A Lost Cause (Short Story)

A Lost Cause

“Tick tock goes the clock.” Noah sang in his head while sitting in his corner. “Noah, someone’s here to see you.” One of the nurses called, but Noah wouldn’t open his eyes. “His name is Eli.” the nurse told him with an excited tone trying to get him to look at her. “Noah?” the nurse asked with a nervous voice.

“Who’s Eli?” Noah asked opening one eye. “I want Lucas!” Noah whined opening both eyes and thrashing around. “Not Eli!” He said his name with disgust, and then a boy walked in.

“Hi, I’m Eli and are you Noah?” he asked with his hand out, but Noah just stared at him blankly. Eli then looked around and saw that there was only one tiny window, and it had bars blocking it. Then Eli saw Noah’s little corner, It had little unicorns prancing mid-air. Some of them were half ripped off and some of them had blood smeared on them.

“Go. Away.” Noah said through gritted teeth, clenching his fists, nails digging into his palm creating half moon shapes. “I only want Lucas” Noah whispered. “You are not Lucas” Noah said while pointing to Eli. “No one can ever be like Lucas!” Noah screamed and tried to pounce at Eli, but was held back by two bulky security guards who were standing by the door. “Let go of me!” Noah screamed while thrashing around to break free of their grasp.

“Noah, calm down.” Eli tried to stop him from struggling. “It’s okay, they want to help you. I want to help you” Eli started to stroke Noah’s arm but instead was bit on the hand. Noah wouldn’t let go of Eli’s hand no matter how many times the guards would pull him away. “Noah! Let go of my hand!” Eli cried out, but Noah just bit down harder drawing blood. “Noah!” Eli screamed out, tears staining his pale face. “Stop it Noah. Please” Eli whispered, and then Noah let go. Eli pulled his hand back, checked the severity and left to go clean it up.

“Goodbye Eli.” Noah laughed, Eli’s blood dripping down his chin. The guards then put him into a torn chair with tattered restraints and left him there. Noah closed his eyes and clenched his fists as he remembered the last time he was strapped in this death trap. He can still hear his own screams filling the room; he shuddered just thinking about it. “My little sunshine” Noah started to sing. “My only sunshine” he closed his eyes. “You make me happy when skies are gray” he imagined his mother's’ soft velvety voice singing it to him. “You’ll never know dear, how much I love you.”

“So please don’t take my sunshine away” Eli finished re-entering the room. Noah opened his eyes quickly and stared at Eli.

“I’m sorry about that. I just…” Noah looked away ashamed. Eli didn't realize that Noah hated the chair because of the horrible memories, but felt safer with Noah in the chair.

“Anyways… Let’s get started” Eli sat down in a chair beside Noah and  pulled out a folder full of papers, pretending not to notice that Noah was still strapped down.

“Don’t treat me like a child” Noah spat “I’m almost seventeen. I can take care of myself” Noah hissed. Eli looked at him shocked. “Don’t look so shocked. I’ve had people come in here and think I was twelve. Boy did I show them.” Noah smirked while Eli sat there with a shocked expression plastered on his face.

“Noah. I’m not treating you like a child. I’m treating you equally, you just don’t see that” Eli explained. “If anything, you’re the one who’s not treating me equally. You just bit me, and I’m still bleeding” Noah just turned his head as tears silently fell down his face one by one. Thinking about what Eli had said, Noah realized how right Eli was. Noah just closed his eyes and wept, partly because of what Eli made him realize and also because the restraints were digging into his skin.

“Why am I so stupid?” Eli heard Noah whisper to himself. “I push everyone away” Noah sobbed. Eli continued to watch Noah, Noah turned his head towards him, Eli opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. “Can you just get me out of this death trap?” Noah asked.

“Noah, you know I can’t do that” Eli explained.

“I just don’t want any help from anyone” Noah explained, eyes closed. “So I must’ve wasted your time. I guess I’m sorry for that.” Noah apologized.

“No. You didn’t waste my time. I will help you, and that’s a promise” Eli promised,

“I don’t need help” Noah said calmly, it sounded almost scary. “You should really listen to what I say.”

“Noah. Stop it. This isn’t you.” Eli tried to stop him from entering his mind’s trap. Noah just ignored him and imagined himself pinning Eli down with his knees resting all of his weight on Eli’s chest. “Noah… Stop… You’re hurting me” Noah heard Eli choke out in his mind, as he was struggling to break free.

“That’s the point silly goose, I’m trying to kill you.” Noah laughed intensely, foam starting to bubble out the edges of his mouth. Eli looked around frantically and saw that Noah’s pupils were constricting to tiny pinpoints.

       “Noah! Don’t do this please!” Eli screamed watching as Noah sunk deeper into his false reality. “Noah… I can help you…” Eli offered.

“I told you I don't need help!” Noah screamed, boiling with anger. “He just doesn’t listen, I need to finish him off before he does anything else” Noah thought to himself. He then felt himself push down harder on Eli’s chest watching as the boy struggled to breathe. Eli watched Noah push his knees onto the ground, as his chair fell forward.

“Noah! You need help now! You’re dangerous!” Eli screamed, then started to panic from not knowing what to do. “Listen to me! You need help now!” Eli screamed, his panic rising. “What do I do?” Eli thought to himself.

“Kill him” Noah’s subconscious told him, the evil whisper still lingering. “Kill him” Noah repeated, looking dazed over, still on the floor with the chair on his back.

“What do I do?!” Eli screamed in frustration. “Nurse! Help!” Eli screamed, finally realizing what to do. Noah was imaging Eli slowly choking from the lack of air, Noah then started to laugh as he imagined Eli painfully dying.

“Feel the pain” Noah laughed, grabbing the air in front of him imaging it was Elis’ head. As Eli waited patiently for the nurse to finally arrive, he watched Noah and tried to figure out what was happening. Noah imagined the life draining out of Eli’s eyes he laughed in victory as he thought he killed Eli, but in actuality Eli was watching Noah go crazy. Eli thought that Noah wasn’t too crazy but he was way off, Noah was beyond crazy he was psychotic! As Noah still sat there laughing at his fake triumph, Eli realized something.

He can’t help Noah, He’s a lost cause.