This Blood Is Gonna Wake the Night
Linda
The door opened a moment later and I found myself face-to-face with a young girl of about fifteen. She had dark chocolate brown hair and blue eyes. A piece of pink gum was wedged between her teeth and she chewed loudly on it. Very ladylike. She looked me up and down, her eyebrows raised, while she squished the gum between her teeth.
For a moment, I was tongue-tied. What did I say? I should've thought about that before I knocked.
"Are. . . are you my little sister?" I questioned.
"God, I hope not," She replied, her voice dripping with attitude.
"Um. . ."
"For God's sake, look, who are looking for?"
"Um. . . Donna and Don Way?"
"Sorry, they moved."
"Mikey Way? Does he still live here?"
"No," She snapped irritably "No one with the surname Way lives here!"
"Oh."
I dithered for an age before she sighed, rolled her eyes and made to shut the door. Before she could, my foot wedged the door, preventing her from shutting it.
"Hey, what gives?" She demanded.
"Do the Iero's still live next door?"
"Um. . ."
"Linda?"
"Linda? Oh sure! She's still there!"
"Great. Thank you for your time."
"Whatev."
Then she slammed the door shut. I didn't flinch at the whoosh of air as the door slammed. Then I calmly turned and retreated back down the path. Seconds later, I was rapping on the door next door.
About a minute later, the door was answered by an older version of my old next door neighbour. She crossed her eyebrows at me; she didn't smile like she used to when I was a child, asking to play with her son.
"Yes, can I help you?"
"L-Linda?" I questioned.
"Yes, do I know you?"
"It's me; Gerard! I used to live next door, remember?"
"Oh my God, little Gerard?" She exclaimed "Little Gerard who used to play in my back yard with my Frankie?"
"Um. . . yeah," I nodded shyly.
"Oh my God!" She half yelled, throwing her arms around me "It's been so long, honey! How are you? Look at you!"
I smiled and hugged back. But, just as I opened my mouth to reply, it happened. I groaned and clutched my stomach as it ached in that familiar horrible sensation.
"Honey, are you okay?"
"Do you. . . no, never mind!"
"Come in, honey," She invited.
I gratefully followed her inside. The hallway had been redecorated since I was little. The wallpaper was gone and the walls were now a dark crimson. It made me want to groan in longing. Linda cocked her head to one side.
"Do you need something?"
"Uhh. . . you wouldn't happen. . . to have any meat, would you?" I grunted.
"You're in luck, honey," She smiled "Are you hungry?"
"Yes," I lied.
She ushered me into the unchanged living room and seated me on the green sofa. I waited impatiently, trying to distract myself by looking at the familiar yet forgotten living room I was in. My fingers were twitching. My leg had a brief spasm. This wasn't my convulsion. These were the warning signs. It would arrive in a day or so if I didn't do something about it.
Linda stepped back into the room with a smile.
"I have a steak in the fridge, honey, would that do you?"
"Yes, please," I replied "Is that okay?"
"Of course. How do you like it cooked?"
"Raw," I gabbled quickly "Raw."
"What?"
"Raw," I repeated "Raw meat only! Training diet thing, y'know?"
"Ok, okay. God, I'll never understand these weird diets people go on!" She said as she went into the kitchen "What are you training for, anyway, honey?" She questioned as she reappeared with a huge steak on a plate.
My breathing hitched.
"Um. . . national wrestling," I lied, distracted by the juicy red steak that was being handed to me.
"Oh my, a tiny thing like you? There's nothing of you!" She exclaimed.
"Don't be fooled," I laughed, lifting the steak and biting into it greedily.
I tried not to groan as I did so. It was so good. So satisfying after nothing but little pieces of diced beef. Linda crossed her eyebrows as she watched me stuff it down. It was so good. The steak was gone in less than a minute.
"You were hungry!" Linda laughed.
"Thanks. Y'know, for letting me eat your food! I feel really rude, now!"
"Nonsense," She insisted with a smile "You're always welcome."
I smiled gratefully and placed the spotless plate on the coffee table politely. Linda smiled and looked me over.
"God, look at you! You used to be so tiny!"
"I did?"
"You were so small!" She insisted "Frankie used to love you!"
"How is he?" I questioned "He must be. . . what twenty three now?"
"Yeah," She beamed "Twenty three and in love. He came out when he was fifteen and he's now settled down with a long-term boyfriend."
I forced a smile. I wondered if Frank had changed much. Then again, he was four when I last saw him. He was the cutest little kid I'd ever come across. I loved him. I used to play tag with him and Mikey in the yard. He'd toddle over and push me when he was supposed to 'tag' me. And I'd pretend to topple over and he'd giggle and climb up and sit on my stomach, demanding a pony ride.
