Under the Giant Oak

"Hello?" I asked walking into the house. I had spent the entire day with my new friend. It was late at night now. Well, not too late, but late enough for Ronnie to be home. It didn't seem like he was though. "Ronnie? Are you here?" I asked again. I called up the stairs. Nothing. I looked in the study. Nothing. Checked out back. Nothing. I even called his phone. Nothing. I looked the last place I thought he would be. The basement.

After walking down nearly half way down, I heard small whimpers. "Ronnie?" I called out. There was no answer, but I hard someone down there. I continued to walk down the stairs only to see nobody there. Where the hell is that boy?

I was about to walk back up the stairs when I heard a weak voice. "Help me." It said. I turned to see a human in the corner. It was crouched, and everywhere on its body was bruises or cuts or welts.

I turned back, ignoring the human. "Please, Max. You have to help me." My head shot around. All of the humans that knew me were dead already. The only human in here was this one, and I knew it was the one who did that terrible thing to Ronnie's parents. But, it shouldn't know my name. Why would it? It's not like I went around to talk to it. I was back up the stairs before I knew it.

I ran to where my phone was, searching for a certain number. After finding an appropriate one, I called it quickly. "Hello?" The voice on the other end of the phone said. It was later at night, and it sounded like he was still out on the town from the traffic noises in the background.

"Craig, it's me, Max. Is Ronnie with you? I haven't seem him all day, and he won't pick up his phone." I said quickly.

"He isn't with me. Sorry, man. I saw him this morning though, downtown. He was with someone. I couldn't tell who though. He saw me, and I tried to say hello. But, he shook his head, like I shouldn't come over then." He explained.

"This doesn't make sense. Thanks for letting me know. Call me if you see him, please."

"Sure thing, Max." He replied.

We said our farewells.

I called ever other one of his friends that might know where he was. Hell! I called Pete! He wasn't even in the state anymore, and here I was asking if he knew where my mate was. It's not like he could disappear. He had to be somewhere. He had to be.

Time ticked away with my calm exterior. With every second that I didn't know where he was, I got a little more nervous, a little more anxious. Pacing didn't satisfy my panic after a while, so I got out of the house. I had my phone. If he got home before me, he would call.

I didn't know where he could be. I tried everyone. Everyone! It wasn't like him to go tramping alone in the city. He didn't really even like the city alone. It was too busy. People were always pushing you around. He much rather go with a friend or someone so that he was a little more noticeable. He wasn't one to fade into the background too quickly. He didn't just disappear.

My feet took me to an all too familiar place. The swings, the slide, my tree, it was a sight for sore eyes. It was a sight for lonely eyes. I missed this place. The late night's breeze, the starry sky, even the creak of the rusty swings. It was my normal. It always had been my normal. This place never changed. It didn't. But, it was. It was changing, just like me.

The red 'x' was still over my tree. My giant, dead tree. Its strong roots in the ground. I used to think it could never go anywhere. That its decayed limbs would never leave my view of the sky. I used to think a lot of things. Things that didn't make sense now.

I don't know. Maybe, I was just worried, and I was trying to think of something that would calm me down. Something that would never leave me. That, right now, would calm me down.

It was all a little too much. I just came to terms about being in love with Ronnie and being capable of having social relationships that weren't a ticking time bomb. And, now I'm back here. Alone. Again. I was starting to see a pattern. And, I was starting to be paranoid.

Most likely, Ronnie had something to do all day, that he failed to mention to me. It must have run over or something. I'm sure he was fine. I'm sure nothing is wrong. I'm sure I was lying with myself right now.

My phone rang, and I quickly yanked it out, thinking it was Ronnie. I wasn't. I frowned at that thought.

I didn't recognize the number, but I didn't give out mine to just anyone. So, I decided to answer it.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Is this Maxwell Green?" A female on the other end of the phone asked.

"Yes, it is. Who is this?" I asked in return.

"This is Mercy Hospital calling because you are the emergency contact of a Mr. Ronnie Radke." She explained.

"What happened? Is he okay?" I asked. My nerves were rising again.

"I'm going to ask you to come down right away."

"What happened?" I asked harsher this time.

"Mr. Radke was in an accident. It's bad."