Below The Waves

Chapter Sixteen: Shawn

Ricky was shocked. He couldn't fathom the idea of Shawn, his best friend being dead. "H-how" the old man took a deep breath and began his story.

"If I didn't write that note on the boat, the same thing would have happened again."

~~~~~

It was getting chilly. Me and Shawn walked back through the woods to his cabin. We laughed and talked as Shawn unlocked the door and we stepped inside.

"Yea but Chelsea totally showed me her-wait...what's that?" I stared ahead of me at a faint glow that came through the crack at the bottom of the door leading to the basement.

"Damn it, did someone really leave the light on?" Shawn grumbled. I stood beside him, staring at the blinding white light that was only growing.

"Dude it doesn't look like a normal lightbulb." I began, wiping my sweaty hands on my jeans.

Why the hell am I so nervous?

"Maybe we should just leave it.."

Shawn punched my shoulder lightly. "Ya scared?"

"Wha? Psh no." I crossed my arms and glared at him.

"Yea alright then, I'm going to go and see what's up." He said, walking to the door. I rolled my eyes. I turned around to head to the kitchen to grab a snack when I heard an ear splitting scream, followed by a sick squishing sound. I turn around so fast I practically gave myself whiplash.

There. Lying on the wooden floor in front of the wide open door was Shawn. A man stood behind him. My eyes slowly looked down.

There was a hand, a hand covered in blood, stuck right through the middle of Shawn's stomach, holding who knows what. Shawn coughed, a vacant look in his eyes, like he didn't feel the pain, like he wasn't so close to death. His dull eyes stared at me, pleading, but I couldn't do anything. I stood there. Paralyzed in fear.

No. No. This is not real. This isn't happening. The hand pulled back and my best friend collapsed to the ground with a thud. My legs wouldn't work.

"S-Shawn?!"

The man spoke as he inspected the still dripping blood on his hand. "Shawn? That was this pests name?" He looked down at him. "You should keep him on a leash."

With those words he left, disappearing into the blinding light. Shawn still lay on the ground, in a pool of his own blood.

He wasn't moving. He was dead. I had to be dreaming. This couldn't be real.

Shawn. Was. Not. Dead.

He wasn't killed by a person, no, a monster, that neither of us had even seen before! I couldn't breath, couldn't move, only watch and be useless as the life vanished from my friend. I did nothing but stare. I didn't walk up to his dead body. I couldn't. I let myself crack, break.

Shawn was my friend. He had been my rock after my parents split. He was the only one who knew what I went through and actually was useful. Actually helped me.

And here I was. Standing. Not doing a thing being completely and utterly useless.

As.

Always.

I continued to stand, not even being able to fathom what had happened. All I know, is that my knees buckled, and I fell to the ground.

~~~~~~

Ricky gasped, his eyes flying open. What just happened? Was it all a vision?

He tried to remember all that had happened in his time.

The girl, his friend. They both got out. Himself, and the old man, who was also himself. God his head hurt. This was too much, everything was so damn overwhelming. He clutched his skull and squeezed his eyes shut. No. No! It wasn't happening. That didn't happen! None of this was happening!!

It was all a dream. He would wake up soon and none of this shit would happen.

His head hurt.

Ricky would wake up, go to school, graduate and have a normal god damn life. A job, a family, his own house.

His head hurt.

Everything would be normal. Ordinary. Happy. Sane. Not this mess. Not this terrible thing that continued to drag him further and further away from sanity.

His head hurt.

It hurt and it throbbed and blood seemed to race at incredible speeds. White noise. Ringing. Did anyone else hear those bells chiming? It was painful. Sharp jabs like needles mixed with an ugly sloshing feeling.

Ricky's. Head. Hurt.

A/N

Omg I haven't posted in so effing long. I am so sorry. Yikes.

-hailstormh