Speak Up: (Chandler Riggs)

Chapter 6

My eyes snapped open. I suddenly couldn't breathe. It felt like I was being drowned, except all I saw was black.

I was gasping for air, when I heard my name being called. "Bridget, Bridget!" Over and over again. It wouldn't stop.

It just would get more demonic and distorted as it went on.

I began to scream.

Scream like you've never screamed before, my conscious told me. And don't stop. Don't ever stop.

That's when my eyes really snapped open. My body jolted forward. I was hyperventilating and all sweaty. I wiped my forehead.

I looked all around my dark room. It sent shivers down my spine.

I looked next to me and noticed Chandler wasn't there.

I sighed. Where is he? I wondered.

I was instantly frightened when the ringtone on my phone went off.

Collecting your Jar of Heeeaaartsssss

Tearing love apart

You're gonna catch a coooooold

From the ice inside your sooooouuuul

"Where is it!" I whispered to myself.

Don't come back to meeeee!

Don't come back at--

I finally found it, under my covers. I didn't even look to see who it was.

"Hello?" I said, my voice groggy.

"Hey Bridget," a voice said from the other line.

That voice...

I know that voice...

Chandler! It's Chandler!!

"Chandler?" I whispered.

"Yeah, duh. Who else?!" He shouted. I pulled the phone away from my ear because of how loud he was.

"Where are you? And why did you leave me?"

"I wanted to let you sleep. I woke up to your dad yelling at your brother, I guess. So I climbed out the window. It was around like...3 o'clock maybe, I don't know."

"Oh." I had a sad tone in my voice.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I wish you would've stayed..." My voice trailing off.

"Me too."

I smiled. "Then come back!"

"Really?"

"Yeah come on! Just come through my window. I wanna get to know you more."

"Alright. See ya in a lil?" I guessed he smiled because I heard him giggle.

"Yep," I said, "wait, how'd you get my number?"

"I put it in my phone before I left," he chuckled.

"Oh...well hurry up," I said before hanging up.

...

I was startled when I heard a pebble hit against my window. I jumped off my bed and quickly made my way over there.

I saw Chandler's face. I guess he saw me because a huge grin spread cross his face.

CHANDLER'S POV

I jogged over to Bridget's house. In the dark, her neighborhood is quite creepy. She lives about 5 minutes away from me.

Once I arrived at her house, completely out of breath, I bent down and picked up a pebble. I chucked it at her window.

A dark figure appeared in the window. I slowly began to make out the face in the moonlight.

It was Bridget. She's so gorgeous.

My smile was from ear to ear.

Whenever I'm around her, I get nervous for some odd reason. I've never felt so different around a person, even though I've known her for maybe 6 hours. I don't get this feeling for anyone, not even Amy.

Tonight, I'm going to find out what happened in school today, and why she self-harms.

I began to climb up on her roof and up to her window. Bridget quickly opened the window, letting me enter. I jumped down onto the floor, making a boom that echoed throughout the house.

"Shhh!!" She playfully hit me.

"I'm sorry!" I whispered.

"How are you feeling?"

"Eh," she smiled.

Bridget went over to her bed and plopped down. She raised her eyebrows, and motioned for me to sit next to her.

I did so. "So, why did you want me to come back over at..." I checked my phone. "...3:56 in the morning?"

"I don't know, I...was scared..." She slowly said.

"Of what?" I chuckled.

"Being alone."

"Why? You have your brother and dad, right?"

Bridget went silent.

"...right?" I continued.

"I guess," she said under her breath.

"What? Tell me. What's going on?" I demanded.

"He--my dad...he..."

"What? What does he do to you?"

A tear dripped from her face before she let it all out.

She wept and sobbed for such a long time.

I wrapped my arms around her. "It's okay...Bridget...it's okay..."

"He--beats me...a-and ra-apes me!!" She sobbed.

My eyes widened.

I pulled away. "Bridget...you need to tell someone about this."

"I-I'm so scared," she told me. "I-I've never been s-so scared in my-my life."

I took her hands and placed them in mine. "Bright, please. Tell me what he does to you. And why you do that to yourself," I sternly said, pointing at her wrists.

She sighed, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Fine...but you're gonna be here for a while."