These Bright Lights Have Always Blinded Me

I ran. I had no clue who I was running from, where to, or why. I just ran in fear of something. I ran until I reached Ali’s house. I ran in without knocking (seeing as I never do in the first place) when I noticed something was wrong. It was quiet. Too quiet.

“Ali?” I yelled, “Alejandra? Where are you?”

I walked in to the living room. Empty. “Ali? Monte? Craig? Leila? Robert? Max? Anyone here?!” I yelled.

I ran upstairs to the bedrooms and opened Ali’s door. Nothing. I opened Max’s door, half-expecting to see him jacking off. Nothing. I opened the bathroom door. Nothing.

Confused, I ran back downstairs. I opened every door in the house and looked in every room. “Nothing,” I said to myself as I walked into the kitchen, “There’s no one fucking here. Where is everyone?”

I walked outside to the backyard. The whole yard was dug up. Okay? What the fuck? I turned around to go back inside when I came face-to-face with Ronnie. A few seconds later, I was on the ground clutching my face. “You didn’t actually think you could get away from me without the consequences, right?” he asked before kicking me in the stomach.

“Ali!” I yelled, “Help!”

I received another kick to the stomach. “Ali can’t help you. If fact, no one can,” he said.

“Wha-what are you talking about?” I said trying to sit up.

He kicked me back down. “Well, because of your big mouth, the people you care most about are gone,” he replied.

I looked up at him. “What did you do to them?!” I asked.

He sat down next to me. “Very simple baby doll. Because you told them about what I do to you, they’re no longer among the living. Even those two German bastards and the little girl. Although I must say, that Tom guy sure did put up a fight, trying to protect the she-male Bill,” he replied.

My eyes widen and my jaw dropped. “You fucking fuck. You fucking fuck!! What the fuck‘s your problem?!” I said before receiving a punch to the face.

“And now no one can help you when I do this,” he said before climbing on top of me, straddling my waist.

“No Ronnie. Get off!” I said trying to push him off.

He punched me across the face and said, “Boy am I going to have a lot of fun.”

I shot up in my bed screaming. Barely after that, Max ran in. I tried to get out of bed, but Max rushed over to me and asked, “What’s wrong?”

I looked at him and shook my head. My body was shaking and I was crying as Max sat down next to me and wrapped his arms around me in a hug. “Shh. It’s okay Chelsea. I’m here,” he said.

“Where’s Tom?” I whispered.

He looked at me. “Why?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I just need to see him. I need to see everyone Maxi. I had the worst nightmare. Ronnie found me at Ali’s house. He said he…he…” I said when I just shook my head.

“Okay baby. Do you want me to leave the room and get him? Or just call for him?” he asked.

“Call for him. Call for everyone. I want my bubby,” I replied.

“Okay,” he said when I felt him pull out his phone. I heard him hit a few button and the phone ring on the other line.

“Hello? Yeah it’s me. Hey, can you come by Chelsea’s room? She’s freaking out over something. In fact, bring everyone. She said she needs to see them. I have no clue why. She’s in hysterics. Yeah. Got it. Bye,” he said before hanging up, “I just talk to Frank. He’s on his way with everyone. It’s okay baby.”

I hugged him and buried my face into the crook of his neck, not caring how much pain I was in. “Thank you,” I said.

“Anytime Chelsea,” he said kissing the top of my head. We sat like that for a while when the door opened and Frank walked in with Ali and Leila in Ali’s arms.

“Chelsea? You okay sis?” Frank asked.

I unwrapped my arms from Max and stood up, pain shooting through my body. I grabbed my IV stand thing and walked over to them. When I reached Frank I threw my arms around his neck and refused to let go.

“Chessy? Why are you crying?” Leila asked in a sad voice.

I looked over at the little girl in Ali’s arms. “Chessy just had a really bad dream,” I replied weakly.

“I sorry Chessy,” Leila said.

“It’s okay munchkin. I’ll be fine,” I told her, a few tears running down my cheeks as I said so.

Leila looked over at Ali. “Ali, can you walk over to Chessy please?” she asked.

Ali nodded and walked over to me. When they got close enough, Leila wrapped her little arms around me the best she could. I hissed in pain as her hand landed on my bruised ribs. She quickly pulled away. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” she asked.

“It’s okay. You just touched a sore spot,” I replied.

She nodded. “Daddy said you would have boo-boo’s from that jerk who tooked you and made Ali mad,” she said.

I shivered, despite that fact it wasn’t cold in the room. “Come on Chelsea,” Frank said, “Let’s get you back into your bed and I’ll send others in here for you, kay?”

I nodded and walked back over to my bed where Max was still sitting. I sat down and lied back down. Frank kissed my forehead and said, “I’ll be back later, okay?”

“Okay bubby,” I said.

