Stranger Nights

Chapter 12

Every two weeks the people of Roanoke got what they call "cleaning day". It is a day where the water ,that is usually given to the crops, is given to the town's folk to clean themselves. These days were Freddy's favorite days.

Shower days were always on a Thursday. Special events, like the garden ball, were usually scheduled the day after so everyone was nice and clean and didn't smell of dirt.

For Freddy these days were used for thinking. On this particular cleaning day, he did a lot more than usual.

He felt the water run down his back and closed his eye's. His father was still spouting some nonsense so the house was quiet. Freddy lifted his head up and let the water pour down on his face and into his hair.

Are you okay?

Those words had been echoing through his mind since he heard them. They kept him up the night before and were invading his usually relaxed thoughts.

He couldn't figure out the reason why, but I'll tell you. He has never been asked those words before. Those words were new and ,well, unusual.

Words weren't the only thing that invaded his mind. The person who uttered them also did. Freddy had only known Henry Baker for three days and the curious boy already had a great effect on him. They he walked. The how his voice was soft. The way his smile made Freddy's heart flutter. Freddy hated him.

Henry had made him feel things he repressed, confusion mostly. That boy had made Freddy's brain turn to mush and his heart ache in only three days.

Freddy scoffed. He looked down at his right hand. The knuckle had scabs on them that still hurt if you touched them. He felt a twinge of guilt looking at them. He hurt Henry. He had hurt the boy who made him smirk and blush. The boy who he cuddled just the night before.....

Freddy turned red at thought. He buried his face deep in his hands and groaned. He had hoped to forget that.

He was falling for Henry Baker fast and that thought made him scared.

He was awaken from his thought when he heard the door slammed from the living room signaling that Minister Elliot returned. Freddy quickly finished washing himself and retreated into his bedroom desperate to avoid any interactions with his father.

He fell down on his bed, his hair still wet. He heard his father shuffling around in the living room. It was dark in his room, like always.

Freddy closed his eye's, but before he could fall asleep a flash of light filled his room and he popped open his just as it happened again ,then it started to rain. Freddy slowly closed his eye's.

'I better start getting used to that.' he thought.

And even though it must've been only seven thirty, Freddy let himself be lulled to sleep by the sound of rain on his roof.

Sorry for all the short chapters so far, but the next one is going to be pretty long.....I think. I'm just kind of making it up as I go.