We're All Just Victims of a Crime

“Gerard, please talk to me about it.” he pleaded.

He had been asking me the same questions, begging me to tell him what was wrong. It had been like this for a good half hour, ever since I woke up startled. Apparently I had been vocal about my dream and it worried him. If only he knew how much it worried me.

“It was nothing Frankie,” I sighed walking over to the couch and kissed the top of his head.

He only continued to pout in his spot, finding it hard to follow me around the room as I paced. My nerves had gone haywire, after all its not everyday you have a dream that involves you seeing your own dead body.

“Bullshit, or else you wouldn’t have been shouting my name like that, and it sure as hell didn’t sound pleasurable.” I couldn’t help the small laugh that came out of me as he shouted, not realizing I was still standing behind him.

“You’re the one that’s being vocal.” I stated.

“I thought you left me again.” he frowned.

“I told you I wouldn’t leave you Frankie,” I sighed walking over and plopped down on the couch.

Sighing I let my head fall back and shut my eyes, but all I could see was that image. Opening them I stared at the plain white ceiling. There was movement on the couch and I felt warm hands grip onto my arm before trailing up to my shoulder and soon his equally warm body was pressed up against my side. Sighing he rested his head on my shoulder and I wrapped my arm around his body.

“It scared me hearing you like that, I’m just worried.” he mumbled.

“Well there’s nothing for you to be worried about, it was just a dream.” I reassured him.

“Nightmare,” was his quick retort and I rolled my eyes.

“Either way, it was nothing. It wasn’t real.” I was hoping at least.

“So what did my brother want?” I asked trying to change the subject, I knew he wasn’t going to forget about it, of course he wouldn’t.

“He called to tell me that he was going to pick me up today, said sometime between three and four.” looking over at the clock on the radio I saw that it was already three-twenty. Frowning I knew I wouldn’t see him until next weekend and I didn’t want to wait that long.

(Fast forward to Saturday)

I was sitting at the table, my head rested on top of my folded arms staring at the empty coffee mug that was placed just in front of me.

“Are you still up?” my eyes shifted to the dark silhouette along the wall.

“Yep.” I sighed looking back at the coffee mug.

“Gerard, its almost two in the morning. Frank is coming today and I don’t think you’ve had more than four hours of sleep all week. You need to go to bed and sleep.” I shook my head.

“Can’t sleep,” I stated.

I was afraid of having that dream again, I was lucky if I managed to get a half hour of sleep every night since that first time. The only thing that had kept me moving was my endless cups of coffee and energy drinks. But even though they managed to make me feel awake the rest of my body had felt dead for two days now.

“I’m serious, if you don’t go to sleep I will call Mikey, right now, piss him off and blame you and tell him that Frank can’t come over this weekend. Now, you have a choice. So go to bed or not, and when I say bed, I mean sleep.” he ordered.

“What the hell? You’re worse than my own Mother.” I groaned looking over at him.

“Well I’ll take that as a compliment, now move it mister.”

Picking myself up from my chair I walked sluggishly to my room and collapsed on top of my bed. Sleep sounded wonderful, it had been a pain in my classes, trying to stay awake that is. And if he hadn’t of used Frank as a threat I wouldn’t have even bothered, but I wanted to see him more than anything. Pulling my pillow towards me, I watched the dark wall across from me. My eyes rapidly falling shut and soon I was overcome by sleep.

I was laying down, the sky was blue, not clear, but dark like there was a storm on the way. Gripping beneath me I felt grass, tugging some of it I picked up my hand I looked at the green between my fingers and let it go, watching as it flew away with the wind. Sitting up my eyes landed on rows of names. All different, with two years placed not very far beneath them. It took me a moment to realize where I was and when I did I pushed myself up. I turned on my feet, scanning, looking for something in particular.

They were laying down, well, leaning against the black marble tombstone. A tight black jacket keeping them warm with their hood pulled up. I walked over, taking slow steps around his body and sat down quietly. His eyes were bloodshot, his face blotchy, he had been crying, but I couldn’t understand why. Looking at the name, my name, it only confused me. He didn’t use to care, so why the tears now? I sat there for a while until he cleared his throat and his eyes shifted down to the ground, you could tell it hadn’t been very long seeing as the grass hadn’t grown back completely.

“Its like you don’t even exist anymore,” he sighed, his fingers tracing over the carvings.

“Its empty there without you. Your seat stays empty, but I don’t think I’d like it if someone started to sit in it. I’d probably beat the shit out of them if they did,” the last bit made him smile slightly before it disappeared into a frown.

