Sorrow Swallows My Screams
Chapter Six
Chapter Six:
Zacky’s POV:
“Zack? Oh, Zacky…” It was Brian’s dad. Oh, how pleasant… sarcasm, my friend, sarcasm. I quickly pulled the sleeve of my hoodie down in attempt to hide my bleeding wrist, but it was too late. Brian’s dad already knew what I’d been doing. And I still don’t know his name.
“M-m-m-r. Haner?” I stuttered. I now know what it really feels likes to choke on your words.
“Zacky… Zack, why?” He asked. My eyes flickered down towards the ground, and I noticed some of my blood had missed the sink and dripped to the floor.
“I-” I cut myself off because I didn’t know what to say. I also then realised that he couldn’t force me to speak, so I turned and ran past him and out of the bathroom, then out of the house.
To be honest, I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t have any friends, except maybe Brian, but I left his house for obvious reasons. I decided on the bridge. No, I wasn’t going to try to kill myself. Not now, at least.
I was sitting on the side of the road at the bridge for about three hours before I heard someone approach. I looked up to see Brian looking down at me. He lowered himself to the ground and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I shivered at his touch but didn’t move away.
“Zacky…” he said softly.
I didn’t reply. I instead moved to the side a little, shuffling away from him.
“Zacky,” he repeated.
I once again didn’t reply. I could feel him looking at me even though I was gazing straight ahead at the handrails on the other side of the narrow bridge, and then the water beyond. He lightly shook my shoulder, as if that would make me pay attention to him. I couldn’t look him in the eye, I just couldn’t. I knew he knew what I’d done, he had to have.
“No!” I screamed and got up, running away once again. I unfortunately couldn’t run as fast as Brian could and he caught up with me quickly, grabbing my arm as gently as he could, which stopped me. I turned and looked him in the eye, mustering slight courage from somewhere.
“What’s wrong? Why won’t you talk to me?” he asked, kindly.
“You know.” I looked down as I spoke, now.
“No, I don’t, Zacky. Tell me.”
I sighed. Might as well just tell him… “W-when you were making b-breakfast… I… I…” Breathe. Sigh. Try to get rid of stutter. Continue. “Cut…”
He didn’t say anything, just pulled me into a hug. It felt a little awkward - hugging him - but it did make me feel better. There’s just something about hugs that makes you feel better. What that is, I have no idea, but they are great.
I looked up when I felt a tear fall onto my shoulder. But… I wasn’t crying, how did that happen? When I saw Brian’s watery eyes and a few tears falling down his face I didn’t really know what to do. I was confused.
“Why are you crying?” I asked softly, unsure if this was the right thing to say.
He once again didn’t reply using words. He instead lifted the sleeves on his tattered hoodie to reveal an array of scars on his wrists.
Zacky’s POV:
“Zack? Oh, Zacky…” It was Brian’s dad. Oh, how pleasant… sarcasm, my friend, sarcasm. I quickly pulled the sleeve of my hoodie down in attempt to hide my bleeding wrist, but it was too late. Brian’s dad already knew what I’d been doing. And I still don’t know his name.
“M-m-m-r. Haner?” I stuttered. I now know what it really feels likes to choke on your words.
“Zacky… Zack, why?” He asked. My eyes flickered down towards the ground, and I noticed some of my blood had missed the sink and dripped to the floor.
“I-” I cut myself off because I didn’t know what to say. I also then realised that he couldn’t force me to speak, so I turned and ran past him and out of the bathroom, then out of the house.
To be honest, I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t have any friends, except maybe Brian, but I left his house for obvious reasons. I decided on the bridge. No, I wasn’t going to try to kill myself. Not now, at least.
I was sitting on the side of the road at the bridge for about three hours before I heard someone approach. I looked up to see Brian looking down at me. He lowered himself to the ground and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I shivered at his touch but didn’t move away.
“Zacky…” he said softly.
I didn’t reply. I instead moved to the side a little, shuffling away from him.
“Zacky,” he repeated.
I once again didn’t reply. I could feel him looking at me even though I was gazing straight ahead at the handrails on the other side of the narrow bridge, and then the water beyond. He lightly shook my shoulder, as if that would make me pay attention to him. I couldn’t look him in the eye, I just couldn’t. I knew he knew what I’d done, he had to have.
“No!” I screamed and got up, running away once again. I unfortunately couldn’t run as fast as Brian could and he caught up with me quickly, grabbing my arm as gently as he could, which stopped me. I turned and looked him in the eye, mustering slight courage from somewhere.
“What’s wrong? Why won’t you talk to me?” he asked, kindly.
“You know.” I looked down as I spoke, now.
“No, I don’t, Zacky. Tell me.”
I sighed. Might as well just tell him… “W-when you were making b-breakfast… I… I…” Breathe. Sigh. Try to get rid of stutter. Continue. “Cut…”
He didn’t say anything, just pulled me into a hug. It felt a little awkward - hugging him - but it did make me feel better. There’s just something about hugs that makes you feel better. What that is, I have no idea, but they are great.
I looked up when I felt a tear fall onto my shoulder. But… I wasn’t crying, how did that happen? When I saw Brian’s watery eyes and a few tears falling down his face I didn’t really know what to do. I was confused.
“Why are you crying?” I asked softly, unsure if this was the right thing to say.
He once again didn’t reply using words. He instead lifted the sleeves on his tattered hoodie to reveal an array of scars on his wrists.