Maybe You'll Be The One That Saves Me
Prologue: I Can't Breathe, Wake Up From This Nightmare That I'm In
Darkness was falling fast on the streets of Las Vegas, the Strip soon dazzled with thousands of bright, cheap, neon-colored lights, setting the sky aglow and making any signs of a star obsolete.
The skinny, tall, raven-haired boy with brilliant green eyes walked, or more like dragged himself, across dark streets, away from the beaming lights of Las Vegas Boulevard, his hands deep inside the pockets of his black skinny jeans as he averted his eyes, not wishing to be seen.
It was past eleven now and the boy had no place to go but it was anything better than home…Home, it was supposed to be a comforting place, a place where you went to escape your nightmares, your sanctuary per say shared with the people you loved who cared about you…to Max Green, it was his own personal hell.
He winced, shutting his eyes as his fingers automatically touched and prodded at his bruised stomach through his Iron Maiden shirt.
“Ow…” he whimpered, letting a silent tear finally escape now that he was alone in solitude with no one to mock him or call him a baby or pathetic for crying.
He walked more quickly until he found a deserted, semi-dark alleyway lit up only by a single street lamp at the far end. He disappeared into the shadows, and leaned against the wall, slumping down and hugging his knees to his chest, emitting another painful whimper from his mouth as he shut his eyes and brought his forehead down to rest on his knees.
He breathed deeply, the pain coming back stronger than before now that his head was cleared and he was no longer walking with his mind racing and adrenaline pumping through his veins.
He bit his lip, hard, almost drawing blood, as he whimpered in his knees…Another tear escaping…Little did he know someone was watching him…
A tall figure with long dark hair and tattoos approached him, wearing smeared eyeliner and black skinnies that were ripped at the knees, despite his somewhat skinny legs, the guy had a rather kind of muscular arms…
“Hey kid, you alright?” The guy said, making Max look up, his eyes wide in fear, his cheeks shining with faint tear tracks from the faint light of the street lamp.
“I-I’m fine…” Max replied, though his voice betrayed him.
“It’s ok, I’m not going to hurt you, promise,” the other boy said, offering Max a somewhat shy, crooked smile as he leant down to Max’s level.
Max relaxed a little though he was still wary of the taller, most likely slightly older boy…
“I’m Ronnie,” Ronnie introduced himself with a small smile.
“M-Max,” Max responded though he wasn’t sure why he was even talking to this stranger. He just wanted to be left alone with his demons and nightmares, the pain sweeping through his abdomen…
“So I take it you have nowhere to go either?” Ronnie suggested and Max just nodded, warily, sniffling a little.
Who was this guy and why is he talking to me? Max thought, miserably…still not sure whether or not he should trust him. He brushed a stray tear, not realizing it was still falling. Fuck this fucking life, Max thought in anguish. He was so far gone into the darkest, deepest pits of hell and he could not see a way out and worst of all, he knew he would have to return home soon or he might be in more trouble…He was always in trouble even if he never did anything wrong…
“Hey, look at me,” Ronnie said using the most gentle voice he could as Max met his brown eyes and was that…concern? No one ever showed any concern for him.
“You’re okay, you’re going to be just fine…” Ronnie soothed.
Max only cried harder at that, because he was so far from alright, it was ridiculous.
And he didn’t think things, his life, could ever change or be fixed…
“I’m taking you home with me.”
At that, Max’s eyes shot up… “N-no…” his voice bordered fear.
Ronnie only smiled, reassuringly. “I am not gonna do anything to you, I promise. I just want to help you…I won’t hurt you, pinky swear. You have nothing to be afraid of…”
“W-why?” Max wanted to know. This boy didn’t even know him and yet here he was, offering a home and wanting to care for him.
“Because…this may sound totally creepy and please don’t take this the wrong way but I’ve seen you wander around these streets before, crying, screaming and once or twice, I’ve seen you stumble around, and…cry out in pain…And I know what it’s like…” Ronnie trailed off as Max looked curious now. He took a deep breath before continuing…”I know what it’s like to be alone and uncared for…I have my dad but my-my mom left us when I was just a kid and my brother, well dad kicked him out because he turned to drugs…”
“Sorry…” Max mumbled.
“It’s ok,” Ronnie offered him a small smile reaching out a hand to help the boy.
Max looked at it uncertainly before taking it, wincing as Ronnie helped him up, automatically earning a concerned glance from him.
Ronnie’s arms went around his waist as Max leaned into him, helping the younger boy, who was obviously in a lot of pain, walk through the streets of Vegas, and back to Ronnie’s place…
And for a reason he could not explain, Max felt safe with Ronnie, comforted by his presence and craving the older boy’s warmth and affection.
