Sequel: Eat My Heart Out ›
Skin and Bones
Outside
I stand in front of the Way’s house. I look at every window, every windowsill, every brick, every gutter. I’ve been in there over a billion times, yet now it seems harder than ever to just walk up that path and ring that doorbell. I can even hear that simple bell ringing in my ears as I just stare at the familiar house.
I’m not just about to walk in and spend a night there like I’ve done so many times before. I’m about to reveal my secret – my biggest secret to date. I’m about to admit that… And not just to myself, but to the entire Way family, whom will of course call the police and then…
I keep staring at the house.
I can do this. I need to do this. I’m gonna do this. I just… I’m just gonna stand here a bit longer.
The rain is pounding against my wiry body. I know it’s bad – really bad. I need to start eating. I need to look…normal.
I don’t even know what normal is anymore. How much food is too much food, and how much is not enough? When do I stop? I don’t even remember how to eat. I can’t even tell if I’m hungry or not anymore.
I’ve screwed myself up so bad. I’m a nutcase.
Raindrops keeps running down my face and stick to my eyelashes. I keep blinking to keep them away. I can’t tell if they’re all just raindrops, though.
The rain and thunder and gushes of wind should be enough to make me run up to the front porch and ring the doorbell manically, but I just stay put. I stare at the familiar house, and for once I realize I might never leave it again.
Suddenly I see something in one of the windows – someone. I can’t tell who through the darkness and they quickly disappear again.
I take a deep breath and exhale it, before I walk up to the front door. I stand there and wait for the door to be opened as I prepare myself for the ultimate revealing of my life – of my life.
When the door unlocks I bite my lip hard to keep myself from breaking down completely.
After at least three locks have rattled, Mr. Way appears in the door opening.
He frowns and tilts his head to the side.
“Frank, what are you doing here?” I keep biting my lip harder as the tears get harder and harder to suppress.
I hear a scraping and soon Mrs. Way is standing next to her husband.
“Frank, sweety. What are you doing out in the rain?” She quickly grabs my arm and pulls me inside. She pulls off my backpack and my jacket off of my body as Mr. Way closes the door behind me.
“Get your shoes off, sweety. I’ll go find some dry clothes for you.” I keep biting my lip as I look down at my shoes.
I then see my backpack.
“No,” I pipe out. I look up to see Mrs. Way looking concerned and saddened.
“I’ve got clothes.” I reach down and grab my backpack. I open it.
I pull out my very wet teddy bear – biting my lip again – before I look down and see that the rest of my clothes are just as wet.
“Take care of him, Don?” Mrs. Way says and I hear her walk away as I keep staring at my teddy bear. It’s childish and stupid – I know – but it’s the only good thing I’ve got left.
“Come on, Frank. Let’s get your shoes off.” When I don’t respond, Mr. Way gets down on his knee and pulls my shoes off himself. I just comply.
“Frank?” I look up to see Mikey and Mrs. Way walking towards me. I suddenly realize I’ve released my lip from my bite, and my tears are so close to falling.
I bite my lip again – hard.
“What happened? What are you doing here?” Mikey stops right in front of me and stoops his head down a bit to level his eyes with mine.
“I-“ I breathe out.
Mrs. Way gasps.
“Frank! You’re bleeding!” I look up at her. I close my mouth and taste the metallic taste that pours out of a hole in my lip.
Suddenly everything just crashes. I fall apart. My world stops.
Everything after that is a haze where everything seems to move in slow motion. Mrs. Way pulls me into the bathroom and cleans up my lip. When I show no sign of moving, she sends Mikey in with me to change my clothes. He closes the door and starts pulling off my wet clothes. I let my limbs be controlled by him, and before I know it I’ve got a pair of Mikey’s sweats and one of his t-shirts on.
He pulls me out of the bathroom and into his room. He tugs me into his bed, before he leaves the room – closing the door behind him.
