Message in a Bottle [LGBTQ+] [ONC 2024]

Chapter Eleven

After the sixth punch, Eli lost consciousness. He tried to put up a fight, did his best to defend himself against the flurry of kicks and punches that Peter, Luke, and Michael threw his way, but he couldn't. There were too many fists and legs to dodge from every angle imaginable, so he just let it happen.

So much had already gone wrong in his life, what did it matter if he was no longer in it? His father hated him, his mother wouldn't have to worry about him, and Constance would enjoy having a bigger room rather than the small box one. No one at school would miss him. Emily Lewis would take the exam in his place and no doubt do better than he ever could.

Then there was Samuel.

Despite his letter, he still wasn't sure where he stood with him. He wanted a friend, someone who saw him for him, and Samuel was that person, but he wasn't sure if he could trust him. Still, Eli viewed him as a friend. Samuel was the only person who knew how much Eli wanted to study science and mathematics, he was the only one that truly knew how he felt about his father controlling every aspect of his life.

Samuel had built the bridge that Eli didn't know he needed.

When the assault ended, Eli lay on the crisp, dry grass. He came round for a moment, a few seconds of clarity against the haze of confusion that filled his mind. His chest ached with each breath he took. Eli peered up at the night sky with bruised eyes, his entire body aching, but not in the way he expected. It was a dull ache, one that moved in and out of focus.

Through his blurred vision and partially opened eyes, he could make out the small stars that littered the sky. There were no clouds to obscure them, no fog or mist to hide them. He thought they were bright, brighter than he'd seen before. They hurt his eyes more than the bruises did. Eli coughed, pain tearing across his chest and a thin trickle of blood running from his mouth.

He smiled through torn lips and loose teeth. If the night sky was the last thing he saw, then he would die happy. Eli could feel the breeze on his skin, hear the leaves rustle in the trees nearby, and listen to the flowing water of the stream just behind him.

The pain didn't matter. Eli moved his hand, though the limb was heavy and difficult to move. With effort, he placed it just above his head and let it dangle over the bank of the stream. His fingertips grazed the cool, flowing water, small droplets spraying his wrist and arm. Eli sighed, content with where he lay despite the aching and throbbing of his body.

"Eli? Eli!" Victoria's voice cut through the haze in his mind. "I found him!" He felt someone touch his arm, a light brush against his bruised skin. "You're going to be fine."

Eli tried to swallow the blood in his mouth. "I-I wrote another letter."

"Shh, don't try to talk. The doctor will put you right."

"Make sure he gets the letter. Please, Victoria."

"I will, you know I will." Eli felt her fingers brush over his dark hair in much the same way his mother did when he was sick as a child. "You'll get to read his reply yourself."

"No, I won't." Another harsh cough ripped through his body, more blood spurting from his mouth.

"You will, you hear me, Eli Webster? The doctor will fix you up and you'll go on to change the world with a scientific discovery, I know you will."

"When you give him the letter, will you tell him something for me?" Eli struggled to form the words, his whole body going numb and the dark edges creeping back into his vision and slowly obscuring the bright stars from view.

"Anything."

"Thank him for me."

"What for?"

Eli didn't reply. He licked his torn lips, letting the metallic taste of blood fill his mouth once again. The weight on his chest grew heavier. It felt as though someone or something had been placed on top of him, stopping his lungs from expanding and making it impossible to draw in a single breath.

"Eli? Look at me." Victoria's voice washed over him like a small wave in the pond, but she sounded distant. Eli noted the panic in her voice.

He did not feel the same panic she did. The water from the stream continued to wash over his fingertips. It soothed him, bought him comfort despite the metallic taste in his mouth and the pressure building on his chest. A sensation of peace settled over his body and his mind. The grass tickled his bare skin.

"Oh, my baby!"

His mother reached out and touched his face, her fingers brushing over the bruises forming on his pale skin. Eli didn't need to look to know it was her. He'd recognise that touch anywhere. His eyes focused on the bright stars burning in front of him, of the way they lit up the night sky alongside the pale moonlight.

The darkness crept further into his vision.

Eli wished he could feel the burning sunlight on his skin once more. He thought back to the days spent with his feet dangling in the water of the pond and the sun beating down on the back of his neck. If he thought hard enough, he could almost feel its warm rays on his skin. He sighed, ignoring the aching in his chest and the thumping of his head.

The flowing water running over his fingers soothed his mind. He accepted the comfort it brought him, embraced the memories that flooded his mind. Eli smiled at the flashes of memories that crossed his mind. The pond, running through a field with Constance at his heels, the first time he got a perfect score on a test, and the day he found the bottle nestled against the stones in the pond.

He wasn't sure why that memory appeared.

The dark edges blocked out more of the night sky.

"Don't close your eyes, Eli," his mother said.

Eli stared up at the stars. He took as deep of a breath as he could muster and let the darkness drag him into the unknown depths.

~~~

First Published - April 18th, 2024