The bang of a knocker against wood sounded off as someone opened the front door. Linda and I both looked up simultaneously in time to see two figures entering the room. My eyes widened in surprise as I recognised the two men from the train journey.
The black haired one blinked at me and crossed his eyes.
"Mom, who's this?"
For a moment, I was tongue-tied. What did I say? I should've thought about that before I knocked.
"Are. . . are you my little sister?" I questioned.
"God, I hope not," She replied, her voice dripping with attitude.
"Um. . ."
"For God's sake, look, who are looking for?"
"Um. . . Donna and Don Way?"
"Sorry, they moved."
"Mikey Way? Does he still live here?"
"No," She snapped irritably "No one with the surname Way lives here!"
"Oh."
I dithered for an age before she sighed, rolled her eyes and made to shut the door. Before she could, my foot wedged the door, preventing her from shutting it.
"Hey, what gives?" She demanded.
"Do the Iero's still live next door?"
"Um. . ."
"Linda?"
"Linda? Oh sure! She's still there!"
"Great. Thank you for your time."
"Whatev."
Then she slammed the door shut. I didn't flinch at the whoosh of air as the door slammed. Then I calmly turned and retreated back down the path. Seconds later, I was rapping on the door next door.
About a minute later, the door was answered by an older version of my old next door neighbour. She crossed her eyebrows at me; she didn't smile like she used to when I was a child, asking to play with her son.
"Yes, can I help you?"
"L-Linda?" I questioned.
"Yes, do I know you?"
"It's me; Gerard! I used to live next door, remember?"
"Oh my God, little Gerard?" She exclaimed "Little Gerard who used to play in my back yard with my Frankie?"
"Um. . . yeah," I nodded shyly.
"Oh my God!" She half yelled, throwing her arms around me "It's been so long, honey! How are you? Look at you!"
I smiled and hugged back. But, just as I opened my mouth to reply, it happened. I groaned and clutched my stomach as it ached in that familiar horrible sensation.
"Honey, are you okay?"
"Do you. . . no, never mind!"
"Come in, honey," She invited.
I gratefully followed her inside. The hallway had been redecorated since I was little. The wallpaper was gone and the walls were now a dark crimson. It made me want to groan in longing. Linda cocked her head to one side.
"Do you need something?"
"Uhh. . . you wouldn't happen. . . to have any meat, would you?" I grunted.
"You're in luck, honey," She smiled "Are you hungry?"
"Yes," I lied.
She ushered me into the unchanged living room and seated me on the green sofa. I waited impatiently, trying to distract myself by looking at the familiar yet forgotten living room I was in. My fingers were twitching. My leg had a brief spasm. This wasn't my convulsion. These were the warning signs. It would arrive in a day or so if I didn't do something about it.
Linda stepped back into the room with a smile.
"I have a steak in the fridge, honey, would that do you?"
"Yes, please," I replied "Is that okay?"
"Of course. How do you like it cooked?"
"Raw," I gabbled quickly "Raw."
"What?"
"Raw," I repeated "Raw meat only! Training diet thing, y'know?"
"Ok, okay. God, I'll never understand these weird diets people go on!" She said as she went into the kitchen "What are you training for, anyway, honey?" She questioned as she reappeared with a huge steak on a plate.
My breathing hitched.
"Um. . . national wrestling," I lied, distracted by the juicy red steak that was being handed to me.
"Oh my, a tiny thing like you? There's nothing of you!" She exclaimed.
"Don't be fooled," I laughed, lifting the steak and biting into it greedily.
I tried not to groan as I did so. It was so good. So satisfying after nothing but little pieces of diced beef. Linda crossed her eyebrows as she watched me stuff it down. It was so good. The steak was gone in less than a minute.
"You were hungry!" Linda laughed.
"Thanks. Y'know, for letting me eat your food! I feel really rude, now!"
"Nonsense," She insisted with a smile "You're always welcome."
I smiled gratefully and placed the spotless plate on the coffee table politely. Linda smiled and looked me over.
"God, look at you! You used to be so tiny!"
"I did?"
"You were so small!" She insisted "Frankie used to love you!"
"How is he?" I questioned "He must be. . . what twenty three now?"
"Yeah," She beamed "Twenty three and in love. He came out when he was fifteen and he's now settled down with a long-term boyfriend."
I forced a smile. I wondered if Frank had changed much. Then again, he was four when I last saw him. He was the cutest little kid I'd ever come across. I loved him. I used to play tag with him and Mikey in the yard. He'd toddle over and push me when he was supposed to 'tag' me. And I'd pretend to topple over and he'd giggle and climb up and sit on my stomach, demanding a pony ride.
The bang of a knocker against wood sounded off as someone opened the front door. Linda and I both looked up simultaneously in time to see two figures entering the room. My eyes widened in surprise as I recognised the two men from the train journey.
The black haired one blinked at me and crossed his eyes.
"Mom, who's this?"