So thirsty....my lips felt so dry as I lash out my tongue over them. I opened my eyes slowly to a bright room and a biping sound that I noticed was coming from a machine beside the bed.My eyes travel to my left hand that was hooked unto a bag of blood hanging over the bed. I felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder as I struggle to sit down.Where the hell are the nurses when you need them...I threw the sheets that was covering my body and dropped my bare legs on the tiled floor.So cold...“You shouldn’t be up, sir” came a voice by the door. A lady dressed in blue pants and top rushed to me dropping a clipboard she was holding unto the bed to push me back to lay down slowly.“Th-thirsty...”“Right!...that’s why you have that thingy. See? Just press that next time you need something okay?” She motions to my left hand with a smile. A little remote thingy to my reac
I find the boy in the kitchen.For the last few months it’s been only Catherine and I in the house, and it’s a good few hours before she’s back from work. I’m expecting some one-on-one quality time with my laptop before I leave for my baseball practice. I throw my bag in the corner, kick off my shoes and head to the stairs. I pass the kitchen with only a brief glance—but then I stop and do a double take.The kid sitting on a stool in the middle of the kitchen looks lazily up at me. There’s no curiosity in his blue gaze—only calm evaluation and lots of eyeliner. He’s dressed in a black tee shirt and black jeans, and his overgrown hair—also black—falls on his shoulders and forehead. He looks as out of place in our yellow sun lit kitchen as Marilyn Manson at a children’s party. For a moment I think I’ve run into a robber or something, but he’s too calm and unmoving, as if he’s su
No swearing in the house.” I pause on the top stair and listen to Catherine’s voice coming from the guest room—the one across the corridor from mine. “It comes without saying, but no drugs or alcohol in the house—or outside of it, for that matter,” she says. “Don’t take your food upstairs, please. We’ve had problems with mice before, and I wouldn’t want that to return.” I make a few steps on the worn out blue carpet, stop in front of the open door and glance inside. Catherine is smoothing wrinkles on the bed cover, while Raven stands with his back to me, his bag on the floor at his feet. “Also, no sleepovers,” she says. “Too bad,” he says. “I like sleepovers.” She leaves the bed alone and straightens up, giving him a hesitant look. “See, Raven...since I’m responsible for you now, I can’t allow any kind of promiscuous behavior, particularly given your...well... history. Hence, no sleepovers.
I set the alarm to seven AM and switch my bedside lamp off. The room goes dark. I lay on my back, looking at the ceiling decorated by the shadows from the tree behind my window.As tired as I am after my baseball practice, I couldn’t be any less sleepy. The house is too quiet. There was no light under the door across the hall when I came upstairs. There was some light under Catherine’s door, though, a soft yellow glow in the end of the corridor.I should just go and talk to her. But she’s always been reluctant to tell me much about the children she fostered. She believed it was better if I approached them with an open mind.Yet I need to know more about Raven. Why was it such a last-minute decision? Why did she act so nervous around him?If I go to her room now, though, Raven might hear our voices and know we’re talking about him. Not that I care, but she might. She might refuse to talk.I sigh and rub
I cross the dark room, catch the curtain fluttering in the wind and look out of the window. There’s a thick oak tree growing right in front of the house, its branches so close to the walls that they have to be trimmed every spring. I look down and, through the maze of leaves, I see a slim figure in a dark hoodie let go of the lowest branch and jump to the ground with a muffled thump.Raven.My first instinct is to call out for him, but I hold my tongue. If he went to such lengths to sneak out, it’s unlikely he’ll just come back when called. Also, it could wake Catherine up, and I don’t want to upset her. She relies on me. I can handle this.I turn around and hurry back to my room. I move around it like a tornado, grabbing and pulling on my pants, shirt, shoes, tying my shoelaces. Then I tiptoe to the stairs and go down as quiet as I can. There, I grab my keys and head for the exit.Once on the street, I breath in
Dark trees blur together as I keep on running, turning from one desolate alley to another. Occasionally, I notice people. Some of them stare at me, others step back into the shadows, even less willing to be seen than I am to see them. Whoever comes here after dark knows what they’re looking for. What am I looking for?Raven. I’ve got to find Raven and get out of here.Finally, I stop by a small grey building with a restroom sign on its wall. Ladies to the right, gentlemen to the left. Even without the sign, the smell in unmistakable. I lean with one hand on the brick wall and try to catch my breath.I’ve lost him. I should just go home and hope he comes back. If he doesn’t...well, not that I care about him, but Catherine could lose her fostering license if something happened to him while in her care, and helping children means so much to her.Damn.There’s voices behind the wall, and then a quiet
