Mayhem's Beginning (Everybody Changes)

Chapter 13: An Abnormal Afternoon

“Andrew, we're home!” Bradley's voice echoed off the tile on the floors and the plaster on the walls. I drowsily lifted the sheets over my eyes as Adam came into the room and opened the blinds.

“Come on, wake up. We brought food.” Adam said, slapping my foot lightly. My thigh slightly twisted to the side as my muscles cringed from a severe soreness. I roughly grunted as I tried to keep my leg still before it caused any more agony. Adam noticed, for he turned back to me as he was walking towards the doorway and asked “You alright there?”

“Yeah.” was the first word that instinctively came out of my mouth. “Just a little sore.” Adam stared at me oddly for a few moments, knowing that I most likely have not done any strenuous exercise lately. “You know, from all the walking.” I added. Adam leaned against the door as his head gingerly lifted upwards towards the ceiling, his eyes still on me. “Walking around the city, you know? Ran out of bus money and had to walk a couple of blocks.”

“Next time take enough for a bus pass.” Adam had a faint smile. “Don't want your legs falling off.” He walked away from the door then as I sighed. That was a really close one.

I crept up from under the covers and walked over to my mirror. I had stripped down to my briefs when I got home, sleep being the only thing that I wanted to do. I turned my back towards the mirror and wailed at the sting I felt when I looked over my shoulder. On my midst back was a penetrating burn that felt like lava molting on my skin. I reached my arm behind my back to rub the rear of my hand against the cauterized flesh, a bad idea. I gritted my teeth together as I pulled my hand away in a quick motion.

The irritated hole above my wrist was still there. It felt as if it throbbed away with the rhythm of my heart beat. A long sleeve shirt was most likely the way to go when I was around other people. Well, at least until these strange wounds had healed.

I searched through my basket of clean clothes which didn't have much. A few t-shirts, some jeans, but not one sight of long sleeves. “Great.” I whispered to myself. A trip to the laundry mat would have to come soon, for I needed more suitable clothing for such a matter. I slipped on a t-shirt, some basket-ball shorts, and a hood. That being the only covering upper body wear I could find.

The living room was a simple one, a few black leather couches, a glass coffee table that had Styrofoam boxes on it, and a flat screen situated on a wall. Bradley and Adam were sitting in the center of the sofa with a box of food in their hands watching the football game. They both looked up at me, using nodding as a tactic of greeting. “Why are you wearing a sweater?” Bradley asked curiously.

Oh crap.

“Uh...” I hesitated for a few moments. “...it's cold in here.” Bradley raised his eyebrow.

“You know it's almost eighty degrees in here, right? I just checked the thermostat when I got home.”

“Yeah, I know. I just woke up though so my blood is still getting used to it. You know, it's not cold to you because you have been awake all day. Your blood has been running at a normal pace for hours now. When one sleeps their heartbeat slows down which--”

“Yeah Andrew, we know you're smarter than us.” Bradley rolled his eyes a bit.

“Leave the boy alone! Let him wear what he wants. It ain't hurting anybody.” Adam said as he stuffed a potato wedge in his mouth.

“I'm only messing with him! Come sit, son. Eat up before your food gets cold.” I sat next to Bradley and dug into my burger and fries, which was probably the best meal I had ever eaten. Not even turkey on Thanksgiving compared, which was strange since I usually despised such greasy food. “Haven't you eaten at all in the past month?” Said Bradley as I placed the last bite of beef in my mouth.

Now that I thought about it, it certainly didn't feel as if I had. I devoured a whole plate of food in what seemed like seconds and my stomach was still grumbling for more. I was usually a timid eater, but as of right now a black hole had taken my stomach's place. “Of course I have. I just didn't eat much yesterday. I was busy writing an essay and practicing some jazz sax.” I stood up from where I was sitting and walked into the kitchen, pulling out a bucket of strawberry ice cream from the freezer and a gallon of milk from the fridge.

“You guys got any concerts coming up?” Adam asked.

“Not that I know of.” I used an ice cream scoop to place some of the frozen dessert into a blender and then poured in a bit of milk.

“Have you gotten any new charts?” Bradley asked curiously.

“Yeah, a few. Went on any interesting calls, Pop?” I turned the blender on for a few moments to let the contents liquify.

“Actually, yes. Just yesterday to be honest. There was this girl, probably about your age, who lived in the Bronx. We usually don't respond to calls over there but we were covering for an unpaid fire department that had just went down under. As in, not in service anymore.” I poured the milkshake into a cup and walked back into the living room.

“Back to the topic at hand, it was awful. Her father was a drunk, the odor of whiskey could be smelt for miles. He had hit his daughter because she didn't clean the house correctly or something.” Bradley's words rolled off his tongue like a rose bush. “There wasn't a spot on the wall, although the house wasn't much to begin with. But it's just crazy how such a thing can consume you into doing something as despicable as hitting your own child for no good reason. The police arrested the man as I personally examined her face.” He stopped for a moment, exhaling deeply.

“What'd you see?” I concerned, taking a sip of my milk shake.

“She had a long, thick bruise running from the side of her cheek into the area around her eye. Not to mention a few contusions in various areas around her body. She looked so damaged, so helpless, that I felt as if my heart was about to stop beating. It was like the look in her eyes really got to me. She had no one.” Bradley was now looking down at his lap with a great frown on his face.

It amazed me how someone could care so much, even about someone they had just met. I wish some of Bradley's benevolence could rub off on the rest of humanity. The world be a lot better place if everyone was capable of such kindness. It seemed as if no one cared about anything or anyone unless they were getting something out of it. Bradley never asked for much, and I admired such a feat. Where ever I turn I see people with money in the bank, every electronic known to man in their possession, and yet they still found something to complain about. Did anyone else have any sense of compassion, or thankfulness? If so, they are an endangered species.

“You did all you could.” Adam said, placing his hand lightly on Bradley's. “You can't save everyone, believe it or not.”

“Don't cut yourself short, Pop. I'm sure that the girl has somebody.” I added. “Everybody has at least one person that they can lean on. She probably does too.”

“I don't know. It didn't seem like any kind of mother figure was around. The look on her face was just so lost and alone. I just hope she is okay.” Bradley disconcerted.