The Incredible League of Goth Pizza Haters (RH)

Part 74

---Sylvia---
"Is that you?" I croaked out. Was I hallucinating again? I had to be. I let my head fall back to the ground. My body was heavy with the drugs and I couldn't move.

John had lost it. He'd thrown Philip's body in the room with me but soon came to the realization he didn't know what exactly what combination of drugs Philip had been giving me. John tried, I guess, but it was something definitely different. Something that merely left me paralyzed. Unable to speak and unable to move anything other than my eyelids. There was still a deep incoherence but if I tried hard enough, I didn't lose consciousness. Still, it drove my thoughts into a complete logic-less shitstorm.

But I was coming off the drugs now. I focused all my willpower on being able to lift my left hand, which raised off the ground a few inches. I rubbed my fingers together as if that would help me regain my motor skills.

Ricky and I met eyes again and he walked over, dropping to his knees and grabbing my left hand.

This can't be real.

"Via.. Can you hear me? Hey, it's Ricky. Please.."

"..You're not.. Real.." I said and I watched his eyes grow red. Tears darted down his cheeks and I shifted, blinking. He looked real. He felt real. I reached up and touched his face.

"I'm real." he said, "I promise I'm here."

The next twenty minutes were spent with confused conversation as he talked me into consciousness. He helped me sit up against the wall.

"I'm so sorry," he was saying, "I should've listened to my gut.. How could I not realize you were here? You were right here.."

"It's fine. It's okay." I was saying. He was having a bit of a meltdown, the first I've ever seen him have. It was so unlike him, I was almost scared. His emotions were switching from pissed to scared to sorry and back again.

".. You never should've come here.. Why did you do that? Why do you drink? You're underage-,"

"..Ricky.."

"-Is he going to kill us? Why are we down here?" his eyes darted towards the body and his breathing picked up speed. It sounded like he were about to hyperventilate.

"Ricky! Deep breaths. Calm down, please." his ramblings died out and I pulled him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed tighter than he ever had before. I rubbed circles on his back and rested my head on his shoulder.

It was horrible that he was down here, I never wanted to put his life at risk.. But I was so glad to see him. He kissed the side of my head and I felt his chest start to shudder in sobs again. I couldn't blame him, not at all. I'd cried too when I was first locked down here.. Anyone would. And not to mention, he was drunk. I could smell it on him.

I was going to ask but he started swaying a bit, rocking us back and forth as he began to calm down again. I didn't want to upset him and send him into another fit of hysterics.

"Shh. What happened?" I asked, "Why are you down here?"

"..I broke in. I don't know. I saw it and I thought I would talk to.." he cast a glance over at the corpse and shuddered. "Who is he?" I didn't know which 'he' he was referring to so I gestured to the body.

"..That's Philip."

"No. The guy who put us down here."

"..His name is John. He.. He's the brother of the man who killed my mother."

"What?" he asked. My voice dropped to a whisper.

"..I guess he held a grudge for his brother being put in jail," I said and Ricky sighed and then pulled away, looking sick. "Are you alright?" he moved away then, lurching forward and throwing up again. I made a face but reached out and pulled his hair back as he finished.