the freak (eddie munson)

32

Rose Vila Wheeler

I fall safely on the mattress and Dustin extends his hand out to help me up.

I take his hand and I pull myself up, I look up at the portal to see Eddie on the other side.

He looks at the door and he quickly grabs the rope.

"Come Eddie hurry up!" Dustin yells stressed out.

I hear the bats faintly on the other side of the door trying to break through the wood of the door. He needs to hurry and climb because I don't know how much longer that's gonna hold.

"Come on your halfway through!" I yell watching him as he grows closer.

Eddie looks under pressure and stressed out.
My heart is having a full on marathon right now. It's racing so much.

Suddenly, he stops halfway and he looks at the door.
I furrow my brows and my breath won't stop shaking.

"Eddie hurry up climb!" I yell.

He looks back up at us through the portal, and I see the hopeful gleam written in his eyes gone and faded away.

All I see is a pair of eyes looking at me now.

He tilts his head to the side and shuts his eyes.

I watch him as he drops down from the rope no longer on it. No longer climbing.

I feel the lump in my throat get caught and stuck in one place.
Suddenly I feel like I can't breathe anymore.

"Eddie what are you doing!?" Dustin yells.

I watch him as he grabs his axe and cuts the rope. The other end of the rope falls to our side and I lean down to pick it up, I then stand back up looking back at the portal with shaky hands.

A single teardrop falls from eye as I watch him move the mattress to the side.

"Eddie no please stop what are you doing!?" Dustin yells again.

I stay quiet. I don't know what to say. Just like that night at the mall on the fourth, I'm frozen and I can't move. My body is in a complete state of shock and I can't bring myself to react or act on anything.

I'm frozen and all I can feel is the hot burning tears falling from my eyes.

"Eddie stop, stop, stop! Eddie no!" Dustin says raising his hands to his head shaking it. I hear all the sadness and disbelief fill in his voice.

"Eddie..." is all I can do and say and whisper.
"Eddie." I say again. But his name doesn't sound the same as it used to when I'd used to say it.

It's just sounds like a name.

This time it feels painful.

Saying his name now in this moment shatters me rather than heals me.

All I can feel is the inability of grief slowly taking over my body and the silent tears flowing out of me.

I watch him as he throws the shield over his back and he looks back up to meet eyes with us again.

"Eddie what the hell are you doing!?" Dustin questions him. Refusing to believe what Eddie is doing. Refusing to believe that Eddie is really choosing to become the hero right now.

He looks directly into my eyes. And I see no regret in his. But I see sadness. I see fear. And above all, I see love.

He tears his eyes away from mine because just like me, it's too painful for him to look me in the eyes.