A Silent Cry

Chapter Eight: Felix

Scott looked out the door, almost as if he was disappointed. He shook his head and turned back to Cry. "We'll go find him. C'mon, Snake." The two left for their search for Russ.

Cry wanted to call them back, say, "Leave him alone. He just needs to think." But all he could do was reach out hopelessly for them. He sighed in frustration and turned his attention to the ceiling. Tears burned in his eyes but he refused to let them go. He didn't want to seem weaker than he already was. Part of him didn't want to believe anything -- that it was all some sick joke. He was only seventeen. His whole life was supposed to be anything he wanted, but now it just felt as if everything had been ripped from him. He shut his eyes and tried to swallow the stinging in his throat. He needed to say something -- anything -- just to prove he could. "I..." It was a struggle just to say that. He practically had to force it out of himself. "I... c-ca..." A coughing fit stole whatever sound there was left. The tears began to spill out by themselves; from the harshness of the coughs and the frustration of a lost voice.

"I can!" Cry screamed in his head. "I can! I can! I know I can! I always have! Please... Just let me speak."

But the truth was that he couldn't. Whether it was the physical damage or the psychological torment, no one was sure, but the fact remained that Cry couldn't speak. There was a chance he couldn't ever speak for the rest of his life. A voice that was so kind and caring, lost to the world for good. Cry's sobs racked his body. His breathing was constricted and it sounded rather painful, almost as if he was choking.

Someone knocked on the slightly open door. Cry hastily wiped his tears away. He tried to say, "Come in." but all that escaped his lips was forced air. The visitor fully opened the door as if they were cautious with what was on the other side. It was Cry's sister. She looked sad but immediately brought up a smile. Cry could tell it was forced, but he appreciated the effort. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

Cry sighed. He felt like absolute shit. Of course, he didn't want to tell his sister that. It's not like he could anyway, so instead he just shrugged. His sister frowned a bit. She walked up to him and sat down in the stiff chair by his bed. "You know," she started after a moment of silence. "When you were little, you used to be afraid of thunder. You would cry and hide under the covers and refuse to leave your room. You hardly said a word, you were so scared. But the storms would pass and then you'd start talking again. You'd act as if nothing happened. You eventually got over your fear and now you can talk through thunderstorms no problem."

Cry wanted to ask why she was telling him that, but he couldn't. His sister seemed to read into his confusion so she continued. "My point is, no matter how scary it might seem right now; you'll be able to get through it. Storms always pass. You just have to be patient." She gave a sweet smile. Cry returned it as best as he could. He wasn't sure if he believed her words. It seemed as if his storm wasn't ever going to pass.

"Nate's gonna want to see you," Sarah added after a moment of silence. She spoke at almost a whisper like it was some secret. "Mom wanted to hold it off for as long as possible, but you know how Nate is. He'll win sooner or later. It's just... Mom and I don't think it's a good idea. He's never seen anything like this -- Mom hasn't even told him what happened to you. She's afraid it might ruin his innocence, I guess."

Cry pursed his lips. He didn't know how to respond. It's not like he could say anything or even attempt to compose his thoughts. Sarah didn't seem to mind. It was almost as if she said it just to get it out in the open rather than bottled up.

"E-excuse me?" A small voice came from the doorway.

There was a boy around Cry's age. His face seemed a bit familiar, but Cry couldn't quite place where he had seen it. "Hello," Sarah greeted. "Who are you?"

"Uh, I-I'm Felix," he sounded shy and unsure, but he kept his eyes trained on Cry. "I didn't really get a chance to introduce myself the first time we met."

Sarah turned to Cry. Cry stared at Felix, trying to remember, until it clicked. Felix was the one who helped him. The first thing he wanted to say was thank you, but his mouth stayed shut. He could only wave in response.

Felix smiled, looking a little more at ease. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, of course," Sarah said as she stood up. "You can keep an eye on Cry for me while I'm gone." She turned to Cry with a small smile. "I'll be right back. I gotta go pick up Nate." She kissed his forehead and left.

Cry looked down at his blanket. He wanted to say something to Felix -- anything. He wanted to open his mouth, but his jaw was set in place. He could feel the words on the tip of his tongue with no way to voice them. Cry looked up when Felix sat down next to him.

Felix gave a broad smile. "So you're Cry," he started. "It's kinda weird to meet someone without even getting their name." He paused, as if waiting for Cry to say something, but then continued. "Why don't we start over? Hi, I'm Felix. What's your name?" He put his hand out for Cry to shake.

Cry felt heat rush to his face when he realized he couldn't answer, but even if he could, something was stopping himself from forming any words. He hesitantly put his hand in Felix's and gave a wavering smile.

"Nice to meet you," Felix chirped without missing a beat. He didn't mention anything about Cry not speaking. He didn't give any weird looks or look at Cry like he was different. He even carried on a conversation with Cry like it was a normal day. He didn't talk and expect Cry to answer, he talked just so Cry didn't have to.

It may have only been a few minutes, but Cry already liked having Felix around.