me?"
"Sorry sweetheart, this was the most wonderful time, but I really need to go back home," Jack protested and started to dress himself up.
"Do you really think that you can walk away from me and just say sorry? Remember whose ground you are standing on," Daiyu said in icy tone.

Jack turned to look at her, something in her voice made him afraid.
Then her threatening appearance seemed to melt away and she smiled sweetly again.
"Come to bed with me my love and let's forget this whole thing."
But Jack didn't move, his inner alarm had gone off and only thing which filled his mind was a dire need to escape.
"Come on babe, I will not ask you twice."
Jack took one step closer to the door.

Daiyu's dark eyes fixed only onto him like a hungry predator's and slowly her appearance started to change again.
"Jack..." she called him, but now her silky voice had grown hoarse.
"No," Jack replied and started to open the sliding door behind of him.

Daiyu's narrow frame started to grow bigger, her beautiful body transformed into hideous, fat trunk which was marked by countless roots of blue veins.
Her sweet smile turned to grotesque grin and Jack was able to see a glimpse of razor-sharp teeth behind of her disfigured lips.

Cold fist of unforgiving fear squeezed his heart, and he pulled the door open. Jack ran to hallway, and he heard how Daiyu started to chase him.
Jack's mouth grew bone dry, and his heart was about to burst. Cold sweat ran down his back and he tried to put as much of distance between himself and that demon as he possibly could.
The corridors and hallways of the castle had also changed, they have stretched several miles in length and forked to countless turnouts. As Jack turned right, he needed to stop, Daiyu was already at the other end of the corridor. She stood there smiling and softly giggling.
He couldn't understand, how she had already gone that far?
"Shit," he cursed.

Jack turned back to the direction where he had come from and started to run again.
"Help! Joey! Bobby," Jack cried while he ran.
Then, she was there again, facing him. Sheer panic took over Jack's mind and he didn't care where he was running, no matter she always found him.
On each turn and step she came closer and closer to him although it seemed that she hardly even moved.

Soon Daiyu was only at arm's length away from Jack.

Desperately he tried to find another way where to ran, but she had blocked every possible exit.
"Help! Somebody," he cried.

Then she reached her thin arms towards him and squeezed him tightly against her broad chest.
Her skin was deadly cold and her flesh as soft as a fresh dough. Right away Jack felt how he was sinking, he wanted to cry for help, but his voice got stuck in his throat.
"What's the matter Jack, did your silver tongue turn to lead?" she mocked.

Daiyu's torso was like a bottomless bog and soon she had absorbed Jack's lower body and arms.
With the last remaining strength, Jack tried to struggle himself free, but that made him sank even faster.
"Don't worry my love it will soon be over, and we will be together forever and ever." she continued and rubbed her belly as soon as Jack had sunk inside of her.

In the military hospital at Okinawa Jack's condition was worsening. The doctors at Tokyo had warned Bobby from transporting his brother too early since he was still very weak, and they had been right. The trip had been too hard on Jack and now his body was failing him. The few American doctors which had remained at Okinawa buzzed around Jack's bed like a swarm of flesh-eating flies.

Tears and sweat were running down on Bobby's face when he stood at the corner of the room.
Desperation and agony were tearing him apart and he wished he could have done more to help his brother. Each passing minute felt like a lifetime, and it was driving him mad.
Finally, after long struggle the doctors managed to stabilize Jack and situation was again under some control.

"Doctor, how is he?" Bobby asked frantically for a thousand time.
Doctor Jones took off his stethoscope and looked at the younger Kennedy who seemed to be so worn out by the anxiety and sleep deprivation that he was ready to collapse.
He admired the young man's devotion to his brother, but he was also afraid that he had gone over the top.
"Mr. Kennedy, you should really get some rest. You have bravely guarded your brother, but please think for your own wellbeing as well."

"Please doctor, tell me. Our entire family is at States, and I am the only one he has." Bobby pleaded.
Doctor Jones sighed heavily and thought that it was impossible to convince this young man.
"Physically he is stable for the time being, tomorrow we will know more."
"Tomorrow, it will take that long?" Bobby repeated and looked at his watch, it was well past 8 PM.
"I am afraid so. It is going to be a long night for you."
"I don't care, I am not leaving without of him."
"As you wish Mr. Kennedy. I will ask one of the nurses to bring you a coffee. You certainly need it more than I do."

