The Devil Made Me Do It

13

^^(Gad)

I can't believe I managed to allow Jer to convince me to sneak out. Mama will kill me if she finds out... then again, she sleeps like a log. The woman's snores literally rattle the house. Megan and Stephanie were too busy gossiping about how hot the quarterback (Paxton) was. I was able to sneak out my window and rendezvous with Jer. We drove to the park and decided to walk around.

I was teasing Jer about what he had planned for this impromptu gathering. He blushed and awkwardly stumbled over his words. I smiled and turned around to face him, but that made him blush and trip.

"Addy, I need to tell you something... I like-"

"Hiya, sinner!" Jer and I jumped at the unexpected voice. We swiftly turned around to see Gad sporting a haunting smile. "My friends and I are in the woods. Would you like to join us?"

Jer was adamantly shaking his head, but he was also the guy who encouraged me to sneak out. I nodded at Gad, much to Jer's dismay. Gad took my hand, causing Jer to glare at him. Gad squealed like a child and hyped himself up. He then ran off with me, causing Jer to yell and race after us.

Gad slowed down when we were deep in the woods. I looked around trying to find other people, but I saw no one. Gad released my hand and went to sit on a log. I walked towards the fire pit and sat down. Jer soon arrived and sat next to me.

"Where are your friends? No one is here." Jer stated.

"They're right here." Gad spread his arms wide, but there was no one around. "You just can't see them." He winked.

"He's mental." Jer whispered.

"Want to trade spooky stories, Addy?" Gad kicked his legs up and down.

"Sure."

"This one is called The Drain." He hit his chest a few times in preparation for the story. "Here it goes..."

"I felt the soft patter of water on my head. I look up at the small holes that project the only light I can see. Water is coming through, raining on me. Ahh!" Jer and I shifted uncomfortably. "It feels wonderful! The water isn't clean though. It contains all the dirt and sweat from your busy day. I stick my tongue out, tasting you." He made intense eye contact with me. "Then, comes my favorite part... you clean your hair and some pieces come out." He went into a high pitched voice. "They travel down the holes, landing next to me. I scrape them up, moving to put them with the rest. I have a large collection of them. I've been collecting them since you were young. I have enough now to make a wig out of them! The water ceases and you leave my view of holes. I place the hair on my head, strands falling in my face. I can only wait until you shower again, so I can show you my new hair." He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through my hair.

"That was not scary, Gad. It was just really disturbing and I didn't like it." I slapped his hand away and shook my head. "Give me a scary story."

"Scary? Scary? Okay." He sneered. "Hmm... this one accurately reflects my childhood." Gad darkly chuckled. "Would you like to hear it?" I nodded at him. "Well, it goes like this... I'll change his name to something you can pronounce, so let's go with Charlie." He grumbled.

"I hate it when my brother Charlie has to go away. My parents constantly try to explain to me how sick he is. That I am lucky for having a brain where all the chemicals flow properly to their destinations like undammed rivers. When I complain about how bored I am without a little brother to play with, they try to make me feel bad by pointing out that his boredom likely far surpasses mine, considering his confinement to a dark room in an institution. I always beg for them to give him one last chance. Of course, they did at first. Charlie has been back home several times, each shorter in duration than the last. Every time without fail, it all starts again. The neighbourhood cats with gouged out eyes showing up in his toy chest, my dad's razors found dropped on the baby slide in the park across the street, mom's vitamins replaced by bits of dishwasher tablets. My parents are hesitant now, using "last chances" sparingly. They say his disorder makes him charming, makes it easy for him to fake normalcy, and to trick the doctors who care for him into thinking he is ready for rehabilitation. That I will just have to put up with my boredom if it means staying safe from him. I hate it when Charlie has to go away. It makes me have to pretend to be good until he is back."