If the Suspense Doesn't Kill Us, Something Else Will
Chapter Six
Coralline’s POV:
If I believed in a God, I would have said things had gone to hell.
I sat in Gerard’s room with my hands in my lap, still shaking, and only getting worse as the screams continued. I couldn’t handle it. My mind wasn’t built for this.
“Let her in! You let her in now or you let me out!” Mikey was in hysterics over the situation.
“We are NOT letting it in, so shut the fuck up Mikey! Deal with it!” came Gerard’s harsh reply. I heard a loud thump soon after and a part of me wanted to know what had happened, but a part of me didn’t. My eyes were glued to the door as I waited for someone – or something – to walk through it any second now, but no one came.
“Mikey! Apologise to Gerard right now! We can’t open the door – you know why!” Mr Way was on Gerard’s side.
“Please! I can’t stand this. I can’t let you leave her out there alone and exposed!”
“Look darling, we just can’t be sure…” I could imagine the look of worry on Mrs Way’s face as she was torn between the two sides. She only wanted what was best, as always.
“Look, I’ll lock her in my room. I’ll keep watch all damn night! I promise, mum!” There was a long silence after that, and then finally the sound of chains and latches before another girl’s voice filled the house.
“Thank you! Thank you thank you…” I jumped as Gerard’s door was kicked right back against the wall and he walked in, blood trailing down his arm and splattered on his jeans.
“Fuck Mikey. Fuck you Mikey!” He slammed the door shut again and latched it before he collapsed to the floor and broke into tears. I wasn’t sure what to do. Of the many weeks I’d been living with his family, I’d never seen him cry before. He always held it in, or did it behind closed doors. I wanted to tell him it’d be okay. I wanted to tell him not to worry.
“Gerard…”
“Don’t. Just… don’t.” He brought his blanket up to his face then and lay down, his form shaking just a little as it appeared he tried to sleep. I understood how he must have felt. Mikey just let a complete stranger into the house, and Gerard’s entire family was out there with her. She could be one of them. I tried not to think about it as I, too, lay down, and took to staring at the wall on my side. I’d put up a few of Gerard’s drawings there, because they kept away the worries. He didn’t seem to mind that I’d done it. He didn’t pay much notice. But we all had little things we did. Mikey’s parents slept with his old plush elephant he’d had since before I’d met him, Mikey had Gerard’s lucky pencil, and Gerard had taken to sleeping with one of my shirts. No one could explain any of this really, other than to say that it made us feel we were never alone.
I was woken early in the morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise. From the lounge room I could hear soft voices, one of which I made out to be Mikey’s. I got out of Gerard’s bed to press my ear to the door, and realised that the other voice must have been this girl’s voice – the one from the night before. She was laughing and I smiled, relieved that she was in fact not one of those… things. I was sure they didn’t laugh.
Before I had time to wake up properly I was pushed down as Gerard passed me, his bat in one hand, unlocking his door with the other. Dried blood still stained his shirt.
“You, outside,” he said to the girl, and I followed him out.
“Me?”
“Her name is Mandy.” My eyes fell on Mandy as she sat there looking like… well, like any one of us. She was scared, and this was clearly Gerard’s doing.
“I don’t care. Get out. Stand in the light.”
“You don’t believe me? I –”
“Get the fuck outside! Now!” Gerard yelled, before advancing on her with his bat held high. Mikey was the only one to get up though as she cowered back into the couch.
“Leave her alone! She’s been through enough!” I sat down where I stood and placed my hands over my ears then, not wanting to hear the rest but it couldn’t be helped. I heard as Mikey’s parents came rushing down, and I heard Mikey’s screams of protest as Gerard grabbed Mandy’s arm and dragged her outside himself. She screamed as he pushed her out, and then there was nothing but sobbing.
Gerard passed by me again, and I heard the springs on his bed as he sat himself down. I crawled back into his room as Mandy returned from outside, her face streaked with tears.
“I pushed her,” Gerard said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I pushed her to the ground.” He held his hands out in front of himself, a look of disgust forming across his face.
“You felt you had to. It’s understandable, Gerard.” He laughed then, but I knew not to join in. His bitter laughter ceased as he got up and placed his hands on either of my shoulders.
“You are too good, Coralline. I’m a monster.” He was off before I could protest, and he locked himself in the bathroom. I thought that perhaps a shower would do him good.
