Ghost President

Standing before a spirited, slightly drunk crowd, Patrick Waverly gave a victory speech to at least a couple hundred close friends and campaign supporters. His authoritative voice kept each listener’s eyes and ears glued to him. After all, Patrick Waverly had just been elected President of the United States by an overwhelming majority. His victory, however, was not one that he had accomplished alone.
In a carefully guarded room a few floors above, Patrick Waverly’s best friend, Adam Bennett, fed him lines through an advanced headphone speaker system. Every captivating word Patrick spoke came from Adam’s mouth. Each witty comment that sparked laughter among the supporters was not of Patrick’s own thought. Not that Adam Bennett minded. In fact, it had all been his idea in the first place.
The whole plan had been decided years before. It was a simple plan, based on years of friendship and whole-hearted trust. It all started when Adam Bennett’s dream of one day becoming a politician was shattered.
Adam’s life had never been a charmed one, and he had often envied the easy life of his best friend, Patrick Waverly. He covered the envy well, however. No need to let Patrick in on the way he was feeling every time Patrick complained about his parents’ latest charity dinner or ball. Adam knew Patrick didn’t understand his life, couldn’t possibly understand his mom’s alcoholism or his dad’s absolute absence.
Still, even with their differences, Adam Bennett knew Patrick would always be there for him. The two had been friends since childhood, second grade actually. That’s why Adam went to Patrick and no one else with his idea. Patrick was the only person he trusted, the only one he knew had the personality and background, unlike himself, to make the plan a success.
Adam’s background. Well, it wasn’t exactly what you’d imagine for a politician. Adam knew that, but he had always thought his harsh upbringing could actually end up helping him. He’d seen enough movies to know how much people loved a comeback, a Cinderella story. But that was all before he’d gone and done the unthinkable, before everything had changed.
Adam Bennett found his mom’s lifeless body lying on the kitchen floor early one morning. At the time he was a college freshman, and his mom was recently sober. Adam had never felt more proud of his mom, or more optimistic about his future. Adam had come home for the weekend with exciting news. He’d been asked to intern that summer for a state senator. It was the first step towards his dream, one he longed to take.
The sight of his mom and the large pool of blood collecting around her evaporated all those thoughts. Adam crouched to the floor immediately, shaking his mother. “Please!” he yelled. He shook her again and again, his hands growing increasingly bloody. He pulled his shaking hands from his mother and stared at them. He stood quickly. Though he wasn’t sure how his legs worked, they did. He ran to the phone and dialed 911. To this day, Adam couldn’t tell you a word he said. The only thing he truly remembers from that day was one overwhelming thought: Revenge.
After that day, Adam’s life changed. Everyday, Adam hoped the night would spare him. The time before sleep, as he lay thinking in his barely comfortable bed, was horrible. All those thoughts he’d controlled or pushed away during the day flooded into his mind, keeping him awake. The “what ifs”, “how comes”, and “whys” raced through his brain, demanding answers and releasing floods of guilt. What if I’d been there sooner? What if I hadn’t been the one to find her at all? What if it had been someone else? He felt the most guilty about that one. Wishing all this on someone else was incredibly selfish, and he knew it, but that didn’t stop him from wishing it. However, even all that thinking and guilt was better than the sleep.
Sleeping, once an enjoyable escape, became a unrelenting chore. The nightmares that plagued Adam were just too much. Seeing his mom’s dead, mutilated body again and again was not something Adam wanted to deal with. Reliving the worst moment of his life left him waking up in a cold sweat, his heart pounding. With each dream, any hope of ever erasing the horrible image from his mind was diminished. He would do anything to erase that picture, anything at all.
It didn’t take long for Adam to figure out that sleep wasn’t working for him anymore. One way or another, he’d put it off, stay awake until he was so tired he collapsed without thought or dream. He started with just partying. The nightlife in New York City was not something Adam had been involved with before his mom’s death. The party scene wasn’t one he felt he belonged in. However, clubs were an easy way to stay awake. The loud music and flashing lights allowed no thoughts. Clubbing became the one thing Adam looked forward to in his new life of nightmares and sleepless nights.
His new hobby quickly turned into a bad habit, however. Clubbing gave way to alcohol and, soon, hard drugs. The first time Adam tried methamphetamine, or as he liked to called it, speed, he was in love. Speed kept Adam awake unlike any club ever had. Speed changed everything about Adam. Typically reserved, when Adam took speed, he turned into a confident, outspoken charmer. Speed was like an eight hour adrenaline rush, keeping him up whole nights partying. Sleeping literally became a thing of the past, and when he did rarely sleep, speed took away all his nightmares and replaced them with merciful blackness.