Maybe things were finally starting to look up and his hell was starting to dissolve…
The skinny, tall, raven-haired boy with brilliant green eyes walked, or more like dragged himself, across dark streets, away from the beaming lights of Las Vegas Boulevard, his hands deep inside the pockets of his black skinny jeans as he averted his eyes, not wishing to be seen.
It was past eleven now and the boy had no place to go but it was anything better than home…Home, it was supposed to be a comforting place, a place where you went to escape your nightmares, your sanctuary per say shared with the people you loved who cared about you…to Max Green, it was his own personal hell.
He winced, shutting his eyes as his fingers automatically touched and prodded at his bruised stomach through his Iron Maiden shirt.
“Ow…” he whimpered, letting a silent tear finally escape now that he was alone in solitude with no one to mock him or call him a baby or pathetic for crying.
He walked more quickly until he found a deserted, semi-dark alleyway lit up only by a single street lamp at the far end. He disappeared into the shadows, and leaned against the wall, slumping down and hugging his knees to his chest, emitting another painful whimper from his mouth as he shut his eyes and brought his forehead down to rest on his knees.
He breathed deeply, the pain coming back stronger than before now that his head was cleared and he was no longer walking with his mind racing and adrenaline pumping through his veins.
He bit his lip, hard, almost drawing blood, as he whimpered in his knees…Another tear escaping…Little did he know someone was watching him…
A tall figure with long dark hair and tattoos approached him, wearing smeared eyeliner and black skinnies that were ripped at the knees, despite his somewhat skinny legs, the guy had a rather kind of muscular arms…
“Hey kid, you alright?” The guy said, making Max look up, his eyes wide in fear, his cheeks shining with faint tear tracks from the faint light of the street lamp.
“I-I’m fine…” Max replied, though his voice betrayed him.
“It’s ok, I’m not going to hurt you, promise,” the other boy said, offering Max a somewhat shy, crooked smile as he leant down to Max’s level.
Max relaxed a little though he was still wary of the taller, most likely slightly older boy…
“I’m Ronnie,” Ronnie introduced himself with a small smile.
“M-Max,” Max responded though he wasn’t sure why he was even talking to this stranger. He just wanted to be left alone with his demons and nightmares, the pain sweeping through his abdomen…
“So I take it you have nowhere to go either?” Ronnie suggested and Max just nodded, warily, sniffling a little.
Who was this guy and why is he talking to me? Max thought, miserably…still not sure whether or not he should trust him. He brushed a stray tear, not realizing it was still falling. Fuck this fucking life, Max thought in anguish. He was so far gone into the darkest, deepest pits of hell and he could not see a way out and worst of all, he knew he would have to return home soon or he might be in more trouble…He was always in trouble even if he never did anything wrong…
“Hey, look at me,” Ronnie said using the most gentle voice he could as Max met his brown eyes and was that…concern? No one ever showed any concern for him.
“You’re okay, you’re going to be just fine…” Ronnie soothed.
Max only cried harder at that, because he was so far from alright, it was ridiculous.
And he didn’t think things, his life, could ever change or be fixed…
“I’m taking you home with me.”
At that, Max’s eyes shot up… “N-no…” his voice bordered fear.
Ronnie only smiled, reassuringly. “I am not gonna do anything to you, I promise. I just want to help you…I won’t hurt you, pinky swear. You have nothing to be afraid of…”
“W-why?” Max wanted to know. This boy didn’t even know him and yet here he was, offering a home and wanting to care for him.
“Because…this may sound totally creepy and please don’t take this the wrong way but I’ve seen you wander around these streets before, crying, screaming and once or twice, I’ve seen you stumble around, and…cry out in pain…And I know what it’s like…” Ronnie trailed off as Max looked curious now. He took a deep breath before continuing…”I know what it’s like to be alone and uncared for…I have my dad but my-my mom left us when I was just a kid and my brother, well dad kicked him out because he turned to drugs…”
“Sorry…” Max mumbled.
“It’s ok,” Ronnie offered him a small smile reaching out a hand to help the boy.
Max looked at it uncertainly before taking it, wincing as Ronnie helped him up, automatically earning a concerned glance from him.
Ronnie’s arms went around his waist as Max leaned into him, helping the younger boy, who was obviously in a lot of pain, walk through the streets of Vegas, and back to Ronnie’s place…
And for a reason he could not explain, Max felt safe with Ronnie, comforted by his presence and craving the older boy’s warmth and affection.
Maybe things were finally starting to look up and his hell was starting to dissolve…