If I believed in a God, I would have said things had gone to hell.
I sat in Gerard’s room with my hands in my lap, still shaking, and only getting worse as the screams continued. I couldn’t handle it. My mind wasn’t built for this.
“Let her in! You let her in now or you let me out!” Mikey was in hysterics over the situation.
“We are NOT letting it in, so shut the fuck up Mikey! Deal with it!” came Gerard’s harsh reply. I heard a loud thump soon after and a part of me wanted to know what had happened, but a part of me didn’t. My eyes were glued to the door as I waited for someone – or something – to walk through it any second now, but no one came.
“Mikey! Apologise to Gerard right now! We can’t open the door – you know why!” Mr Way was on Gerard’s side.
“Please! I can’t stand this. I can’t let you leave her out there alone and exposed!”
“Look darling, we just can’t be sure…” I could imagine the look of worry on Mrs Way’s face as she was torn between the two sides. She only wanted what was best, as always.
“Look, I’ll lock her in my room. I’ll keep watch all damn night! I promise, mum!” There was a long silence after that, and then finally the sound of chains and latches before another girl’s voice filled the house.
“Thank you! Thank you thank you…” I jumped as Gerard’s door was kicked right back against the wall and he walked in, blood trailing down his arm and splattered on his jeans.
“Fuck Mikey. Fuck you Mikey!” He slammed the door shut again and latched it before he collapsed to the floor and broke into tears. I wasn’t sure what to do. Of the many weeks I’d been living with his family, I’d never seen him cry before. He always held it in, or did it behind closed doors. I wanted to tell him it’d be okay. I wanted to tell him not to worry.
“Gerard…”
“Don’t. Just… don’t.” He brought his blanket up to his face then and lay down, his form shaking just a little as it appeared he tried to sleep. I understood how he must have felt. Mikey just let a complete stranger into the house, and Gerard’s entire family was out there with her. She could be one of them. I tried not to think about it as I, too, lay down, and took to staring at the wall on my side. I’d put up a few of Gerard’s drawings there, because they kept away the worries. He didn’t seem to mind that I’d done it. He didn’t pay much notice. But we all had little things we did. Mikey’s parents slept with his old plush elephant he’d had since before I’d met him, Mikey had Gerard’s lucky pencil, and Gerard had taken to sleeping with one of my shirts. No one could explain any of this really, other than to say that it made us feel we were never alone.
I was woken early in the morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise. From the lounge room I could hear soft voices, one of which I made out to be Mikey’s. I got out of Gerard’s bed to press my ear to the door, and realised that the other voice must have been this girl’s voice – the one from the night before. She was laughing and I smiled, relieved that she was in fact not one of those… things. I was sure they didn’t laugh.
Before I had time to wake up properly I was pushed down as Gerard passed me, his bat in one hand, unlocking his door with the other. Dried blood still stained his shirt.
“You, outside,” he said to the girl, and I followed him out.
“Me?”
“Her name is Mandy.” My eyes fell on Mandy as she sat there looking like… well, like any one of us. She was scared, and this was clearly Gerard’s doing.
“I don’t care. Get out. Stand in the light.”
“You don’t believe me? I –”
“Get the fuck outside! Now!” Gerard yelled, before advancing on her with his bat held high. Mikey was the only one to get up though as she cowered back into the couch.
“Leave her alone! She’s been through enough!” I sat down where I stood and placed my hands over my ears then, not wanting to hear the rest but it couldn’t be helped. I heard as Mikey’s parents came rushing down, and I heard Mikey’s screams of protest as Gerard grabbed Mandy’s arm and dragged her outside himself. She screamed as he pushed her out, and then there was nothing but sobbing.
Gerard passed by me again, and I heard the springs on his bed as he sat himself down. I crawled back into his room as Mandy returned from outside, her face streaked with tears.
“I pushed her,” Gerard said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I pushed her to the ground.” He held his hands out in front of himself, a look of disgust forming across his face.
“You felt you had to. It’s understandable, Gerard.” He laughed then, but I knew not to join in. His bitter laughter ceased as he got up and placed his hands on either of my shoulders.
“You are too good, Coralline. I’m a monster.” He was off before I could protest, and he locked himself in the bathroom. I thought that perhaps a shower would do him good.
♠ ♠ ♠
Another character ;)