Horrible Things

The boy without skin (Final Part)

I woke up in my room.

Only this time, it was the one from my childhood with cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and dust setting over the furniture as if no one had lived here for the past decade. I stood up. Something seemed off. Why was I back at the house? I know that I shouldn't be here....

Why?

I didn't know anything. I was a bird without wings and all I could do as I plunged down the cliff was look at the sky.

"Jimmy" The voice of a young boy called out to me. Huh? Who?

Who is Jimmy?

I looked for the voice, it was coming from the closet.

Jimmy

Don't forget me...

I was compelled and my feet moved on it's own towards the closet. I wanted to run. I couldn't. I'm too close. Shit.. My hands are on the handles...

JIMMY

The closet bursted open and I fell onto the floor, paralysed with fear. A boy of age 9-10 stepped out, only his head was posed at an unnatural angle. Instead of it being upright, it sat on his shoulder while still connected to his neck. His skin was black and peeling, revealing raw wounds that were bloodied and bright red like.... Like he was burned.

JIMMY

YOU FORGOT ABOUT ME

Who was Jimmy? Oh yeah, it's me. How could I forget... The car crash.. Laisha... I'm driving down the road to visit my parents but... They aren't my parents.

"Who are you?" I asked shakily, crawling to get away. Somehow, there was only fear and guilt. I did something unforgivable.

You forgot!

It hissed at me and put it's hands on neck, pushing me to the ground. I could see the flacks of burnt skin falling into the ground next to me. He choked me as I cried out, harder and harder... Until I was no longer there.

I remembered.

It was a hot summer's afternoon. I was with my best friend William in his room. I was angry with him though, he was going to move away with his family the next day and only just told me.

"I'm sorry!" He apologized, "You know what they say about my skin and I hate it!"

But I was seething, all I could think about was his betrayal. "I don't care! You're not my friend anymore." I shouted and ran out of the room and down the stairs.

Instead of going home, I went to the tool shed behind his house. Removing the lock with the Bobby pin I had, I went in.

I waited until night. Everything was quiet. And then I did it. It was easy, a lighter and paper was all I needed. I threw a stone at their back door and the glass shattered into a million pieces, the rest happened in a blur. The fire spread much quick than my 9 year old mind could comprehend. Flames climbed up the building and soon...

They ran out. William and his parents were out safe. Wait. No. Someone was inside. Who?

You.

I was inside. I was trapped with no where to go. The flames torched my cloths first, then the skin off my back and then everywhere else. I felt everything and then nothing.

I was back in the room. It was no longer chocking me, and was sitting in a civilized matter in front of me.

Do you see?

See what?

The light.

No, it's dark here.

You have to, try harder!

Why?

You've been here too long.

Where?

In your mind.

Are you me?

Yes.

Am I dead?

No. You're in the in-between.

Oh. Can I live again?

Your physical body is in a coma, are you ready for the agony and pain?

No. I'm scared.

We're scared.

What about my aunt?

What about her?

She'll miss me.

You imagined your entire life. She doesn't know you the way you want her to.

Everything?

Yes.

How? That's not possible!

It's it not?

What about the smells? The missing items?

Did you forget about Laisha? The rat poison your father put in your room months ago?

But how?

There are many layers to the world you're in, I'm a layer, you're a layer, the jimmy at the hospital is another layer.

I'm scared.

I know.

Are your ready?

I think so.

Yes, you've spent the last thirty years preparing.

What will happen when I enter the light?

Who knows.

I see it.

I know, I see it too.

Will you hold my hand?

Yes.

-

"Jimmy Flint is officially pronounced dead at 12:47am, please take the body to the morgue and notify his next of kin."

-

Hello fellow readers, please check out The Devil's Asylum under my bio, but be warned, it is not for the faint hearted. If you enjoy an Asylum filled with doctors that have no moral and patients withholding their deepest, darkest and dirtiest secrets, please. Enter.