The Longest Weekend

Chapter 2: Small Animals and a Heart Shaped Scar

There I sat, in the backseat of Jodie’s car. 

Sun hadn’t risen and I wasn’t fully awake. At that moment I should have been thinking about starting a new school and all the new people I’d be meeting but instead, Squeaky. 

When the authorities arrived to collect his body all I could do was watch in horror. Despite the hole in his neck and blood covering a majority of his body he still looked soft. 

They thanked me for reporting this and sent me on my way but before departing I overheard one of them speaking to the other.

“I’ve never seen this level of brutality before on a small animal. We better be on the lookout, it never stops with small animals.”

That entire moment was scorched into my mind but those last words truly stuck with me “it never stops with small animals.” 

I remember reading about killers, a common occurrence amongst many of them was to harm defenseless small animals.

They start off as manic little kids who hurt strays before the hunger for blood evolves and they begin to view the people around them as no different than those small animals.

The car came to a stop and Jodie looked back at me to say we had arrived, she said that they’d be letting in early arriving students soon so I’d just have to stand outside for a little bit.

While I stood there waiting I saw another call pull up and park in front of the school and by the look of the thing you’d be amazed to see it move, the old clunker was a collection of dented metal and an engine that didn’t roar but sounded closer to a sickly cough.

The driver killed the engine and exited the car, it was Michael.

With a quick pace he approached me and before I could react he grabbed my hand and shook it before mockingly welcoming me to the school.

He asked me why I was here so early and I explained the situation, then I returned the question since if he had a car he realistically had no reason to come to school so early in the morning. 

There was a brief moment of silence before he answered.

“I like to leave the house to stalk for potential prey.”

He then let out a laugh and I was honestly disturbed, he probably picked up on my discomfort as he killed the laughter and he said that he was joking.

Then he said that he likes to come early since there aren’t too many people around and he gets to relax for a little since his home was so chaotic.

I don’t know why but I asked him about his homelife and any and all enjoyment magically vanished and the guy standing next to me transformed into a void.

He didn’t say much but what words he spoke were hollowing as he told me about his drunken father and a mom with a brain comprised entirely of mental illnesses and that when he’s not in the house they act like he doesn’t exist but when he is home they barrage him with their problems and make his life a living hell.

After letting all of that out he went silent and unsure of what to do I placed my hand on his shoulder in an attempt to console him especially since my question brought about the unravel.

He eased up and apologized for letting all of that out onto me, before I could say that it was alright he said that there was something about me that made him uncomfortable, he said that I was almost like a mirror.

That statement baffled me and as I went to ask what he meant by that Michael said that he forgot something at his house and would have to drive back to get it.