Teardrops

Chapter 14: Demons

Chapter 14

Lexi's Point Of View
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The empty hallways seemed to stare down at us as we passed by, the sounds of the wheelchair and my footsteps magnified and echoed back at us like pebbles.

Take that.

Annnnnnnnnnd that.

Isn't it enchanting?

No. It's horrifying. I wish you two made as little noise as I do.

You make little noise? Funny, you are always screaming inside my head...

Don't blame the voices for your schizophrenia, genius.

POO YOU! I thought thought words as loudly as I could.

I vaguely noticed as we were walking the silence that hung between me and Shelly, but other than that I didn't pay any attention to it.

I knew she was struggling with stuff. When we got back to her hospital room, she had pushed herself onto her bed before I could do anything to help her.

"What's the word 'home' mean to you?" she asked me, and I opened my mouth but nothing came out.

"How about 'family'?"

I took note of the pointed, forced way she stared at the ceiling and the wideness of her eyes like she thought blinking would push the tears out of her eyes and down her cheeks.

"Home is where your heart is," I whispered, quoting something I had read somewhere. But I didn't stop myself there, my thoughts seemed to form themselves into words and jump out of my mouth without my permission.

"If you have somewhere to go it's a home,
If you have someone to love it's a family,
If you have both it's a blessing..." The last line was a whisper.

Shelly blinked and a startling silver drop of crystal slid down her cheek slowly.

"Fa-ffamily are s- supposed to be t-t-th-there for you."

I stared at her, shocked. She stuttered?

"Bet you five bucks they don't even know yet." Her voice came out stronger this time, rebelling.

She shook, suddenly, one wracking heave that seemed to me that something was trying to escape from inside of her.

"Or ca-" she trailed off into what must have been an involuntary whimper. Swallowing, she reiterated, "or care."

She turned to face me, but I felt awful. I couldn't ease her hurt. They were supposed to be here for her.

And they weren't.

I'm going to kill them. I'm going to torture them until they die of insanity, all alone. Now hug her, stupid. She needs you.

I sat there, frozen with my own memories of betrayal.

Slamming doors, yelling, screaming.

Little footsteps creeping down the hall into my room. Bright green eyes glaring at me, sobbing on my bed.

Little fists, pounding my arms, silently begging as I stared blankly, unseeing.

"Alexis!!! Why are they fighting? Alexis help me. Alexis I can't sleep. Alexis?? Please." He'd whispered until I snapped out of my trance enough to wrap him in my arms and rock the two of us silently.

Little arms wrapped around my neck and hot tears soaked my shirt. But I kept rocking, both of us flinching at our only lullaby.

"I HATE YOU, YOU FAT LAZY DRUNK!!!!"