When I come home from school, I can tell that Raven is already there. His school bag is on the floor by the entrance and his shoes are lying next to the shoe rack. Apart from that, music is blaring upstairs.My annoyance rising, I glance into the kitchen. The sink is full of dirty dishes from the last night and today. He’s been living with us for three days already, and he hasn’t washed them once, despite picking it as his chore. Either Catherine will have to do it again, or I will, to save her the trouble.No freaking way.I go up the stairs. His door is closed, but he’s not allowed to lock it, so I push it and stride in, and then freeze, the volume of music so powerful it almost pushes me back.Raven is sitting by his desk—his profile to me, his feet on the table, his books and papers in disarray, his clothes on the bed. He has begun plastering posters of what appears to be his favorite band, “Fake Drug&rd
Violence is never the answer,” says Catherine. “You shouldn’t have hit him.”We’re sitting in the kitchen, the yellow lamp under the ceiling filling the space with soft cozy light. The tablecloth is familiarly sticky under my elbows, and the sandwich is tasty despite the tomatoes she insists on putting in it even though I hate them. They contain antioxidants, she tells me every time. They’re good for you.Only had she really cared about what’s good for me, she wouldn’t have brought Raven into our home. Everything was fine. Now this piece of shit is sitting across from me by the table, looking like some emaciated panda with his ridiculous smokey eyes makeup. Sandra used to make up like this, that is why I know the term, but where she was subtle, Raven seems to slap the whole contents of his makeup kit on his face and then add some more.“He called me a faggot,”
So thirsty....my lips felt so dry as I lash out my tongue over them. I opened my eyes slowly to a bright room and a biping sound that I noticed was coming from a machine beside the bed.My eyes travel to my left hand that was hooked unto a bag of blood hanging over the bed. I felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder as I struggle to sit down.Where the hell are the nurses when you need them...I threw the sheets that was covering my body and dropped my bare legs on the tiled floor.So cold...“You shouldn’t be up, sir” came a voice by the door. A lady dressed in blue pants and top rushed to me dropping a clipboard she was holding unto the bed to push me back to lay down slowly.“Th-thirsty...”“Right!...that’s why you have that thingy. See? Just press that next time you need something okay?” She motions to my left hand with a smile. A little remote thingy to my reac
So thirsty....my lips felt so dry as I lash out my tongue over them. I opened my eyes slowly to a bright room and a biping sound that I noticed was coming from a machine beside the bed.My eyes travel to my left hand that was hooked unto a bag of blood hanging over the bed. I felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder as I struggle to sit down.Where the hell are the nurses when you need them...I threw the sheets that was covering my body and dropped my bare legs on the tiled floor.So cold...“You shouldn’t be up, sir” came a voice by the door. A lady dressed in blue pants and top rushed to me dropping a clipboard she was holding unto the bed to push me back to lay down slowly.“Th-thirsty...”“Right!...that’s why you have that thingy. See? Just press that next time you need something okay?” She motions to my left hand with a smile. A little remote thingy to my reac
I have never seen anyone so determined. Aiden was driving like we were the only ones on the road. I stole a few glances at him but couldn’t find anything to say. I mean what can you say to a man that is about to loose the only thing that matters in his life. Loosing Estel will be like loosing Sandra once more. There was no words to console him at this moment. I felt his determination and all I want at this very moment is to put Estel into his arms.I was monitoring thegpsthingy and directing him on which route to turn. We soon came into view with his car and before we could overtake him a truck crossed us.“Fuck! Fuck!” Aiden cursed heating the wheel and stepping hard on the breaks.“Calm down, please. We are no use to her dead, alright?” I reasoned frightened shitless.“Look, there is a turn around here. If we take it we will catch up to him right ahead” I inform pointing to my right where
I walked slowly with Aiden hanging onto me back into the house then straight to my room. I sat him down on the bed and went back to the kitchen to get him a glass of water.“While we wait for Ash, am gonna call the police.”“No don’t!” He stops me while I was reaching for my phone to dial the emergency line.I knew something was wrong when his first instinct wasn’t to call them.“Why not?” I asked surprise, “I heard the first hours are the most important times. We can’t miss that window, baby.”He shook his head slowly and took my hand in his while I just stared at him calmly.“He-He said not to call the police...”“He? What does he want? Money? You can’t be serious about not calling the police.”“He doesn’t want money. He just called to tell me he was taking her away...forever.”
