Storytime

Chapter 15~Ryan

Illeya POV:
"You? But you... Oh god..."
"I know, what I did to you. I'm sorry. I had no idea..."
"Why Ben?"
"They told me there was someone who was looking for me in the school. They told me they were dangerous. So they gave me a name."
"Oh god... What else did they tell you?"
"They told me that they were cruel. They were hateful. They held grudges. They told me that they knew about me, but they didn't know who I was and that, if they did, they'd hurt me."
"Why would I hurt my own brother?" He looks away.
"There were... Things that he didn't tell you." He looks back at my uncle. My uncle just smiles. Ben, Ryan, comes and sits beside me with tears in his eyes.
"But... What things?"
"They knew you were... Gay... So they did things to you. Things I can't begin to describe."
"And you knew?!"
"They didn't know I knew, until I tried to get them taken away. I caught them once. I'm so sorry." The tears come streaming from his eyes and I can feel the sorrow that consumes us both.
"You cruel bastard!" I tear my arm away from Ryan's shoulders, standing up in fury and looking my uncle directly in the eyes.
"I did nothing."
"You're exactly like your brother!"
"And proud of it!"
"You told me he was dead!" At this point, Ryan stands up beside me and grabs my hand.
"He told you I was dead?" I smile sadly.
"He said you died in the car crash." Ryan let's go of my hand, stumbling away from me. His fear stricken face penetrates my body, tears jumping into my eyes.
"Ryan... What's wrong?" His face turns to anger and he lunges for my uncle, crashing into him. He barely flinches. Ryan is thrown against one of the trees, lying lifeless on the ground.
"Ryan!" I sob. For a moment, I forget what he did to me. I forget how he used me, how he almost killed me himself. I just want him to be okay.

Pain shoots through my body as I dash towards my Uncle. I'm not thinking but yet all kinds of thoughts rush through my head. I dismiss them all as anger overpowers everything inside of me. But then, just as I'm about to reach him, he disappears and I crash into nothing. My breathing slows and I take one last look at Ryan before I lose myself once more, weakness taking over my body. The next thing I know, my head is crashing into the grass and my eyes are glassing over.

Josie POV:
"Hey, I heard you were here. Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine. Really."
"What happened?"
"Car crash."
"God, I'll hill the bastard who did this to you!"
"Hey Joe, I'm not dead." We both laugh. My brother comes to me, holding me tightly. I can't help wishing he was someone else. However cruel that is, I can't help what I wish for.
"Thank god for that. Hey, where's Illeya?"
"Illeya?"
"Oh don't play that game with me sis. I can see the look in your eyes."
"What look?"
"That wishful look. Don't deny it. You wish I was her, right?" I look away.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I get it. You love her."
"I love you too."
"I know. Don't worry, I take no offence."
"Thank you."
"But... Where do you think she is?" Tears fill my eyes at the thought of it.
"I don't know, Joe. I really don't."
"Do you think... She might be hurt?"
"I know she's in pain. But that's all I know."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. She's gonna be okay. I just know it." I say it aloud to see if I can convince myself of it. But I can't. I don't know if she will be okay. If I'm perfectly honest, I doubt she can be. After what she's been through, and the torture I can only imagine she's going through right now, I doubt she'll ever be okay again.

Illeya POV:
Waking up, my thoughts immediately devote themselves to Ryan. I raise my head far too quickly, causing it to throb so that it feels as if my heart is pounding in my skull. There he lies, in the long grass just in front of the tree he was brutally thrown against. His body litters the ground, sprawled out like roadkill. Sorrow pours out of me as I see him there, helpless and weak in a way I've never seen him before. His hands lies out from his body, the fingers stretched out as if waiting for a hand to claim them. I know I have to be that hand.
Ignoring the pain that sprouts in every area of my body, I move painstakingly towards his body. Every part of me wants to stop but his name running persistently through my head drives me on. I have to know he's still breathing. I have to know he's alive.
"Please be okay..." I whisper as I reach him.
He is in a terrible state. Blood trickles down his back and twigs and sticks protrude from his chest. On the outside, he doesn't look fatally injured yet, by the state of his clothes and the way his body is positioned, I am afraid that on the inside, he is suffering a more painful ordeal than I'd like to imagine.
With fear my most dominant emotion, i reach my shaking hand for his, enclosing his fingers in mine. I am grateful to find that his hand is still warm. I sigh shakily, tears dripping out of my eyes. He may gave hurt me. He nay gave left me for dead. But I didn't know. He didn't know. And I can't help loving him. He is my brother after all.
I wait. Silently. Solemnly. I rock myself slowly, distracting myself from the pain and transforming it into numbness. I focus on his face in the hope that his eyes will soon open. Although, I know that while he is asleep he cannot feel much pain. For that, I am fortunate. Part of me wants to scream at him. But that would be unethical and cruel. Part of me wants to hug him. But I don't know of the damage that has been done. Part of me wants him to wake up. But I don't want to rush him. Part of me wants him to stay asleep. So he can feel no pain. But I'll be glad for the moment I can see those eyes again, I can be with the only family I have left that I have a little trust left for. No matter what he's done, I love him. And he's all I have now.

Josie POV:
Joe twiddles his fingers anxiously.
"Is something wrong Joey?"
"I'm just worried about you, that's all."
"Its more than that."
"Just... The last time we were in here..."
"Oh Joey I'm sorry."
"This place just emanates death."
"I'm not going to die."
"What if you end up like mum?"
"Mum was ill. You know that."
"So are you!" I see him bite his lip to stop the tears from coming.
"I'm going to be just fine, okay? Trust me."
"You promise?" He looks up at me, his eyes sad but hopeful.
"I promise." I smile sadly. I understand what he's afraid of. This place is a haunting memory for us and I'm a little afraid of it too. But unlike my hope for Illeya to be okay, I have more than hope. I know I'm going to be okay. I know I am. There's nothing seriously wrong. Right? ...