The Gross Outdoors ✖ A TomTord Story ✖

"Not if no one believes you..."

   Tom opened his eyes, feeling a numb feeling all over him.
   He was in a bed. Wait. His bed. Yes, this was his bed. From the house? No, the...the other place. The camping place. He tried to sit up, groaning as pain shot up his lungs.
   "Tom!" A loud voice made him wince. Dammit, his ears. He instinctively reached up to touch them gingerly, but even the slightest touch made them throb.
   "Tom, I was so worried!" Edd's face came into view. "Tord said you had fallen into the lake. He said you didn't swim, and your clothes weighed you down. Are you alright?"
   Tom mumbled something incoherent, feeling his head pound. He wanted to lay down. Edd, shut up and let me lay down!
   "Matt, he's awake!" Edd shouted loudly, and Tom hissed under his breath. His throat felt dry as the desert, so he couldn't summon the energy to open it and give Edd a good word or two. "Call Tord too!" He shouted louder, as if he meant to make Tom's life hell.
   Poor me. He grumbled sarcastically.
   "Tom! How the heck do you just fall into a lake?" Matt exclaimed the second he was at his side. "I've never heard anything more ridiculous!"
   "I'm feeling great, thanks for asking." He croaked.
   "That's good!" Edd chirped.
   "Tord's in the bathroom." Matt said, running a hand through his hair. There was another leaf in it. Then, Tom looked around his bed. Not a single dried up leaf. They must have cleaned it up before making him sleep in it.
   "Who got rid of the leaves?"
   "Oh, Seth did that." Edd waved it off. "Don't worry, he won't be doing any more chores for you anymore. A soon as you're good and ready you'll be helping Kat out in the stables."
    "Excuse you?"
   "We gotta do our fair share, Tom. Me and Matt'll help indoors. You and Tord outdoors."
   Tom bit back his curse, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Can I have a glass of water?"
   "Oh, yeah! I'll get it for you." Edd scurried out, and as he did Tom noticed a figure at the doorway.
   "I have to use the bathroom. You and Tord can hang out for a bit ugh it killing each other, right?" Matt asked, his mom voice activated.
   "I'll try." Tord shrugged in an obviously playful manner. Tom narrowed his lack of eyes, choosing not to reply.
   Although his head pounded, he knew exactly what had happened. He remembered  detail, even the part when he had been half unconscious and a strong pair of arms carried him bridal style. He remembered every single second,every labored breath spent underwater.
   As soon as Matt left, Tord strolled into the room.
   "I know what you did." Tom said, his voice sounding cold and sharp.
   "You have a good memory." Tom's hands itched to slap that cocky smile off his face again. He felt small and vulnerable, here on the bed while Tord stood there. He gritted his teeth.
   "I'll tell Seth."
   "Okay." Tord said.
   Tom had expected a different response. He tried again. "I'll tell him about Doctor Young. I'll tell him about everything I saw."
   "And what would that do again?"
   "He could easily direct the police to your little gang."
   They stared at each other, neither blinking. Tension grew, and Tom could practically see Tord's brain whirring. Finally, when it seemed almost as if time itself had stopped, Tord grinned a relieved smile. "Not if no one believes you."
   "Hmm?"
   "Who would believe little old Tom, the one who's been through so much. Nearly drowning must have been such a traumatizing experience, maybe even scarring. No one believes what trauma victims say, since they usually overreact at the first sign of danger."
   "So you admit you're dangerous." Tom said, not breathing.
   "I am very much. I suggest you stay away before you hurt your pretty little face, Thomas. You have no idea what you're getting into."
   It was that exact moment that Tom decided he wanted to get into this. He was going to. He would figure out Tord, figure out his motives. Know him, understand him to the point where he could predict what he'd do next.
   He would do it. Tom swore to himself he would.
  "Then stay away from me." Tom said, his voice emboldened. "If you want to keep your pretty little gang a secret, I suggest you try not to kill me."
   "I can't keep that promise."
   Tom growled slightly. "You have to. Seth recognizes you. I see it in his face. You know who he is too. You don't want to admit it. Even if I have to follow you around everywhere you go, I will figure out what's going on, Tord."
   Tord didn't even blink. "You can try. I don't care what you do with your time here. As long as you do your share of the chores." He ruffled Tom's hair, making him duck away and smack him away.
   "Don't touch me, murderer."
   "Alright, victim."
   "I'm not a victim!" Tom exclaimed.
   "You really are, Thomas." For a moment, a pitiful look was on Tord's face as he gazed at Tom. "You're a small, pathetic sad sack of a person, and I don't know what Edd sees in you that could possibly be saved."
   Tom blinked at him, taken aback by his bluntness.
   "In the end," Tord continued, an odd gleam in his eye. "The small die. The strong survive. It's not that hard to understand, Thomas."
   "Who determines who's weak and who's not?" Tom felt a flare of anger. He wasn't going to sit here and let Tord insult him like this. His head pounded as his heartbeat quickened, and he felt a deep ache go through him again.
   "Your actions do." Tord said. "You, Thomas, have proved yourself to be a weakling who can barely face his own emotions, let alone his friends."
   Tom opened his mouth to respond when Edd and Matt walked in.
   "Here's your water, Tom." Edd handed him the glass.
   Tom held the water out, blinking for a second. His reflection looked warped inside it. He squinted, seeing bruises and a wide lack of eyes.
   He realized something. He looked incredibly small.