Monsters Within

Chapter 17

I've been texting Gale a ton lately, hoping he's ok. So far, I've got no answers, and I'm getting worried. It feels like the only way to not hurt one of them is if I didn't exist at all.

But, I need to stop causing them pain, so I'm gonna have to be friends with both of them. Without offending or hurting the other. Right now though, I worry about Gale. I don't think I've ever gone to his house. But I'm pretty sure I can find it.

So as I start walking to it, I find myself worrying more and more, and soon I am running. I reach his house in about three minutes of non-stop running. And knock on the door. A woman answers.

"Hello, um... Does Gale live here? Gale Roth?" I ask.

"Yes who are you?" She replies.

"I'm a friend of his Kay-"

"Kay Wes? Right?" I nod a little confused. "He talks about you all the time. Please come in. He's in his room, second door on the left, upstairs. He hasn't come out in a while, I'm so glad you're here." By now as I head up the stairs, I have guessed that, she is his foster mom. I turn left to a narrow hallway, then left again to face Gale's room.

I knock lightly, no response. "Gale, can I come in?" Nothing. I jiggle the door nob only to find it's locked. Taking a bobby pin from my hair I unlock it, as I have needed to learn this from being locked inside my room. The door is quickly unlocked and I walk in.

What I see makes my heart ache. Gale sits in a corner, hugging his legs, rocking slightly back and forth. His eyes are sunken into his head, bloodshot, and dark. He is extremely pale, but worst of all, are the cuts and bruises, and how skinny he is. It looks like he cut and did nothing to clean them after. I don't even think he really noticed my presence. Until he looks up.

My eyes water as I drop to my knees in front of him and give him a hug.

"Gale..." I choke out.

Gale's POV

The darkness tries to penetrate the barrier she has made from where she stays, hugging me. It seeps from my mind, leaving only shadows. I look at her, eyes already puffy, and I wonder how she can love me, if the second something goes wrong I turn into this.

"I'm so sorry, I won't leave you again." She says, so quietly that I can barely hear her voice, even though she says it into my ear.

Kay's POV

As I sit there holding him, I see a tear fall from his dry eyes. I lay my head on his shoulder and he wraps his arms around me. Even though he must be weak he holds me tight, like me, afraid to let go.

After a while we break from each others embrace. I stand up and help him to as well. And for a moment we stand in silence.

"You should go home it's getting late." He says not meeting my eyes. I don't move.

"I'm staying." I say simply. He looks up and smiles. "But first I need some pajamas." I say as I am wearing skinny jeans and a very uncomfortable sequenced shirt.

"You can use anything you find in my closet if you want." He replies happily. So I turn and walk to his closet, grabbing a large black sweater, and some shorts. Then I walk into his bathroom to change. The sweater is big and floppy on me and almost goes past my long sports shorts.

My stomach growls and I realize how starving I am.

"Wanna go grab something to eat?" I ask. Mostly because I am starved but also because I know Gale needs to eat.

"Sure, I think Sue might be cooking something." He replies. So that's her name, Sue, I make a mental note to remember her name. We head down stairs to a wonderful scent wafting through the air. There is ham, and split pea soup, and potatoes, and rolls, and a number of other things that I am too starving to identify. It's like a feast. My parents never made anything this wonderful before. Sue must've seen my staring because she laughs quietly and smiles.

"It's all done why don't you dig in." She says happily. Then she sees Gale, even with his baggy sweater on he still looks awful, pale, skinny, the whole eye thing. But at least she can't see his arms. Sue walks over and gives him a hug. "Have as much as you want you two." she replies a little less peppy than before.

I pile my plate up high and wolf it down like an animal. The food is amazing! Every bite leaves my mouth watering for more. Eventually I have eaten so much that and I am stuffed, but I still manage to eat a bite or two of every single dessert. When we finish I thank her for the meal and go upstairs.

Gale offers me the bed but I say we can share. I curl up right next to him and he cautiously puts his arm around me. Soon I have drifted off to sleep.