Toxic: A Sociopath Novel

Chapter 11

I heard Lyn's loud sobbing throughthe wooden door of her bedroom. She wasscreaming too, and every few seconds,there was a crashing sound, like she wasbeating on the wall. Lyn's mom was in herown room, calling Lyn's name to try andcalm her down.I started to get annoyed and beggedGod to make her stop, and finally, afteralmost an hour, the crashing and cryingfinally stopped, and was replaced withfrantic laughter. A few moments later, Lynbusted out of her room, her face red andeyes puffy. She was holding a jump ropeand held a huge smirk on her face."Are you going to jump rope?" Iasked. She didn't look at me when shereplied."Something like that," she said andthen proceeded out the front door.I went to the kitchen for a glass ofwater then stopped in my tracks when I saw movement outside the kitchen window. Lynwas in the yard. I approached the windowto get a closer look, since I knew it was nearimpossible to skip rope on the grass. Iwatched her as she walked over to thewoodsy area and stopped at a Godzilla sizedtree with thick, long branches.She attempted to throw one end ofthe jump rope around a branch, but failed.She tried again, and again, she wasunsuccessful. She looked around the yardfor a moment then put her finger up as if alightbulb went off. She started to make herway back over to the porch. I leaned overthe sink so I could get a better glimpse ather. She grabbed hold to one of the porchchairs and dragged it down a few stairs andthrough grass.She positioned the chair directlyunder the branch. She grabbed the jumprope and climbed the chair, almost losingher balance as she used her tiptoes tosecure one end of the jump rope onto the branch. At the same time she finished tyingthe knot, Christopher hugged me frombehind."What are you looking at babydoll?" Icouldn't speak, but I pointed at Lyn throughthe window. She was tying the opposite endof the jump rope around her throat.Christopher started shouting for his mom,and then at me to call 911. He grabbed acake knife from the drawer then ran outside,his mom following close behind, then me.He was shouting Lyn's name at the top ofhis lungs. We all hustled to her. She wasstruggling and choking, her feet werekicking rapidly.Christopher cut through the rope,catching Lyn as she fell from the branch,and he laid in the yard with her, cradling herlike a baby. Their mom was in tears as shecalled for dispatch.It didn't take long to hear thescreaming of the ambulance siren, and in notime, paramedics arrived, one took some information while two others prepared agurney for Lyn's body.Both Christopher and his momwanted to ride with Lyn to the hospital, butone of the paramedics declined, saying thatonly one could ride. His mom was so scaredshe was shaking now, so Christopher let herride and we would follow behind.Before even making it to thepathfinder, the ambulance sped off, sirenblaring. Christopher drove like a maniac thewhole way, pushing almost a hundred milesan hour. Once we arrived there, he rushedinside, forgetting me. I ran to keep up withhim.The lady up front directed us to thewaiting room for emergencies, where wefound Christopher's mom resting in one ofthe chairs. He hurried over to her, giving hera bear hug."What's going on?" he asked, taking aseat beside her. She had a pulse in the ambulance,"she replied. "You may have saved her life."She put her arm around her son and huggedhim tightly. I sat across from themawkwardly."When do we get to see her?""After the doctors are done checkingeverything." They were silent for a fewmoments, so I decided to throw in my twocents."I think she's selfish," they bothlooked at me in silence. "She didn't evenconsider how this would affect thosearound her. She only thought about herself.""LeighAnn," her mom snapped. "Thisobviously goes much deeper than that." Ishrugged and halfway rolled my eyes,remaining quiet, thinking I'd just get ananswer out of Lyn herself once we aregranted permission to see her.The three of us sat in the waitingroom for hours, forgetting we had schoolthe next morning. Our eyes were glued to whichever entertainment platform wasclosest to us; magazine, phone, television."Mrs. Griffin?" We all looked up atthe young, peach skinned, basic blondenurse that stood before us. Lyn's mom gotup to greet her, they shook hands. "I'mLyn's nurse. Her doctor has informed methat it's okay for you to see her." I watchedChristopher's shoulder relax as theyfollowed the nurse, I was closely behind.The nurse opened the door andstepped aside for us to walk in. Lyn waslying on the bed, she smiled at Christopherand their mom, but I received the silenttreatment, not even a dirty look. I examinedher as she exchanged gentle hugs betweenher family. She had a big purple bruise onthe side of her neck from where the handleof the jump rope had been, and a red markthat circled around her entire neck."Did you really want to do this?"Christopher asked. Lyn nodded. "Why?" He questioned again. Lynsmiled a tad."You would have adored being anonly child." Christopher shook his head."It wouldn't be the same withoutyou.""Thanks." Lyn smiled."What's going on?" Their mom asked."I wanted the pain too stop.""The pain?" I snapped. "One personmade fun of you and you try to kill yourself?Good grief!" Lyn winced in pain as sheturned her head towards me."What are you doing here?" Sheasked in a yell. I just stared at her. Shelooked at her mom and again asked what Iwas doing. Before either of us could answer,Lyn chucked her lumpy hospital potatoes atme. They landed in my hair and all over myclothes. I put my hands up in defeat andlooked at her, my mouth wide open withshock. "Get out!" she hollered, before I wasescorted back to the waiting room by theprissy nurse.