Sacrifice Sanctuary

Chapter 10 Mom..?

"Are you sure that I'm a bad person.. Dylan?" "Of course you are, you've already killed three people." "Was it really me who killed them..?" "Yes! How can you think that you do any good in this world? You just take up space, everyone here wouldn't have so much sorrow and fear if you weren't around." "What are you trying to say?" "I'm saying that you would be better off dead!" "I think you deserve a punishment for talking to me without respect. Wishing death upon others? Come on, I thought you were better than this." "You can give me whatever punishment but I'm going to keep sticking up for what is right." "Hm.. I'm sure you'll change ""Go to hell."

"Welcome to my new game everyone, 'put your records on!' It's a well thought up name, I know." Mr. K excitedly announced. "I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned it, but I am supposed to say the rules of the game and how it works before you play so it's not my fault that you fail. The way I see it, I already told you the rules and how it works multiple times, so it's your fault that you are not cut out for it. Anyways! These records here will spin back and forth to some fun music I picked out. The game will go until one person is left standing, follow which ways the records go and be that person who wins! Go on the record that has the color of your room and the game will start in 60 seconds! Good luck, I believe in you all, blah blah blah, Let the game begin!"

After The Keeper had finished his sentence 10 people started to rush onto the platform with their records on it swiftly but carefully. Surprisingly nobody tried to push anyone off, I would have thought that more people would try to get others disqualified this way. Maybe they just don't want to start any trouble especially after what they had seen Dallas do. "30 seconds left!" I heard The Keeper shout. I had made it to my orange record, it wasn't very big and I knew I would have trouble trying to keep my balance. "20! 19! 18! 17! 16! 15! 14!.." I heard Mr. K continue yelling. Everyone was standing on their record and then I heard an awful screeching noise of metal scraping on metal. The walkways were now closing into a weird contraption, making it impossible to stand anywhere but the records. No one could jump from theirs to another to sabotage someone else. Not unless they really had some power in their jump. "6! 5! 4!.." "Oh God I'm terrified," I thought. "3! 2!.." "I really hope I can win this.." "1!" Mr. K shouted and instantly the lights shut off and circus colored lights were turned on. "It's so Goddamn hard to see!" I heard someone yell. Then the records started to move, slowly but surely they were now moving. Faster and faster they spinned gaining speed at an alarming rate, but it was still enough for me to handle. I could tell that wasn't the case for everyone though. I started hearing screams of people falling off their record, one person was screaming particularly loud then I heard a gnarly banging noise and they stopped. "Oh my God, are they okay?" I was worried. I started wondering if I was going to die too, or if the water was just a big trap and there were hungry sharks in the water or something. Or maybe that drop would kill me first and as soon as my body hit the water it would turn red. That caused me to break a sweat, and eventually, I slipped when my record had gone backwards without me being able to keep up with its pace. "AHH!" I screamed out quickly. I heard more splashing before me and I knew what was about to come. I was either going to get really hurt, or die from this drop or whatever is in that water. I rolled myself up into the tightest ball and got ready to hold my breath when BANG. I had hit the water. People were splashing to my right and my left trying to find the ladder to get out, there were even people getting thrown around. I wondered how they had so much energy and strength. "Ow.. why does my head and back hurt so much? " I said to myself. That's when I remembered how I had fallen pretty hard just hours earlier. "Holy crap my head, " I thought as I tried my hardest to swim to the rusty ladder. Suddenly I felt something, or rather someone fall on my head. I'm not sure who they were. All I know is that they weren't as heavy as a guy. Slowly I began to stop thinking and worrying, I felt the water get warmer as I stayed under for longer than I would've liked to. I opened my eyes for a bit to see if I could see anything. The last thing I remember worrying about was seeing blood consume the water I was lying in, then my eyes shut.

