Whispers in the Dark

“Gerard?” A familiar voice roused me from my nightmare filled slumber. “Gerard? C’mon, I need you to wake up!”
I cracked open one eye and scowled at the person standing at the end of my bed, “What Mikey?”
He smiled awkwardly at me and bit his lip, “Well…uhm…I…uh…”
I closed my eyes and exhaled angrily with frustration, “Just spit it out Mikey.”
“Could you drive me to pick up Frank? He’s in some sort of trouble.”
My eyes opened and I looked to the clock, “It’s six-thirty in the morning, what kind of trouble is her in?”
My little brother shrugged, “I dunno, but he was crying on the phone. Frank never cries, like ever.”
I nodded my head, sighing, “Yeah, sure, I’ll bring you. Now get out while I get dressed…unless you wanna see me naked.”
His brown eyes widened in horror and he all but ran from the room saying something about being scarred for life. I chuckled and threw my legs out of my bed wearing my Wal*Mart bought Pacman pyjama bottoms. I never sleep naked, I just didn’t want my little brother to see the fresh scars on my hipbones. He’d ask questions and it was too early for me to take the lecture he’d give me.
I stood up from my bed and swayed for a moment as the room around me spun. If this had happened to me a few months ago I would have been surprised, but by now I was used to it. Whenever I got up too fast I felt dizzy and ill for a moment or two, but usually it passed.
Ignoring the light-headedness, I scurried to my wardrobe and grabbed the first items of clothing that came to hand. It was too early to care about what I put on. I ran a hand through my messy black hair and glanced at myself in the mirror on the way out of my basement room.
Don’t know why you bother admiring yourself Gerard, you’re ugly as fuck!
I shook my head and tried to ignore the sneering voice in my head.
Jeez, you could really do with losing some weight. Getting pretty tubby aren’t you?
I pulled at the flab on my stomach and stared at it for a moment in disgust before there was a knock on the door.
“Gerard are you ready to go yet?”
I shook my head and let go of my stomach, “Yeah Mikes, I’m ready.”



It was only getting bright as we turned onto the street that Frank had told Mikey he’d be on, the sun just peeking up over the horizon.
I squinted out the windshield as I spotted a figure standing outside a house further up the road. Even from here I could see the dyed red hair and a smile crept onto my face.
“There he is.”
Mikey nodded and I saw it out of the corner of my eye as I concentrated on my driving. I hate driving when I’m tired, it requires so much more effort.
I pulled up beside the short boy and nearly gasped at his appearance before realising that it would hurt his feelings. But, I couldn’t help but stare. He looked terrible . He had bruises up and down his arms, there was an obvious bite mark on his neck, and his appearance was very dishevelled. My first instinct was to get out and embrace him in a huge hug, but I let Mikey do that. They were best friends after all. I barely even knew the guy.

Frank climbed into the car after escaping Mikey’s death-grip hug. He didn’t greet me, didn’t even acknowledge my existence. Just stared out the window as we drove back to mine and Mikey’s house. He looked lost.

As soon as we arrived at our destination I jumped out of the car, anxious to escape the deafening silence that filled the car. I stood by my door until the other boys were out, my leg jerking impatiently, and then locked the doors.
When I looked up my brother and his best friend were already gone. I followed quickly, eager to get out of the chilly morning air.
The house was quiet, our parents still in bed, and all I could hear were the murmuring whispers coming from the living room. I could tell that Frank wouldn’t really want me in there. He wanted to talk with his best friend and I could understand that. Something terrible had obviously happened and he wouldn’t want to tell me. I could relate to that totally, so instead of entering the living room I made my way down to my basement bedroom to be alone with my thoughts.

I lay on my bed with a pillow resting against my headboard. There was a book open on my lap but I couldn’t concentrate on it, my mind kept returning to Frank’s appearance.
Did it remind you of something Ger-bear?
The voice in my head did not sound like the usual one that invade my thoughts. This one was familiar, it belonged to the guy who was the cause of the voices in the first place. I whimpered, the voice sounded so real I almost expected to see the blue eyed man sitting beside me, whispering in my ear.
Do you remember what I did to you baby?
I let a tear roll down my cheek. I did remember what he had done to me.

“Please Bertie,” I pleaded as I tried to get out of the corner he had trapped me in, trying to avoid his blows. “I won’t do it again, I promise.”
His fists collided with my ribs over and over as he screamed profanities at me. My sides ached and tears ran down my face as I sobbed uncontrollably.
“Please Bert,” I cried, “I love you, you know I do.”
He laughed bitterly and continued to hit me, “You love me? You certainly don’t act like you do. Flirting with that guy like a dirty little slut. How many guys are you sleeping with behind my back? Huh?”
I met his eyes, that blue that I had once found so beautiful but now seemed cold and cruel.
“I’m not sleeping with anyone Bert! I love you ! No one else.”
He shook his head in disgust, “You make me sick Gerard. You could at least tell me the truth.”
He pushed me onto the bed and I gasped as he landed on top of me. His lips met mine and I smiled slightly, he was going to forgive me. He let his lips leave mine and trail down my neck. I could smell the beer of his breath, but thought nothing of it. Bert liked to have a couple of drinks whenever we went to parties. I felt teeth on my neck and moaned in pleasure. Then there was a sharp, stabbing pain and I cried out. He had bitten me… hard !
“What the…?” I couldn’t finish me sentence as Bert’s hand was suddenly clamped across my mouth.
“Don’t say a single word slut!” He growled into my face, “You are going to do with me what you do with all your other boyfriends.”
I shook my head and bit down on his hand. He pulled it back and glared at me before raising the other to try and hit me. I moved quickly and decisively, rolling out from under him. He cried out in anger and I heard the opening of the drawer on his side table. I jumped to my feet and began to run out of the room but he was faster. He grabbed me and shoved me against the wall and I felt the blade of a knife under my shirt against my stomach.
“You will do as I say slut, okay?”
Whimpering, I nodded and he smiled, grabbing my hand and pulling me back into his bedroom. But not before leaving his mark on my stomach.

I snapped out of my thoughts and ran to my bathroom, my stomach heaving. The porcelain of the seat was cold against my hot cheek as I leaned against it, waiting for the retching to begin. It did and I sat up, ready to puke, but nothing came up. Not that that surprised me. Cant throw up what’s not there.
I sat there for a few more minutes, waiting for my breathing to calm down. When it did I stood up and made my way back to my room. A comic on my desk caught my eye and I went to grab it, ignoring the tempting silver blade. Ignoring its temptation. I threw myself onto my bed and opened the comic, letting myself escape into a fiction world where the nerdy guy was the one with the powers, where he didn’t let himself be pushed around by anyone. Fiction is so much better than reality.