He weakly smiled and walked out of the room. Ali sat Leila on the floor and said, “Go get daddy, okay?”

“Okay mommy,” she said before running out of the room.

“Mommy?” I asked, “Since when?”

Ali walked over to the bed and sat down next to Max. “Since before Ronnie took you,” she replied.

I shuddered and said, “Wow. I guess I missed a lot, eh?”

“Not much really. Ronnie called me, I called his phone, you answering, and I remembered which number his apartment was,” Ali replied.

I nodded and rested my head on my pillow. “Ali? Can you call my mom? I wanna talk to my mommy,” I told her.

She nodded. “Yeah Chelzers,” she replied before leaving the room.

“Where is your mom?” Max asked.

“On her way here,” I heard Frank reply by the door, “I called her as soon as we knew you were okay and she’s on her way with Mama Donna, Mama Simone, Mama Bryar, and Mama Toro.”

I nodded. “Who all’s here?” I asked.

“Everyone we hang with. I have Gerard and Mikey with me,” he replied.

I nodded and Max said, “I’ll be back baby. I’m going to get something to eat.”

I nodded. “Okay Max,” I said.

He kissed my forehead and walked out. Mikey and Gerard waked in as soon as Max walked out and walked over to me. “Hey Chelsea. How are you feeling?” Mikey asked.

Gerard smacked him upside the head. “What do you think Mikey?” Gerard asked.

“Gee, I’m decent. I ache like a bitch though,” I replied weakly.

“You look like crap Chelsea. I’m not going to lie,” Mikey said.

I started to laugh, but my chest started hurting. “Very funny Mikey. Love you too,” I said.

“He’s right though,” Gerard said.

I rolled my eyes when I remembered my nightmare. “Guys? Where’s Tom?” I asked.

“In the waiting room with everyone else. He’s worried about you,” Mikey replied.

I nodded. “Look, I love you guys to death and all, but can you send Tom in here? I had a really awful nightmare and I’m just wanting to see everyone and make sure they’re here and that my dream was just a dream,” I told them.

They nodded. Mikey kissed my forehead and said, “That’s fine. We’ll be back later, okay?”

I nodded. Gerard kissed the top of my head as well and asked, “Do you want Bill here as well?”

I nodded. “Him as well,” I replied.

The two Way brothers nodded before leaving the room, leaving me by myself again. I laid down and closed my eyes when I heard footsteps. I opened one eye to see Bill. I motioned him over. “You can come in Billa,” I said, relieved that my dream was just a dream. You know, unless Tom doesn’t show up.

He walked in and sat on the bed. I went to sit up when he stopped me. “Here, I’ll sit you up,” he said softly.

He went to the side of my bed and pressed a button, causing my bed to sit me up. When I was slightly reclined, he stopped pressing the button and Tom walked in the room. Taking a good look at the twins, I noticed that they both looked worn out. They had bags under their eyes and Tom’s dreads were down. Bill’s hair wasn’t in its usual poof. Tom walked over to my bed and sat down between Bill and a reclined me. “Hey Tomi,” I said, happy as hell that my dream was just a dream.

“Hey,” he said.

“Have you gotten your head checked out yet?” I asked.

Bill looked from Tom to me. “Why would he need that?” he asked.

“It’s nothing Billa. Ronnie just bashed me upside the head a couple times,” Tom replied.

“Knocking you out,” I added.

Bill’s eyes widened when he grabbed Tom’s head and started inspecting the back of it. “Billa, I’m fine. Really. I’ve endured worse. Remember the girls that were stalking us?” Tom asked.

Bill rolled his eyes. “That was creepy and a half,” he said, adding the “and a half,” something I always say.

“Ehm guys? I’m lost, dazed, and confused,” I said.

“It’s nothing. Just something that happened in Germany before we moved here,” Tom replied.

Bill nodded in agreement when his phone rang. He grabbed it and answered it. “Yeah? We’re in Chelsea’s room at the hospital. You’re where? Okay. Yeah I’ll come down. See you soon. Love you, too mom. Bye,” he said. He looked at us and said, “Mom’s here. I’ll be back,” Bill said when he left the room, leaving us by ourselves.

I relaxed in my bed and Tom asked, “How do you feel?”

“Like shit. I’m not going to lie,” I replied.

“I would expect,” he said before looking at his feet. He looked like he wanted to say something. But what?

“Tom? What’s on your mind?” I asked.

He shook his head. “You know, nothing you say will hurt me,” I told him.

He sighed. “Can I ask you something without you getting mad?” he asked.

I nodded. “What is it?”

“What all did Ronnie do to you?” he asked.

I shuddered. “I don’t like to think about it,” I replied.

“Did he, you know, take advantage of you?”

I looked at him for a minute when I asked, “Did Ali tell you about when he did?”

He nodded. “He did,” I replied.