"Hey Dylan, can you please wake up already, you're going to be late for your appointment, Dylan, I made your favorite! Come on won't you please get up." (Dylan's mom sits down on his bed) "Mom..?" "Finally, come on sweetie, I made you salmon and some mashed potatoes." "..." "Dylan, honey are you alright, you've been sleeping and laying in bed so much.." "I'm fine Mom" "Dylan you can't keep pretending that everything is alright, I know how you feel.. Moving is hard, and Dad not being here is even harder... But if can you please try and take care of yourself?" "..." "Dylan answer me! Please! I'm worried about you.." "I'm fine Mom just give me a bit." "Do you know how long I've given you? It's been 4 months and you've just gotten worse and worse, and it doesn't seem like I can do anything about it.. But I can't keep watching you get worse..please." "I told you I'm just fine Mom, why can't you just listen to me, and leave me alone." "Because Dylan, you're sick, you've been sick for so long and these people are supposed to help you, sweetie please. I haven't seen you eat anything, or even leave your room, all I want to do is help. Why wont you let me help..?" "I don't deserve help.." "What did you say?" "Nothing.." "Of course you deserve it, you deserve everything, I'm sorry sweetie, It's all my fault I cant give you the world. I just want you to be healthy. I want my sweet boy back.. I want to see you smile a real smile. I want my son back." "Mom.." (Dylans mom now sits on her knees on the floor crying) "I haven't seen you be yourself in so long, and this isn't the new you, you still need to live through your teenage years. You're only 15 Dylan, I don't want you to worry about stupid things like when are we going to have to move next. I want you to worry about games with your freinds like a normal kid. I can't belive I made you turn out like this. Im so sorry sweetie.. If I had been a better mother to you.." "Don't say that you are a good Mom." "I can't even keep a job Dylan, what good do I have in this world?" "What do you mean..?" "I'm holding it together for you Honey, everything I do is to make you better." "I'm sorry I can't Mom.. I hate everything. I can't stand being so lonely, I'm really trying but I keep getting worse and worse." "Sweetie.. Come here." (Dylan's head now rests on his moms shoulder on the floor of his bedroom, they both sit holding each other) "I need you to start with trying to eat, I'm worried that you'll end up starving yourself." "Okay Mom.. I'm sorry" "I understand, it's okay."

"Dylan...Dylan..!" "Mom..?" I opened my eyes slightly. "What? No dude, it's me Rowan.. Are you okay? You got hit pretty badly out there and even started bleeding like a lot." Rowan leaned over the cot I was laying on. "I must've gotten hurt pretty badly.. If I'm all bandaged up like this.." I sighed. Rowan started to speak again but I wasn't listening, I kept thinking about that dream I had. "Was it a dream.. Or was it my past..?" I wondered. It felt so nostalgic and right, like it was one of my memories but I couldn't remember why 'my Mom' kept saying I was sick. I didn't know why, but I started crying for the kid that was in my dream, whether it was me or not. I felt bad for him, or myself. "Why didn't I let my Mother help? She seemed like she was trying so hard. What happened to her? "Those thoughts all raced through my mind as I continued to sob. "Dylan..? Are you alright?" Rowan asked me. I couldn't speak, my throat closed up and I started heaving. "I can come back another time if you want," Rowan said with a worried expression. All I could do was shake my head, I wanted to be alone. I wanted to stay with my mother holding me, letting me cry on her shoulder. I wished she were here with me now.

Rowan walked off and I was alone now. I stared up at the blinding ceiling lights and closed my eyes. I didn't plan on sleeping, just resting my eyes and letting my mind take over. "Salmon was my favorite food, my mom knew that" I thought as another tear slowly fell down my cheek. I realized that this was the first moment that I wasn't worried about anything since I got here. It was a weird feeling, I knew I should've felt scared for what was about to come but I almost didn't care. I wanted to go home, I wanted to see my mom and I wanted to be vulnerable in her arms. People walked by from time to time to check if I was alive or not, but they all left once they saw I was fine. One person did stay for a bit longer though, Charlie. He told me that a girl named Aniyah had won, and that dinner was going to be soon and he and Rowan would bring me a plate when it was ready. I was grateful that I had made some friends that would do that for me so that I didn't have to worry about too much. "I was very weary every time someone came by to talk, so hopefully Charlie knew I was grateful. I think I'll just sleep until then though," I thought, then I fell asleep almost instantly.