Bobby pulled himself a chair and returned to his regular guarding post.
"O Jack, I wish I could do more to help you." he whispered.
"The modern medicine knows so little what happens in the brain of a patient when he or she is in a comatose state. However, I once heard from a patient that she was able to hear pretty much everything what was happening around of her. She remarked how the visitations of her family members and hearing their voices gave her strength to carry on." Doctor Jones continued, then he left the brothers alone.

Bobby thought about the doctor's words for a moment, in his opinion it sounded silly to talk to someone who would not answer, but on the other hand, he saw no harm in it.

He took Jack's limp hand to his own and talked to him about home.

Never ending darkness surrounded Jack once more. Insides of the demon were pushing him tightly to fetal position. Countless dribbles of cold slime ran down on every inch of his skin and his lungs were about to explode due to the lack of air. Fear was driving him insane and when he thought that death would now take him, he heard a soft voice. With all his will power Jack focused his mind onto that voice until he was able to understand the words it was saying.

It was his brother's voice, it was Bobby.
"Bobby," Jack cried in his mind and tried to move towards his voice, but the fleshy walls of his prison kept him tightly in his place. However, Jack didn't give up, the raging fear which had earlier possessed him turned to annoyance, then to anger and finally full rage.
He punched and kicked the slimy belly with all his might, anger poured burning fuel to his tired muscles which were violently woken up to fight.

Bobby's soft voice grew louder which helped Jack to focus. He carried on punching like a madman and bit by bit the walls of his prison started to give in.
Then he stopped punching and started to claw his way to freedom. He tore the flesh with his fingernails as much he could, and it came loose with large chunks.
"Let me out! Let me out," he roared with hoarse voice which soon got mixed to agonizing screams of a dying demon.

Now Jack was able to hear Bobby even clearer and with one last move he was able to rip open the darkness.

Bright light almost blinded his eyes when Doctor Jones pointed it towards his pupils.
"Bobby," Jack croaked.
"I am here Jack, thank goodness you woke up!" Bobby replied in tears.
Without caring much of the presence of Doctor Jones, Jack took a firm grip from his brother and looked him feverishly.
"Bobby, Joey is still alive! I saw him, I saw him!"
"What the hell are you talking about Jack?" Bobby asked.
"I saw him in that water lily castle Bobby, he is still in there, we have to get him!"
"Calm down Jack, Joey is dead, he has been dead for years."
"No Bobby, I talked with him, he is still out there!"

"Stop that, Jack!" Bobby shouted in frustration, long hours of sleepless nights had taken their toll on him and without of a second thought he slapped his brother.

Then Jack seemed to come back to the reality.
He blinked his eyes few times like he had just woken up from a dream.
"Mr. Kennedy, try to get hold on to yourself." Doctor Jones pointed out with alarming tone.
"O my God, I am so sorry Jack, I didn't mean to," Bobby hurried to apologize.
"No, it's alright Bobby. It just felt so real," Jack mumbled.

Then he moved his gaze to Doctor Jones and to the hospital room.
"Where are we?"
"At Okinawa Jack, as soon as you are better, we are going home." Bobby replied ja smiled joyfully.
"That sounds good," Jack stated.
"Now Mr. Kennedy since the worst part is over, I suggest you get some rest." Doctor Jones ordered, "There is a little motel near to the hospital where you could get some sleep."

Bobby turned to look at his brother.
"Will you be okay Jack, if I will leave you for a minute?"
"Go, I will stay here, I am not going to die just yet," he replied with a slight smirk.
Bobby gave him a laugh, took his jacket and left.

On the next week Jack had covered from his fever, and they were good to go.
When the airplane had took off and the island of Japan was far behind of them Jack leaned towards his brother and whispered:
"Bobby listen, I would appreciate if you would not tell anyone what I said back in the hospital. I was sick and couldn't think straight."
"My lips are sealed," Bobby replied.
"Thanks Bobby, I mean it. You are a good brother, and I am sorry how I have treated you."
"No matter Jack, past is behind of us."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Jack."
"Thank you, brother," Jack thanked and patted his brother's hand.

After one minute Jack spoke again:
"So, did I say something else when I was in...the hospital?"
Bobby was silent for a moment and then he answered:
"It seemed like you were trying to run away from a nightmare."