And then I just lie there. No questions asked, no interrogation done – they just let me in and tugged me into bed. My chest is warmer than it’s ever been.
The rain pounds against the window – lulling me to sleep.
I’m not just about to walk in and spend a night there like I’ve done so many times before. I’m about to reveal my secret – my biggest secret to date. I’m about to admit that… And not just to myself, but to the entire Way family, whom will of course call the police and then…
I keep staring at the house.
I can do this. I need to do this. I’m gonna do this. I just… I’m just gonna stand here a bit longer.
The rain is pounding against my wiry body. I know it’s bad – really bad. I need to start eating. I need to look…normal.
I don’t even know what normal is anymore. How much food is too much food, and how much is not enough? When do I stop? I don’t even remember how to eat. I can’t even tell if I’m hungry or not anymore.
I’ve screwed myself up so bad. I’m a nutcase.
Raindrops keeps running down my face and stick to my eyelashes. I keep blinking to keep them away. I can’t tell if they’re all just raindrops, though.
The rain and thunder and gushes of wind should be enough to make me run up to the front porch and ring the doorbell manically, but I just stay put. I stare at the familiar house, and for once I realize I might never leave it again.
Suddenly I see something in one of the windows – someone. I can’t tell who through the darkness and they quickly disappear again.
I take a deep breath and exhale it, before I walk up to the front door. I stand there and wait for the door to be opened as I prepare myself for the ultimate revealing of my life – of my life.
When the door unlocks I bite my lip hard to keep myself from breaking down completely.
After at least three locks have rattled, Mr. Way appears in the door opening.
He frowns and tilts his head to the side.
“Frank, what are you doing here?” I keep biting my lip harder as the tears get harder and harder to suppress.
I hear a scraping and soon Mrs. Way is standing next to her husband.
“Frank, sweety. What are you doing out in the rain?” She quickly grabs my arm and pulls me inside. She pulls off my backpack and my jacket off of my body as Mr. Way closes the door behind me.
“Get your shoes off, sweety. I’ll go find some dry clothes for you.” I keep biting my lip as I look down at my shoes.
I then see my backpack.
“No,” I pipe out. I look up to see Mrs. Way looking concerned and saddened.
“I’ve got clothes.” I reach down and grab my backpack. I open it.
I pull out my very wet teddy bear – biting my lip again – before I look down and see that the rest of my clothes are just as wet.
“Take care of him, Don?” Mrs. Way says and I hear her walk away as I keep staring at my teddy bear. It’s childish and stupid – I know – but it’s the only good thing I’ve got left.
“Come on, Frank. Let’s get your shoes off.” When I don’t respond, Mr. Way gets down on his knee and pulls my shoes off himself. I just comply.
“Frank?” I look up to see Mikey and Mrs. Way walking towards me. I suddenly realize I’ve released my lip from my bite, and my tears are so close to falling.
I bite my lip again – hard.
“What happened? What are you doing here?” Mikey stops right in front of me and stoops his head down a bit to level his eyes with mine.
“I-“ I breathe out.
Mrs. Way gasps.
“Frank! You’re bleeding!” I look up at her. I close my mouth and taste the metallic taste that pours out of a hole in my lip.
Suddenly everything just crashes. I fall apart. My world stops.
Everything after that is a haze where everything seems to move in slow motion. Mrs. Way pulls me into the bathroom and cleans up my lip. When I show no sign of moving, she sends Mikey in with me to change my clothes. He closes the door and starts pulling off my wet clothes. I let my limbs be controlled by him, and before I know it I’ve got a pair of Mikey’s sweats and one of his t-shirts on.
He pulls me out of the bathroom and into his room. He tugs me into his bed, before he leaves the room – closing the door behind him.
And then I just lie there. No questions asked, no interrogation done – they just let me in and tugged me into bed. My chest is warmer than it’s ever been.
The rain pounds against the window – lulling me to sleep.