Every Man For Himself (Slow Updates)

Five

Chapter Five

“Hah, where’s your kid now, Woody?”  

“Oh, no, no.”  

“No!”  

Thrilling music entered my ears, sending shivers down my spine.  

I was in a pit full of garbage. Heat radiated from the bottom of the pit and went through my flimsy skin.I was slowly sliding down, along with my friends, and a whole pile of rubbish. The blazing fire was melting the garbage and making me slip. It was the end, and I knew it. My heart was thumping as I joined hands with my friends. If we were going down, we’d go together. I knew it wasn’t the best way to leave this beautiful world, but with my friends, who meant more to me than I’d ever imagined, was enough for me.

The pile was descending slowly, and it felt like the longest moment of my life. Beads of sweat rolled down my cheek and I wiped them away, suddenly noticing that my red cowboy hat was on fire. I watched with wide eyes as the yellow string in it started to unravel, the red leather of my hat beginning to get burnt into ashes. When I caught sight of Hamm’s rubber ears that had started to melt, I shut my eyes. I don’t need to see it, I desperately tried to convinced myself, letting my silent tears flow through my closed eyelids.

I knew my legs were starting to disappear, yet I didn’t feel a thing. My arms were becoming fragments of burnt cloth, yet the pain never came. I was sweating through the body I had left in me. I shut my eyes. I was sliding closer and closer to the heat that brought beads of sweat to my face, not yet ready to fall into the sleep that I’d never awaken from.

“No!” I screeched and sat bolt upright on the bed. My clothes were clinging to my body and my hairline was hot and sweaty, making me feel sticky and disgusting. My breath was heavy, and I was panting. Rubbing my eyes, I suddenly noticed that same thrilling music from my dream which was still blaring in my ears.

“Oh, hey. You’re... you’re up.” From my left came Ryan’s hoarse and raspy voice.

“Why, yes, Captain Obvious. And do I need to tell you why?” Not waiting for his reply, I started ranting, “I had a dream in which I was Jessie from Toy Story. Everything felt so real. Why? ‘Cause, you’re watching it and gave me this terrible dream. Thanks to you, now I can’t sleep in like I planned. Thanks to you, I- ” Something stopped me from complaining. I turned to Ryan and saw something that could stay with me for a long, long time.

Ryan was crying.

The stupid TV was on and he was crying over a bunch of toys sliding into the fire pit... which happened to be part of my dream. I felt like gushing but at the same time I wanted to tease him. I was going to say something when Ryan stood up hastily, grabbed a towel and swept into the bathroom before the door loudly.

I bursted out laughing when I heard the shower running, thinking how he might have started the shower to muffle his sniffs. He had been crying while watching Toy Story 3, which, needless to say, I found adorable and funny. Whilst waiting a few for Ryan to come out, I slumped back down on the bed, later deciding to make myself useful. I pushed myself out of bed and started making the beds, including the makeshift one, to pass time.  

The sound of water rushing stopped. Ryan came out of the shower with water dripping from the tips of his hair, and while flicking it left and right like the dog he was, he splattered drops of water all over me. I glared at him, annoyed as hell. I opened my mouth to shoot an insult at him but was reminded by the voice inside my head that I should probably leave him alone if I was going to spend the rest of the day with him.   

"We're going to my Gran's house," he looked at me, "and after that, you're going home, whether you like it or not." He threw the towel he was holding onto the bed where I sat, and switched off the TV. I noticed that the clothes he had on weren't any different from the ones he wore the day before.