I felt a weight on my back as I try to turn in my sleep. I stire awake realizing where I was. The play room. My hands were in bondage while I layed flat on my stomach. Aiden’s head was right on my right butt where he slept soundly. I chuckled dropping my face back into the pillow while the images of last night came flooding my mind.I didn’t know it was going to be this fun. I always knew there was an air of dominance in Aiden but actually being dominated by him in bed tops it all.He moved and placed a kiss on my ass while I giggle rising my head from the pillow, “how long you been awake?”He replied nothing but got up hovering over me to lay flush on me knocking the air out of my lungs.“Are you trying to kill me? You monster” I asked trying to breath trough my mouth.He chuckled, “why would I do that?” He licked my earlobe and I moaned.“I wanna see you”
I was woken up by the infernal sound of a phone ringing.“Babe?”I turned over and stretched out my hand to tap his cheek lightly.“Your phone.”He mumbled in his sleep and stirred awake. He stretched out his hand tapping blindly on the dresser to pick up his phone. He stared at the screen squinting his eyes at the brightness. He answered bringing it to his ear.“Hello? Who is it?” Silence. He sat up slowly, “I think you dialed the wrong line” he brings the phone back to his face to stare at it again, “hello?”“Strange.”“What’s wrong, babe?” I call for the second time surprising myself.“I don’t know. Something about they are coming for her?”“That’s creepy.”“I know” he replied calmly running his hand trough his messy locs. He turned b
I can’t remember the last time I saw my mom in the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen and found her humming.“Mom? Everything okay?”“Hi baby! Remember these?” She motions towards a plate of cookies. I took one and munched into it humming.“You made these?”“Of course! I know they are your favorite” she grinned happily.“These are delicious!” I praised with my mouth full.“I know!”“Esther?” I asked after swallowing.“She came home late last night. She is still sleeping. You should get ready for work.”I was reluctant to leave her alone in the kitchen but it was nice to see her being her old self for once.“I will see you tonight, mom. Love you” I kiss her head while she sat on a stool with her hands securely around a cup of coffee that rested on the kitchen co
The ride to wherever he was taking me was in silence while we stole glances at each other.For fuck sakes! We are two grown men but look like two high school boys on their first date.Technically it is our first date.“Are you okay? You look nervous.”“Yeah... yeah sure. A little too excited maybe” I chuckled and he nodded taking my hand surprising me. I look at our entangled fingers and back at him. He winked and my mouth went agape with a huge blush creeping on my face.He chuckled, “you are too adorable, Tyler.”Heat rose to my cheek and I tried snatching my hand from his but he gripped tightly and I gave up smiling at my own embarrassment and look away from his dominating eyes.“Let’s go inside” he informed after the car stopped infront of a huge classy restaurant. I nodded and got down feeling all of a sudden out of place.We were directed by somewhere t
Mom fell asleep on the couch with us and I got up picking her up bridal style to her room.“I like her.” Aiden says with a smile when I came back and sat down.“She likes you too” I chuckled.We stayed silent while I try to focus on the tv-screen which seemed impossible with Aiden’s eyes on me. We shared a few kisses and touches and I must have fallen asleep because I woke up at dawn with a blanket covering my feet up till my hips and no Aiden.I fell asleep while he was here! That’s definitely not cute.The next couple of days at work was with us kissing whenever and wherever we found ourselves alone. He didn’t seem to care about privacy though. I couldn’t risk it. I know he is the boss but we were still at work.I arrived at work and after chatting with my colleagues as always I walk up to my desk to find a card. I look around like it was a bomb. I picked it up and slowly