Desolation Row

1

Gerard ran from his house and into the street; he felt another episode coming on. He had to get away from his family. When he would come-to again, his brother would be trembling and his mother would be crying. Gerard knew the voices in his head weren't real, but what came with them was. The Dracs. The filthy monsters that were hunting down Gerard and had already killed his father in the process. So Gerard had to hide.

He ran through his run-down neighborhood's streets until he came to the large court yard of a once heavily-secured prison. Now, however, the iron gates had long fallen off of their hinges and many walls had collapsed. Gerard dodged the rubble and continued to run into the concrete building.

His converses slapped the cold tiles as he made his way through the corridors. He crossed through sectors A and B, nearly tripping over the corners in his haste. Finally he saw it. The heavy, steel door of the interrogation room.

He flung himself inside of the room and slammed the door behind him. The room was basically empty besides the two metal chairs placed in the center of it. Gerard panted hard and slowly lowered himself into a chair. Suddenly, he realized why he felt so panicked and alert. The Dracs must be coming for him. And just like that, the voices started screaming, and so did Gerard.

Frank Iero had just happened to have left school early that day, after barely escaping the fists of a group of kids that seemed find pride in giving Frank bruises and bloody noses.

He was taking a route that he normally didn't take, one that led behind the creepy abandoned prison. He could hear the approaching footsteps of the bullies, so he slipped inside the crumbling structure until they were gone. He walked around, looking into some of the cells and rooms he passed... This place was cool. He had already made his way to Sector B and was peering into the former cafeteria when he jumped. Who was screaming? He ran towards the cries, the sounds getting louder as he neared the interrogation room.

Gerard heard footsteps outside the door and braced himself. They're here, he thought. He held his breath as the door slowly creaked open.

He was ready to meet the cold, soulless eyes of a Drac. Ready to meet his end...
But instead, Gerard was met by soft, hazel eyes of Frank Iero. "A-are you okay? Oh my god, you're bleeding,"

Gerard finally snapped out of it. He realized how insane he must have looked. He cursed under his breathe and looked his hands; he must have dug his nails into his palms because he was, in fact, bleeding profusely.

"Dude, are you okay?" Frank asked again. He stared at the man before him; a madman, but his eyes held the innocence of a child.

His pale face was stained with tears, his hair was tangled and drenched with sweat, and to top it off, he was trembling on the floor of an abandoned prison. Yet Frank didn't feel scared. He felt the need to help this man.

Gerard wrapped his hand in his white tee-shirt. "Mhm... Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

Frank knelt down and got out a first-aid kit, yes, a first-aid kit, out of his backpack because he had been beaten up that many times. "Here, I gotta roll of gauze for that..." He said, hesitantly taking Gerard's hand and bandaging it.

"Thanks..." He murmured.
"No problem. I'm Frank Iero, by the way."
"Gerard Way..."
"Cool."

Gerard glanced around the room nervously, wondering why this kid was helping him. He hadn't even asked about why he was having a total meltdown in the middle of a prison.

"I should go." He muttered eventually, standing up quickly.

"Gerard, wait! Will... Can you meet me here again tomorrow?" Frank asked. He didn't know why, but he needed to get to know this Madman.

He nodded and stopped. "Uhm, sure. Same place at 4?"

Frank nodded eagerly and couldn't help but smile as he walked away. "I'll be here."