The Boy Who Danced on Water

Lonely and Lost

(Coda's Pov) 

After Bell's sister showed up my sleep has gotten worse. I wake up all the time with tears streaming down my face, but I just wipe them away and go back to bed. I don't want to be the reason that girl doesn't get better.  

I came out of my bedroom and tiptoed into the kitchen, and past the sleeping Emily. She was still weak and her ribs were bleeding. Cyrus missed tucking me in last night, and he fell asleep next to the couch. 

I crouched by him and lifted his arm, then hugged him. I squeezed Cyrus with everything I had. He is my big brother, and he hurt me. Cyrus didn't call me poppet, or love-bug, nothing yesterday. Just Coda. 

I put on a brave face for the sake us Cyrus, but it hurt. He's been too busy taking care of Emily to play with me. He even asked me to go fishing the other day, that was the last straw. I took nothing with me but the necklace Cyrus wears everyday. 

I tied the band behind my neck and let the small arrow head fall onto my chest. Still creeping into the kitchen I tied my boots up. Cyrus gave them to me, they used to be his. I was about to push the door open and leave but then I remembered one crucial item. My seahorse! 

Running back into my bedroom I grabbed the small, coral plushie and set out. The day was freezing, and frost was all over the ground. I covered my nose with the edge of my jacket and kept walking. 

I could see the animals all just waking up as I walked and the sun was peeking up over the mountain. I kept up a slow even pace and kept the stuffed animal close to my chest. My eyelids began to droop when the sun reached mid-sky. 

The wild animals were chattering and running around, so I knew it was safe. I tucked myself into a nook of soft grass. Putting my head back, and listening to the water trickle by. The warm, blanket-like sun was blocked out by a shadow. But I was too sleepy to open my eyes. 

"Look who it is." 

I froze at the voice I knew all too well. It was loud and mincing. I shuttered and tired to back away. Before I could stand up and run the girl took my hair in her grasp. She tugged it roughly making me whimper. 

Bell was back. This time Cyrus wasn't here to protect me. She laughed and got to work. 

She made my cheeks and stomach sting with slaps. When she punched me I could almost feel the bruises form. I shook in fear and threw my hands up to protect my face. Bell knocked me around more, causing multiple bruises and bleeding wounds to appear on my face. 

"L-let me alone!" I screamed between blows, but it was truly no use. Bell was enraged with me. 

"Why would I stop! Do you know what you did to me freak. You ruined my life," She spat then grabbed my wrists roughly. I was so weak and the blood gushing from my head made black dots dance on my eyes.

"Cyrus and I were in love. He wanted it to be just me and him. Then you found the tree, you came into his life and stole him away from me." She paced around me like a lion watching his prey. I curled up into a little ball but my wrists were still grasped tightly. 

"W-we can work it out...just come back to the tree." I felt my wrists heat up. I could feel the skin burning and I yelped. I struggled against the grip but Bell held tighter. The old blisters, that had healed into small scars, were back. 

Then the world went back. My memories were being toyed with, Bell was in my head. 

I was six years old sitting in my bed. My room was tiny, and dirty. Outside my window I could see the town bustling outside, but I had locked myself in my room. My mom was cooking in the kitchen, but the tears were streaming down my face. Today at school was one of the roughest days I had in a while. 

I didn't know that Maxwell was following me until it was far too late. The world was dark and the metallic clink of a lock was heard. Maxwell had shoved me into another locker, this time keeping me there. It wasn't small, just dark. And I hated the dark. The walls started to fall onto me and my breath picked up.  

The small locker was too quiet and too dark for my liking. It was almost three hours before anyone would find me. The school was already cleared out, and I had been a sobbing mess when the janitors found me. 

Then just as quickly as that memory surfaced, it was gone and I was back in the real world. Bell was snickering and got a better grasp on my hair. She pulled me into a cave. "This is about the darkness of a locker." 

She threw me into the cave and created a barrier with stones. Tears stung my eyes and the ground leaped up at me. I collapsed onto my knees, still raw and bloody from Bell's attack. My hands shook and I couldn't help but cry. No sob. It was dark in here. 

"B-b-bell," I choked out, "I'm sorry! Please-" I hiccuped "Please let me out." She just cackled and added more rocks, making it even darker. I pushed myself into a corner and sobbed. All the memories came back to me. The bullies, the friends, the days I got left in a dark locker for hours. 

I kept my head buried in my knees, but then the light slowly began to flood the cave. I got very tense. What more did Bell want from me. I felt someone's arms wrap around around my waist. Two hands ran through my hair and someone was trying to sooth me. 

"Hey buddy. It's me." I was sobbing and shaking but I leaned into the embrace. 

"C-cywus?" I sobbed out. 

He nodded and scooped me into his arms, "It's me little guy, I got you." He fiddled with the necklace on my chest, "It has a charm on it, mother nature gave it to me, it shows me it's location." 

I cuddled into him, not ever wanting to be let go. "I-i'm sorry! I didn't want to run away, but I- you- I was left out." 

He squeezed me closer, "I'm so sorry poppet. I won't every let you go again."