The Name of the Game

Chapter 24

Mikey reached up for his glasses. He was stopped by the sounds of gunshots and his parents yelling. He froze, not knowing how to react. He realized that Gerard would probably know what to do, then got to his feet and took off to his bedroom.

Gerard was standing at the foot of his bed. He was holding his bedposts tight, staring at his feet. As soon as his eyes met Mikey's, he pulled hard at the posts. The bed pulled away from the wall. In its place was a small, white panel.

Gerard worked the panel off the wall, revealing a tiny crawlspace, then looked to his brother. "Get in," he said.

Mikey quickly climbed into the crawlspace, terrified tears running down his cheeks.

"I love you," Gerard whispered.

"I love you, too, Gee," Mikey squeaked.

Gerard put a finger to his lips before placing the panel back into the wall and leaving Mikey in blackness.

A few moments later, he heard the door fly open. Mikey put his hands over his mouth, trying to be as quiet as possible. He heard a loud thud, followed by smaller, quieter thuds. There was a cough, and a few minutes later, a dragging sound. The front door slammed shut, and the house was silent.

Mikey let out a loud sob. He pressed both of his palms against the panel and pushed as hard as he could. When nothing happened, he punched the board angrily. He hit it a few more times, then tried again to push it off. This time, it worked.

The panel fell to the floor, and Mikey nudged it under the bed so he could crawl out. He wormed himself under the bed and out the side. There was a large bloodstain seeping into the white carpet next to the bed, and the trail had been dragged out of the room.

Mikey trembled as he left the room. His legs shook, barely being able to carry him down the steps. Nervous, he turned to the left. He almost fainted at the sight of Donna laying on the kitchen floor in a pool of her own blood.

"Mom!" Mikey ran over and grabbed her hand.

"Darling," she breathed, "You're okay. I-I love you."

"I love you too, ma," Mikey said. "D-Don't worry, I'm gonna get you help. You're gonna be okay."

Donna gave Mikey's hand a weak squeeze. He grabbed for the kitchen phone and dialed for an ambulance. As it rang, he walked to the living room and saw Donald draped over the coffee table and covered in blood.

"They took him," Donald wheezed. He glared at his son. "Don't let him come back this time."

Mikey's brow furrowed and his mouth opened. He couldn't respond to his father, as he had no reply, and the operator answered the phone.

Mikey quickly answered all of the operator's questions. He opened the front door and sat outside on his doorstep. Eventually, two NMC ambulances appeared.

Six people came running into the house, and a seventh led Mikey off of the stoop. She had him sit down on an ambulance bumper instead, draping a scratchy blanket over his shoulders. She stood across from him.

"Michael Way?" she asked.

Mikey nodded. "That's me."

"Are you hurt?"

Mikey shook his head. "I was hiding," he said.

"Okay. Can you give me any information at all on sustained injuries?"

Mikey shrugged. "I didn't see a lot," he said. "I think whoever took my brother roughed him up pretty bad before they took him. My parents were both really bloody, but I couldn't see why. I figure it was a knife or a gun, maybe both."