The Skinny Boy Tales (boyxboy) - Completed-

Chapter 14

This chapter is dedicated to O-b-s-c-u-r-e because I missed your birthday! Happy late birthday! Thank you for being so patient and sticking around!

Chapter 14

I felt like I was stuck in a nightmare, a horrible, horrible nightmare. I kept telling myself that I would wake up. There was no way this was real.

This couldn't have happened.

This was all a figment of my over active imagination; however, no matter how hard I pressed my eyes shut, the realty continued to shine though.

As I threw Steven's door open and stared down the hall, I saw the unthinkable, the impossible: a gurney being carried out of Rich's room! There was a sheet covering the body, but I knew it was rich; my gut just knew it.

I ran towards the two men in white uniforms with such force. "No!" I screamed. The sound seemed to reverberate off the walls, sending a rumble through the air. The adults of the skinny boy house stared at me in shock as I ran. Ruth's eyes were bloodshot, and Dawn was sobbing, her body shaking uncontrollably as she wrapped her arms around herself.

This isn't real, I told myself. I'm about to wake up.

Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back with such force that my teeth clamped shut, sending immediate, stabbing pain all the way up to my temples. Yet, I still fought. An animalistic scream tore up my throat as tears ran down my cheeks; they came out in an uncontrollable flood. Clawing at the arms that held me still, I reached out to the gurney.

I just had to see his face.

I needed to know it was Rich.

It's not real. This isn't real. Wake up. WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!

The arms held me firmly, and as the men carried Rich away, I collapsed. Suddenly my own weight was too much for me to hold, and my stomach seized, causing me to vomit at my feet. Despite all this, a gentle touch rubbed my back as my stomach emptied itself once more.

"It's ok, Max. Shh. You're ok," Terry's voice was obviously pained yet still managed to hold a softness.

I wasn't ok though. I was the farthest away from ok as I could have possibly been. I buried my face into Terry's chest and let go. My sobs came in waves, ripping through my body so fiercely that it felt as if my insides were trying to climb out through my mouth.

I wanted to wake up so desperately, but as my breathing returned to normal, I knew this was my new reality. There was no escape. "What happened?" I managed to choke out. My body tensed as Terry spoke as if his words would shatter my flesh like glass.

"Let's just get you back to bed." Terry began to move, but I pushed against him with all the might I could muster.

"No!" I shouted once more. "Tell me what happened!" For the first time, I met Terry's eyes and found them to be puffy and red. His gently tanned skin held dark bags, and he was much paler than normal.

He shook his head silently.

A rush of exhaustion rushed over me, leaving me weak and cold. I faltered under my own weight once more but fell into Terry's chest once more. My tears slowed to a trickle that tip-toed down my cheeks as we stood in silence. "Please," I begged finally. "I have to know." I sniffled as Terry's arms tightened around me. "Please..."