Behind the bully (On Hold)

Chapter 7

I walked around the house, picking up clothing and any other little bits and pieces that were litering the floor. I never realised how much of a mess this place had turned into. I guess since mother isn't doing the housework, and I've never thought to do it, it should be expected. Still, it was a surprise.

I didn't even feel the usual atmosphere of sadness this house usually held for me. The events of yesterday seemed so surreal.

They'd let me out of hospital at around 7 in the evening today, I've been here for about an hour now, just walking around the house, picking up anything that ever blocked my path. The doctors advised that I should rest my left arm for a while, no sport in any circumstances; well that's fine with me. Just lay down, watch TV or something like that. He said I was lucky that there is only three days left until the end of term, said I should just stay at the house until school started back.

en this roomSo I've been walking around and giving the house a bit of a clean. That's what I had decided to do for the holidays. It would give me something to do while I could think things over.

I walked into the spare room, I'd completely forgotton about this room. I looked around. Everything was how I'd remembered it; give or take a couple of cobwebs here and there.

The double oak bed sat proudly in the middle of the room, with the white drape flowing from the roof to the edge of the bed. The bed's light blue covers slept soundlessly on the bed, the doona draped over it, sparkling in the light coming in through the open door. The bedside table sat beside it prouly, shining white with it's silver handles glittering on each of the four drawers. The shaggy white, circular rug rested half under the bed, half in front of the door. The large oval mirror hung on the wall next to the door facing the bed. I remembered being little when I would come in here and pretend to be the evil queen consulting her 'mirror mirror on the wall'.

I smiled at the memories of Timmy riding up the driveway to my house on his 'Noble Steed' -an old broomstick we'd found in the shed- to rescue me from the evil Cinderella. Yes, we weren't good at sticking to a given story.

"I wish he never had to leave" I murmered into the room. "He would have known what to do"

I sighed and walked slowly in again.

Everything had changed so much since Timmy and I used to play in this room! Timmy had left first of all, then dad had gone MIA, then the bullying started, then the depression, then the suicide attempt and now I've got... friends? I shook my head in bewilderment. How has everything spiralled so out of control? 

I sighed and plonked down on top of the bed. I stared up at the white veil falling down from the roof above me and thought about how magical it looked, like there was only me, this bed and that drape left in this crazy hectic cruel, cruel world. 

A light caught my eye. I squinted to get a better look and found fragments of mirror hanging decroatively from the veil, sending bursts of coloured light all around the room. Feathers clung just above each mirror fragment, light blue and white. The feathers and mirror were connected to a decoratively made net that looked like it was made out of trees. It was beautiful; a dreamcatcher. I hadn't remembered this being here, maybe mother put it there back before she turned into a zombie-

I cut that thought short. I wasn't going to think about that, about any of that. I had just discovered this new found, maybe not exactly happiness, but blissful resignation. All those things that have been troubling me seem like distant memories for the moment, I was not ready to let go of that just yet. 

"Horough" 

My head snapped up. I looked around, searching for the whimpering noise. It sounded like an animal, sort of like a-

"Pig!" I squealed and ran up the corner where lay a shivering, frightened little pug. I picked her up and wrapped her in my arms. "Pig! Pig! Pig!" I kept yelling, patting her. The poor dog seemed confused, scared and dazed all at the same time, like she couldn't remember what this was that was happening to her. After a few more petts and another string of 'Pig!' from me, she started to realise what was happening and snuggled into my shoulder, whimpering.

"Oh Pig! I'm so sorry! I can't believe I forgot about you! Are you ok? How are you still alive? You must have been freezing at nigh-" I stopped midsentence and broke into a grin. "Oh Pig you smart smart smart smart little dog!" I ruffled her ears "You made yourself your own bed!" I laughed at the little assortment of different coloured blankets lieing on the wooden panal floorboards on top of a few pillows with the remnants of some dog buscuit packets and dry dog food. "Oh Pig! Where did you get these!?" I picked up the packets of dog buscuits to look at the useby date; there was none. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, they were, after all, dog buscuits.

My heart did an uncomfortable squeeze when I realised. This must have been dad. Dad used to always sneak Pig dog buscuits every day, much to mum's distain. Mum had Pig on a strict diet since she was a pup. She had some kind of thing wrong with her that meant if she was overfed she could have to be put down, something to do with blood rate or heart rate or something. Dad had always felt sorry for poor old Pig and would often sneak her dinner scraps or dog biscuits.

Dad used to come home often with huge bags of something. Mum and I had no idea and used to joke about it being 'stuff for his other girlfriend', until that is one of the bags split in the middle of the hallway. I remember the surprise etched across mum's face, and the guilt and worry of a boy-found-wiht-his-hands-in-the-cookie-jar look as packets and packets and packets of dog buscuits and treats of all sorts fell out onto the hallway. Since then mum and I had always hunted around the house trying to find them, but never had. Clearly, Pig had.

I wiped away a single tear and sent a silent prayer to God to ask him to thank dad, whether he was alive or dead, and if he was alive to keep him safe. I also thanked God for giving Pig enough sense not to eat all the food at once so he could survive all these months alone.

"Come on Pig, you can sleep in my room tonight. If you want you can even sleep in my bed, I'm sure mother won't object anymore" I said the last words glumly. Pig seemed to pick up on my change of tone and nudged my face with his huge pug nose. I smiled. "Yeah, it's that bad. Come on"