"You know when it's quiet and you're sitting at home by yourself and you start getting that feeling?"
"What feeling?"
"I don't know like sort of an achy-tingly feeling in your stomach. Like a doom feeling."
"Are you worried about something, Tyler?"
"No."
"Well that's what I am here for you know, we can talk about-"
"No."
"Tyler."
The boy looked up from his fidgeting hands toward the voice saying his name. His brown eyes held a deep sadness in them.
"You're the message man."
"I'm the message man?" The voice looked away from him and scribbled a note on one of his many pieces of paper.
"Yeah."
A pause.
"Why am I the message man?"
"Because. You're supposed to judge."
"Judge what?"
"You decide whether or not I'm just another crazy person. You're the final call."
"Mm, I see. So you're worried that I will conclude these sessions with thinking you are crazy?"
"No. I am crazy. I know that. I'm just worried that- that everyone else will find out."
***
"WHY WON'T YOU SPEAK?!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs. He was surrounded by lush green trees. A forest.
He dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
"WHY?" He yelled again.
Then he whispered. "Why won't you-"
"Ty?" A quiet voice rang in his ears. It sounded as though it came from inside his head.
He blinked.
"Tyler?" The voice grew louder.
"PLEASE!" He was sobbing now.
"TYLER!"
He woke in a fit, throwing the blanket off his bed and sitting up. He was breathing hard. He swept a hand over his tear stained cheeks.
It took him a minute to realize that it had been a dream.
"Tyler!"
A light clunk sounded against his window.
He got up from the bed and cautiously went to look out of the hazy glass.
A man in a backwards baseball cap with a tattooed arm stood looking up towards the window holding a small pebble in hand. He was getting in position to throw.
Tyler opened the window.
"Josh?"
"Hey, Tyler."
"What are you doing here?" He rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"
"It's about... early in the AM." Josh said sarcastically, looking at the nonexistent watch on his arm. He paused, then gestured towards the front of the house. "Can I come in?"
Tyler closed the window in response and walked down the creaky wooden stairs to meet his friend outside. He threw on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt as he made his way to the door.
The door swung open.
"What do you want, Josh?"
"Do you have any cereal? I'm feeling some breakfast right about now."
He walked into the house.
YOU ARE READING
NEXT SEMESTER
FanfictionThis is who I am. What I shouldn't do I will. He put his hands over his face and dragged them over his eyes, shielding them from the white bathroom lights. He wanted to cry out. No! It's all my fault. He hit the back of his head against the wall b...
