Sequel: Hit and Run

Inner Demons

Chapter Thirteen

Ray watched as Frank paced nervously from the ballroom to the library, flipping through his phone. Ray stopped him, "Did you get a hold of him yet?"

Frank sighed and shook his head, "No... I've called everyone I can think of..."

Ray thought for a minute, "What about Stacy... she lives not to far from here,"

Frank nodded and pressed a few buttons on his phone, before heading back into the ballroom. Ray wandered in the library, where Gerard was huddled beneath a blanket, his eyes wide and bloodshot. He was incredibly pale and had heavy bags underneath his eyes. His cheeks were beginning to become gaunt, he hadn't eaten in almost a week. Stacks of full plates and bowls were littered across the floor and furniture. Ray sighed and began to pick them up, "Gee, would at least try to eat something... you look horrible,"

Gerard answered him with a hollow laugh, before curling up tightly underneath his protective cocoon of blankets. Ray sighed again and went over to Gerard, "At least try to get some sleep, this can't be good for you,"

Gerard didn't answer, but Frank stepped into the room, "Umm, Mikey is on his way over... he has an idea,"

Ray nodded and went into the foyer to wait for him, while Frank tried his best to clean up Gerard's mess in the library. Mikey arrived about an hour later, holding something small in his hand. ray hugged him lightly, "We've missed you man,"

"I'm sure..." Mikey said coldly.

Ray groaned and led him to the library, when Mikey sat next to his brother, "Gee? Gee, are you okay?"

A pale head poked out from beneath the blankets, and Mikey gasped at how horrible he looked. Gerard gave him a weak smiled, and flinched as Mikey began to rub his face, "Gee... I need you to do me a favor."

Mikey produced a small plastic bottle from his pocket, "I want you to take a few of these for me, then i want you to eat something, then I want you to go to sleep,"

Gerard shook his head and pushed the pills away, "No... she'll get me,"

Mikey turned to Frank, who simply shook his head. Mikey went back to his brother, he looked so hopelessly helpless. Mikey fished one small orange pill from the bottle, "Please take this... it says it's not habit forming,"

Gerard ignored him and went back to hiding beneath the covers. Mikey placed the pill in Gerard's hand, "Gerard, you need to sleep... its making you sick!"

Gerard looked at the tiny pill in his palm, the back at the look of pleading in his brothers eyes, "Oh-okay..."

He swallowed the pill with a grimace and laid down on the couch, curling up beneath his blankets. Ray and Frank left the room, allowing Mikey to watch after Gerard while he slowly fell asleep. About 30 minutes had passed, and Mikey decided to leave the library, he wanted to see the other guys... try to fix things between him and the Bryars. Once he'd left, Gerard sat upright in the couch, but his eyes were still closed... he was sleepwalking.
He wandered around the ground floor for a few minutes, before practically running up the stairs to the third floor. He snuck past the rooms, until he was face to face with the large oak door, which no one had bothered to open for weeks. He slipped inside, his body coated in darkness. He ran his fingers along the walls, walking silently until his fingers hit something... a doorknob. He turned and opened it, giving it a swift kick to un-stick the door, the room hadn't been entered in almost 40 years. He stared around the room, it was full of mirrors, all different sizes and shapes and patterns. He began to pull of the sheets covering them, until a pile of white and gray fabric lay on the opposite end of the room. He ran his forefinger along a particularly old mirror, the thick residue of dust piling up on his fingers. But then he woke up. He stared in the mirror, his pale skin, his wide, fearful eyes. He stepped back a bit, the he saw her in the mirror, smiling evilly at him. He let out a yell and put all of his energy and strength into his fist and began to pound away at the mirrors. Shards of glass and flecks blood began top fly around the room. He drove his fists and arms through them, trying to get rid of the girl. He could her her laughing at him, mocking him, egging him on. He just began to punch harder, throwing his body into the mirrors, anything to make her go away. He could hear the faint sounds of footsteps approaching, but he didn't care, he kept punching and yelling, cursing at the girl. He glanced down and red swam into his vision. He felt suddenly dizzy and collapsed to the floor, lading on the discarded sheets, curling up and whimpering as a wave of nausea passed through him. He felt horribles pains in his arms and side, and yelled out, not words, he was just yelling. The girl giggled and appeared before him, running her cold, knobby fingers through his exceptionally greasy hair, "I said I was going to get rid of you,"

She pressed her lips to his cheeks and he shivered violently. The girl smiled, "You don't fuck with people like me,"

Gerard watched through blurry eyes as the door opened and the girl disappeared in front of him. Several sets of shoes stood in front of him, accompanied by frantic voices. Gerard tried to sit up and see who it was, but as soon as he out any pressure on his arms, blood shot of from the myriad of wounds on them and he fell back down on the sheets. he could feel hands on him, shaking him and rubbing him affectionately. Ray face appeared in front of his, "Gee?" he asked.

"Ray..." he croaked back, smiling slightly.

Everything sounded so distorted and far away, everyone around him looked like fleshy puzzle pieces. He reached up the touch Ray's face, part of was convinced it was all a dream. He was so weak, so tired... it had to be a dream. But he didn't have much time to think, his world was slowly disappearing, he was just another ghost in the house.
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Mikey smiled as he entered Ray's room, watching as he and Frank attempted to re-string Pansy. He walked silently inside, giving the guys a gentle smile, "Hey..."

Frank looked up and smiled, patting the bed next to him. Mikey collapsed down on it and gave a happy sigh, "I've missed you guys,"

Ray looked over at him, "We've missed you, and even Del said..."

But he was cut off by a loud, terrified scream. Mikey bolted upright, "Gerard?"

He ran out of the room, bumping into Delia. He paled and she gave him a panicked look, "Did you hear that?"

Mikey nodded slowly and stared at the heavy oak door, it was slightly ajar and they could hear the screams erupting from it. Ray went in first, and everyone followed closely behind him. They could hear Gerard yelling and cursing, as well as the sounds of laughter and glass shattering. Ray finally stopped at a door and threw it open, and saw Gerard spread out on the ground, blood flowing profusely from his arms and sides. He curled up a bit when Ray touched him, but then croaked out his name, reaching out to touch his face. He took his hand and watched as Gerard slipped into unconsciousness. Ray looked up at Frank, "Water... get water... and someone else try to find something for his arms,"

Nadine fell down next to Gerard, rubbing his back, shaking lightly, "What happened?"

Ray shrugged and turned Gerard onto his side, watching his labored breathing. Frank and Delia rushed in with towels and pillowcases. Ray worked quickly to save whatever blood Gerard had left. Bob and Frank then carried him down to the car, placing him carefully in the back and sped off towards the nearest hospital. They other 4 got into the remaining car and followed behind then, though, they were going considerably slower. Gerard was already being attending too when they arrived, and a sweaty bloody Frank approached them, "Come on guys... they have a room for us to wait in,"

He led them down a crowed hallway into a tiny mauve room, where Bob was nestled in the corner. Everyone took a seat, and thus began the longest six hours of their life.