Soby: An Oath of Peace and War

34: Reality

What happened?

Bret waited for the ice pack from Everest.

Bret dozed off, "Why won't Bret wait?"

Rocky walks into the house, "Where's Bret? I wanna show him my wound."

A scream could be heard in the living room, "YOU'RE NOT SLAMMING A CROWBAR INTO ME!!"

Everest jumped and dropped the ice pack on the ground. She cleaned it up at least, but she ran into the living room anyway. Assessing the situation, Everest grabbed Marshall and put him into another room.

"What the hell are you screaming about?!" Everest gasped.

"Tracker..." Bret sighed.

"Tracker?" Rocky tilted his head.

Bret looked up, "Tracker..."

"What happened this time?" Everest sighed.

Bret started crying, "Tracker. He tried to kill me. it doesn't make sense. I'm haunted by his spirit." Everyone was stunned, this "Friend" was after Bret, spiritually. It still didn't make sense for the others to feel a presence for them as well.

"Grab the EMF reader. If it picks up something, I am screaming." Bret shuddered. Everest couldn't believe her ears, Tracker was haunting Bret now? It seemed impossible. Rocky hugged Bret, bawling to even see Bret like this.

Bret felt his vision stutter, his hands become shaky, and his heart race as each second went by. Everyone panicked as the EMF went off almost every time it was near Bret.

"Why me?" Bret shook.

"Because it's attracted to you. Your gay." Marshall joked.

"Ghosts are serious. Unlike you Marshall. You are very immature." Bret mocked in a fancy voice.

"Dick," Marshall mumbled.

"Who cares." Everest laughed.

A few hours have gone by and no sign of paranormal activities surrounding Bret, "Nothing. Brilliant work guys."

Bret walked out of the house, "Need a break."

Everest walked out as well, "Why are you following me?"

"Do you need Marshall's meds?" Everest asked.

"No, I'd rather feel clean." Bret declined the offer.

Bret stood silent for a good minute, trying to figure out the Friday singing fair. He shook his head with every idea that came to mind. Everest tried to comfort him, but he refused every time. Bret couldn't contain the tears of feeling despair for making Skye feel alone. Everest hugged the boy, but even now Bret almost shoved her off. The taller girl was in shock now that Bret didn't want affection from her.

"No. No more Everest." Bret mumbled.

Everest covered her mouth in tears, "I'm so fucked up, I don't need affection anymore."

"I want to see Skye again." Bret sighed in tears, "Besides, you have Marshall. I have Skye on my mind."

"That won't make sense." Everest cried out, "Marshall won't be there for me just like you are."

Bret shook his head, "You wouldn't get it then."

Bret looked at his phone and threw it off the balcony, "What's tomorrow?"

"Thursday." Rocky opened the balcony door.

"The cycle repeated," Bret whispered.

"Cycle?" Rocky asked.

"Cycle of pain." Bret winced.

"Your stitches..." Rocky cried.

"My stitches loosened again, didn't they?" Bret quietly asked.

"Yeah." Rocky nodded with tears in his eyes.

"Brian! My stitches came loose again!" Bret called for Marshall's dad.

Bret walked into the house and immediately collapsed onto the ground. This alarmed Rocky and made him drag the taller boy into the kitchen by his left arm. Don't worry, it wasn't the arm with stitches coming loose. It was his left arm, which is healthy.

"Bret. No..." Rocky cried silently.

"Save me..." Bret grunted.

"His arm! Rocky get him to the couch!" Brian screamed worryingly.

Rocky still yanked his heavy football friend, "God you're heavy."

Bret was zoning in and out of reality, he felt as if blood rushed nowhere into his body. Feeling Ill was his worst nightmare. See, sickness was something that Bret felt hindered everything for him. Mentally, he hated it.

"Everyone goes upstairs, honey get my stitching stuff!" Brian yelled from the couch, where Bret lay to get his wound stitched for the second time in the last few days.

As told Marshall, Everest, and Rocky went upstairs to get away from the bloody mess. Hoping to see their friend alive on the other side. Marshall went into his bathroom and took his intake of his Paxil. 

"You think he's gonna be okay?" Everest asked worried, earning a whimper from Rocky who aligned to Everest's side.

"Yes. It's a more, questionable yes." Marshall replied while combing his hair to the right side.

"Are you sure?" Rocky whimpered, still next to Everest's hip, "I'm sure he's gonna make it. I can promise you that much." Marshall smiled.

"That smile doesn't seem innocent." Everest looked at her hip, seeing a now quiet Rocky.

"Everest look," Marshall kissed his tall girlfriend, "Bret will make it, he's a tough one, hell he's a soldier. Our militaristic friend and fellow survivor of death. On multiple occasions of course."

The trio kept waiting for their names so they could come back down to the living room from upstairs in Marshall's room. This went on for a while. Bret's stitches were the most time-consuming part of the day. Wednesday was expiring and Thursday was on the rise, almost making it midnight by the time they were in the room.

"Are they done?" Rocky asked impatiently, "Those stitches shouldn't take this long to reattach."

"Brian probably had to redo all of them." Everest shrugged deeply.

"Kids? Where are you?" A voice rang from downstairs.

Rocky sent Marshall and Everest into the bathroom, "I'm defending you guys."

Rocky stood scared, not just scared. Terrified of what could be beyond the door. The gray-haired boy kept standing still with his fists clenched. Gulping in terror, his nervousness kept him confident of fighting what could be on the other side of the door.

"Who is it?" Rocky asked angrily.

"It's Brian. I need you three to say goodbye to Bret." Brian sighed.

"Wait. What did you say?" Rocky couldn't believe his ears.

"Yeah, It's bad." Brian knew this would happen.

"Rocky? What's going on?" Marshall asked from behind the bathroom door.

"Bret's gonna die soon." Rocky cried out.

Marshall and Everest walked out of the bathroom. This news was devastating to them, as much as they said, "Bret was tough.". The pain of bearing that news hurt them more than ever. Marshall was held up by Everest as she was taller and could handle him easily.

"Let's go down and say goodbye." Rocky cried. This hurt him the most out of anyone in the house. The friend who told him, "I'll help find you a boyfriend. I promise.". Was gone, and no help would be given anymore.

The trio and Marshall's dad walked down the stairs. As they went to see Bret for what they thought was the final time, instead, they got the surprise of a lifetime.

"I'm still standing."