Falling in fire (Erik Menendez)

Surprise

"I ca.." Erik begins
"Yes you can!" I cut him off sternly and pull his arm, indicating to follow me.
"My dad needs me to help him with a thing." Erik still insists
"What thing, huh, hun, go on tell me, what thing!" I whisper shout.
"Eh uhh emm" Erik stutters.
I storm right past him into his house. I head down the hall and take the last left, into the living room.
I see both of Erik's parents staring back at me.
"I am so sorry to barge in like this, but could I borrow Erik for a while. I got a surprise for him." I say acting as if I hadn't heard anything from before.

Both stutter for a few seconds,
"Oh yes yes, dear. Take his for as long as you please." Kitty pipes up. I thank them and turn on my feet to see Erik standing a few feet down the hall listening in. In one swift movement I take a step and grab his wrist and walk towards the door. Erik seems hesitant at first but finally gives in. Erik grabs his car keys from the hall table. We walk straight out the front doors and Erik shires them behind us. We both hop into Eriks Alfa Ramero. Not a word is spoken until we are half way down the street. Erik just looks at me, but that one looks asks 100 things.
"mine." I reply to his stare and he nods.

Minutes, or even seconds later we pull up outside my  apartment building. We both exit the car in silence and make our way to my door. We enter my home, I walk straight to the kitchen and pour two glasses of freezing cold water. As I walk back I notice Erik now on the couch with his head in his hands. I stroll over, take a seat beside him and hold out the glass in front of him. He finally lifts his head up and takes the glass from my hand. The look on his face, it was a look I've never seen before. I could swear I seen the glimmer of a tear in his eye but I could just be confusing myself.

"Erik..." I trail and he looks at me.
"...what happened in there?" I ask, afraid if he got mad at me.
"Nothing." He answers coldly.
"Erik.... Erik please." I say and place my hand on his back, just then he winces in pain. I swiftly sit up in and upright position and grab the bottom of his top, pulling it up to his shoulder blades.

The last thing I ever wanted to see, I've now seen. Bruises from one side of his back to the other. My eyes water just at the sight. Erik immediately stands up and away from me, it appears he is angry.
"Erik, please tell me what happened." I ask in the softest voice possible with out bursting into tears.
He doesn't answer or my eye contact, he just stares at the boring floor boards.
"Erik, did your dad do this to you?" I ask
He doesn't respond, at least vocally any ways. The glimmer of tear I seen earlier quickly turned into pools and the strong, carved legs Erik usually runs about on suddenly gave in. He collapses to the floor.

I follow my instincts and jump on the floor beside him. I wrap my arms around him as gently as possible, I reach one hand to the back of his head just like him and my mother once did on me before. The boy sobs and sobs into me and I hold him and run my fingers through the crown of his curly hair, trying to calm him down.
"Shhh, shh" I try but the sobs don't stop.
"Erik please, your going to loose your breath." I insist and he tries, I can see he is trying. He suddenly takes in a deep breath and steadies.
"Erik does your dad do this often?" I ask and his head slowly nods against my shoulder.
"Does Lyle know about this?" I ask and he shakes his head in response.
"Does he just hit you?" His head shakes again and my heart stops.
"Erik, what else did he do on you?" I ask now crying.
"He, he, eh he raped me." The words slowly fall out of his mouth. Suddenly the air is taken from my lungs, I forget how to breathe. My brain soon sends signals to my whole respiratory system telling me what to do.
"When?" I ask nonchalantly
"Constantly." Is the reply I got. 

My grip couldn't become and tighter and my eyes couldn't cry any more than they were now. All that is going through my mind is how have I never realized before.
"I'm sorry." I blurt out
"Sorry?" Erik whimpers
"I never noticed."
"Because I hid it."

A wave of reality hits me, we are lying here on the cold solid floor when my bed is less than a few meters away. I stand up and Erik looks up, eye brows furrowed.
"My beds more comfy." I say and he nods in agreement. He stands up and his 6,2" figure towers over me. 

We went up lying on my bed in each other's arms for hours. It's now 9 pm and Erik is asleep. I decided to get up and make something to eat. I put together a bowl of porridge for myself and I made up a little fruit bowl for Erik. A million things run through my mind as I prepare the food.

Erik wakes up and makes his way to to where I am. I just finish my bowl and place it in the sink. I slide Erik his fruit bowl and grab a packet of crisps from behind me to throw to him.

"Erik you need to tell the guards." I admit
He grows confused
"Sorry, the police, the cops, what ever you call them over here" I rant
Eriks eye widen and I immediately see he doesn't like that idea.
"Erik it's for your own safety!" I confirm
His head bows
"Look babe, I know this must be extremely hard on you, but please." I beg
"What if they don't believe me?" He asks
"They will believe you. Look, where is Lyle?" I ask
"The bowling alley, he went with a group of friends." He admits
"How about we get Lyle here, tell him what happened. He might be able to suggest something?" I ask hopefully
Eriks sighs and begrudgingly gives in
"What bowling alley?" I shout as I run to my phone book.
"Highland park bowl" he calls out I run my fingers up and down each page as I scan for the name.

I find the number, dial it, ask for Lyle, talk to Lyle and hang up the phone.
____________________________________
15 minutes
____________________________________

*knock, knock, knock*

I run towards the door and swing it wide open.

"Lyle."