The Man In The Mirror

The Lodger (Continued)/ My Journal

And it went down hill from there. Reality crashed and burned. My life changed for the worst.

Everyday I would come home from another day of torture- sorry- school and be constantly hovered over by Ricks haunting presence. I just wanted to forget everything that happened that night, not remember a single crazy, unbelievable thing that changed my life. The only person I could confide to was my sister. Yet I couldn't. She would think I was crazy! So I decided to wait- I would slowly watch Rick fade away into nothing. At least that what I assumed would happen.

Every day I would come home and watch Rick go, well, mad. He would mutter to himself and not eat anything. And sometimes, if I pressed my ear to my bedroom door, I could hear the wild sobs of a man in pain. My parents weren't blind either. They saw what was happening to Rick and I found out this when I came down for dinner. Rick wasn't there we could see his shadowy figure in the garden where he mostly spent his whole time in there, staring a the small pond that was shrouded by overgrown reeds.

"Tom, Marcia? " My mum asked, "Are you listening? "

I zoned back in, and my sister and I both nodded, then resumed eating.

"Your dad and I have been discussing whether or not Rick is well enough to stay in our home. Now I don't want you to think Rick is dangerous, I just want you to be aware that he is not very well and needs help from people that know how to look after him-"

"Mum," Cuts in Marcia, " I'm having a sleep over at my friends house tonight. I'm assuming that's okay with you and dad?"

Taken aback by the sudden change of topic mum replied wearily , the looks at me as I stare at her my eye brows raised.

Mum sighs the looks at Dad. Dad sighs then looks at Mum. I just sat there waiting impatiently. Finally, my dad opened his mouth like a floodgate opening to the flooded Thames, "Tom , your sister... Well I don't know how to put it.... We think that its time that you move schools. To somewhere where you can meet people that can help you, not hurt you..."

Realisation dawned on me and I can feel anger as well as panic rising up past my chest, into my throat and, and- I stopped, took a deep breath and say quietly, "I m not going to another school."

Dad shakes his head and smiles sadly, "We thought you would say that, but your sister cant deal with the imaginary bullies any more-"

Again I took a deep breath and replied, "They are not imaginary, they are real, and I was just going to say that I am never going to school AGAIN!" I finally snap and fling the table backwards and it slams into the wall. A vase toppled, then smashed onto the pristine white table cloth, soaking it through like an ugly stain. My eyes flash with anger,-because that's what I was- an ugly stain.

I stormed off and up the stairs, tears pouring in rivets down my face. And after I had collapsed onto m bed, did only hear the sound of slamming doors, crashing into walls before slamming shut behind my sister, followed by the sharp bursts of shouting of my parents. I heard the final door slam, then my mums car drive off, along with my dad's. I was alone

Reading quietly, I finally started to relax and enjoy myself. The tension and stress eased out of my muscles and no one was in my room to yell at me, I was finally alone in the house. I yawned , tired after a light and nightmare infested sleep last night, and I gradually felt eyelids flutter and my mouth open in a yawn until I finally gave in and drifted off, to sleep.

"Tom." I rolled over in my sleep.

"TOM." Who was yelling at me?

"Tom!" I sat bolt up right in shock my heart beating wildly.

"What? Who's there?" I questioned breathlessly, while searching my room with my eyes trying pick out who ever had woken me up.

A hand reached out and grabbed my arm and yanked me out of bed. I kicked out desperately, still not knowing where my attacker was. I felt my arm start burning with exertion as who ever dragged me down the stairs. I started to scream with terror, but a hand camped down around my mouth before I could utter a word. Suddenly, I as thrown up into the air spinning, twisting until, thump, I moaned with pain as my side seared with pain. I had landed badly onto the floor and the attacker had left. My whole body ached and my arm was on fire.

"Mum! Dad!" I couldn't move, breathe, speak. The world was spinning so fast all I saw was a glimpse of a man's silhouette as someone dragged him away and then my world was filled with agony as my head pounded and I clawed at my throat feebly as I struggled to inhale oxygen. I passed out to the sound of mad laughter.

I was shocked back to reality by the sound of terrified crying.

"D-dad?" I croaked and tried to sit up but strong hands pushed me down. White light penetrated my blurry vision, and I slowly regained my senses. A hand squeezed mine and I tried to remember where I was. I was greeted by an empty black hole of pain.

"How are you feeling?" A voice asked and as my eyes adjusted to the light I saw the anxious face was my mum's.

"Not good..." I croaked- then-"What happened- where,- where am I!" I made a feeble attempt to sit up but I was held back by the tubes pressed to my skin and the tightness around my throat and windpipe. My head throbbed and an image flashed before my eyes, like a badly tuned television. I gasp.

"Who?!" I question my eyes wide.
My mum stutters then I look into her hurt,tired eyes and she says,

"It was the lodger Tom. Your father and I pulled him off you and he took off . The-the police are looking for him now"

The nurse rushed in, but I had already blacked out fron the pain.