His face went from sad to furious. “I’m going to kill him,” he said staring at the ground.

I grabbed Tom’s hand. “Don’t do that. Because then you’ll end up in jail for murder and I’ll be a sad Chelsea because my Tomi managed to get himself locked up,” I said.

He weakly smiled and looked at me. “Okay. I won’t kill him. But only because I don’t want you being a sad Chelsea,” he said.

“Danke Tomi.”

“Bitteschön Liebling.”

I relaxed in the bed and closed my eyes when there was a knock on the door. I looked over and saw that it was Bill, Mom, Mama Simone, Mama Donna, Mama Bryar, and Mama Toro. I weakly smiled. “Hi mommy,” I said, my voice still sounding weak and hoarse.

Mom walked over to me. “Oh honey, are you okay? Well, of course not. What was I thinking? You’re in the hospital. I could just hurt that man for taking my baby girl like that and hurting you. What hurts?” Mom asked.

“Everything,” I replied, my eyes watering up again.

Mom shook her head. “Do you want to sleep?” she asked.

I quickly shook my head. “If I sleep, that’s when the nightmare’s appear. I already had a really bad one,” I told her.

She nodded. “Well, I’m going to call your doctor so we can get you something for the pain, okay? I’ll be right back.”

“Okay mommy,” I said.

She kissed my forehead. “Don’t worry Chelsea. He can’t get you. Not with everyone here.”

She stood up and walked over to the door, walking out. Mama Toro, Mama Bryar, Mama Donna, and Mama Simone walked, one at a time, and gave me hugs and forehead kisses. After they left, it was just me, Tom on my bed, and Bill by the door. “Billa,” I said, “You can come back in.”

He slowly walked over and sat next to Tom just as my doctor walked in. “Hello. I’m Dr. Dorian, but you can call me JD,” he said.

I just waved. “Hey,” I said weakly.

“You’re mother said you’re feeling pain everywhere, but you don’t want to go to sleep, right?” he asked.

I nodded. “Understandable from abuse victims. I’ve got something that’ll make the pain go away but they’re a slight chance that it’ll make you drowsy. I can’t think of any medication that doesn’t make you drowsy when it comes to pain,” he told me.

“Okay,” I said. He gave me a plastic cup with two little pills in it and a bottle of water. I attempted to open the bottle of water, having Tom help me after I couldn’t get it. I popped the pills (wow that sounds really bad) in my mouth and washed them down. “Thank you,” I said.

“No problem. Now, if you need anything else, just have someone page me, okay?” he asked.

“Got it,” I said.

He nodded before walking out. I looked at Bill and Tom to see Bill sleeping. “Hey, lay Bill on the cot over there,” I told Tom pointing to the cot.

He nodded and picked up Bill before laying him on the cot. He walked back over to me and said, “Hey, I’m gonna go talk to Mom for a bit. Do you want me to send someone else in?”

I nodded. “Get Max please,” I said.

“Okay. Anything for your Liebling,” he said. He hugged me and kissed my forehead (something everyone seems to be doing) before leaving the room. I lied there for a long while when little Leila walked into the room.

“Leila? Where’s Daddy and mommy?” I asked, realizing that it’s really strange to consider Ali someone’s mommy.

“Sleeping in the big room outside,” she replied, “Can I come in?”

“Of course you can Leila,” I replied.

She slowly walked in and tried to get up on the bed. After a couple failed attempts, I heard Max ask, “Do you want up there, Leila?”

I looked over to see him standing by the door. “Yes please Max,” she replied.

He smiled at her innocence and walked in the room. He picked her up and sat her on the bed before sitting down as well. “Hey Chelsea. Miss me?” he asked.

I nodded when I yawned involuntarily. Ah scheisse.

“Sounds like someone’s sleepy,” Max said smiling.

I shook my head. “I don’t *yawn* know what you’re talking about,” I said before yawning again.

He rolled his eyes. “Come on and get some sleep. I’ll be in here. I promise. I’ll sleep on the cot,” he said.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” I said.

“Why’s that?” he asked.

“Bill’s sleeping there,” I replied.

He looked over to see the sleeping Bill. “Ah. I guess that means I have to sleep in the bed with you,” he said.

I shrugged. “That’s fine with me,” I said.

Max looked at Leila. “Hey munchkin, can you tell everyone that Chelsea’s going to go to sleep now?” Max asked.

“Okay Max. Night Chessy,” she said hugging me loosely. She hopped off the bed and ran out of the room.

“She’s just too cute,” I said.

“I know,” Max said before laying down next to me. He pulled me in his arms and said, “Get some rest, okay? I’ll be here when you get up.”

I nodded. “Night Max,” I said.

“Night Chelsea. I love you.”

I smiled. “I love you, too,” I whispered before drifting off to sleep.