“I miss you you know.” he mumbled pulling his hand away and wrapped his arm around his waist.

“I miss you so much.” more tears began to fall and I reached out to wipe them away but I couldn’t bring them to stop.

“Don’t cry,” I mumbled still trying, yet failing.

“Gerard!”

I shot up hearing my name screamed. Laughter came from beside my bed and I looked over to see my brother doubled over in laughter.

“Fucker,” I grumbled reaching for my pillow and tossed it at his head.

It was a weak throw so he caught it and stood up straight and smacked me in the head with it only laughing again when I groaned falling back down onto my warm bed.

“Wake up, I think Frank is interrogating Bob and it’s after one so get your lazy ass out of bed.” I rolled onto my back and looked up at him.

“One, really?” he nodded leaving my room.

Sighing I kicked off the blanket that had tangled itself around my legs and made my way to the bathroom where I turned on the water and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like a train wreck. My eyes were dull, dark rings, which wasn’t caused by smudged eyeliner, had formed beneath my eyes. My hair was a mess and I was just over all sick looking. Reaching down I filled cold water in my hands and splashed it in my face. The dream hadn’t been that bad, but it still wasn’t right. Something about it didn’t feel right. Brushing my teeth Mikey shouted at me, threatening a tray of ice being thrown on me if I wasn’t up. I rolled my eyes spitting into the sink and wiped my mouth and after rinsing I made my way into the livingroom.

“Told you he was interrogating him.” Mikey laughed from the couch.

Looking towards the kitchen I saw Frank sitting in the same chair that I had been in and Bob was sitting across from him with an annoyed expression on his face. Smiling I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pressed my lips to his cheek.

“Leave him alone,” I murmured.

“But I wasn’t doing anything! I was just asking him if you’ve been sleeping, that’s all.”

“And if you were having nightmares, if you were telling me about them, how often you were having them, and it goes on. So I thank you,” Bob laughed.

“I told you not to worry about me.” I groaned.

“Well you haven’t been sleeping and apparently Bob had to threaten you.” he frowned.

“Frankie,” I whined making him grin.

“I can’t help it if I care about you.” I rolled my eyes.

“I’m glad you care, but you don’t have anything to worry about.” I stated dragging his chin so I could kiss him properly.

“I’m with you, I have a shit load of stuff to worry about.” he giggled wrapping his arms around my neck and pulled me towards him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked making him giggle.

“You don’t need to worry about it.” he smirked.

“Using my lines will get you nowhere. They’re mine, you must be desperate.” I stated kissing him again. When I went to pull away he groaned in protest and tightened his grip keeping me there. I grinned, perfectly willing but before anything could happen someone cleared their throat causing us to pull away. I looked over at Bob who had an unamused expression on his face.

“Sorry Mother, come on Frankie.” I grabbed his waist and pulled him up from the chair and then picked him up placing him on my shoulder.

“What the hell are you doing?” he squealed kicking his legs, almost getting me in the groin.

“Watch it there, and I’m taking you away.” I answered carrying him towards my room.

“Mikey! Bob! Help me!” he squealed trying to get out of my grip.

“No, Gerard, don’t... bring him back. Oh no, Frank,” Mikey stated monotonously, his eyes never leaving the TV as I walked past him.

“I’ll pay you ten bucks to keep him.” Bob shouted causing Frank to gasp.

“My ass is worth a hell of a lot more than ten bucks Bobby!” he shouted.

“Don’t call me that!” he replied just as loud.

Shutting my door I tossed him on my bed causing him to squeak. I laughed plopping down next to him and rested against my wall grabbing his hand leading him towards me.

“Will you finally tell me about these nightmares of yours?” he asked resting into my side.

“It wasn’t much of a nightmare last night.” which was the truth, it was just depressing.

“So then you’ll tell me?” I frowned.

“I.... ok, fine, but you have to answer a question for me real quick. Got it?”

“Deal, I’m listening.”

“Remember that day at school, when you told me you had that dream about me? Then later on you told me how I killed myself. How... how did I do it again?” he was quiet for a few moments.

“You slit your throat.” he mumbled gripping my hand.

“Oh,” I breathed staring straight ahead of me.

“Its your turn now.” he stated, his voice still sad.

“Um... we were in a car accident and we uh.... we went into a lake or something.... you couldn’t get out.” I frowned, I was such a horrible liar.

“Is that why you were shouting my name?”

“Yeah,” I sighed.

I felt horrible for lying, but the fact that I was dead by the same act in both of our dreams was just too much to be a coincidence for me. I was beginning to think that they couldn’t possibly be dreams at all.