THE BOY WHO NEVER SPOKE | Complete

Chapter Twenty

18 Years Ago...

It's been 2 weeks since Jeremiah disappeared on me. The walls of Kyle's house still seem unfamiliar and I haven't grown comfortable yet, but I can't blame the family because It was probably all in my head.

"Goodmorning," Kyle said as he brought me coffee to my bed, "What are you doing up so early?" He added as he took a seat next to me on the bed. The house was massive, big enough to have three extra bedrooms just lying around. He lived 10 minutes away from us but yet had one of the biggest houses in Castlefield.

They had a huge front yard and a big pool to add to it. The house was 3 floors and had enough room for another family to fit in with comfort, "It's 6 Am," I yawn, "Why are you awake?" I ask as I reach for my water.

Kyle hands me the cup of coffee, "I got you this," He smiles, "It helps wake you up."

I look at him patiently, waiting for him to notice, "You do realize I'm 6, right?" I finally say, but that doesn't seem to go through him at all, "I started drinking coffee at 5," He shrugs, then continues to hand me the coffee, "Get used to it from now because you'll need it for later."

At first I didn't know if it was the coffee that tasted bitter or if it was just my soul still rendering everything that has happened these two weeks. Although nothing happened in the real world ever since Jeremiah disappeared. Life inside my head has been pretty hectic.

I didn't love my parents much, but losing them doesn't make life any easier for a 6 year old child. Especially one sitting at a complete stranger's house, but I guess the pool was cool. "Are we going to see Jeremiah today?" I ask.

Kyle takes a deep breath and thinks for a minute, "Not today little guy," He frowns, "Not today." He repeats.

I admire Kyle. It isn't often that one of Jeremiah's friends acts nice to me, or treats me like an actual brother for that instance, but something about Kyle was different. And sadly, it wasn't in a good way.

"Well," Kyle says as he gets up, "You ought to get ready for school little guy. We leave in 20."

***

I played the night my parents died over a million times in my head these two weeks, and on the way to school today I played it over and over again. Something about that day didn't add up. Especially one thing, why would mom go back to the house willingly?

I found myself trying to sneak out of school, but I was interrupted by a little girl. She doesn't look a day older than 4 years old. "Hi," She waves her hand at me, "What are you doing?" She asks.

Before I answer I realize that I remember her. She's the little girl at the house with us, and she looks just like Kyle, "You're Kyle's sister aren't you?" I ask.

The little girl nods, "Yes, I'm-" She pauses, hesitant to tell me her name, "I have to go."

The scene was pretty awkward but I didn't give it much thought. I proceeded to jump out of the barricade and walk away. I don't necessarily know where I was walking to, but all I needed to know is that I needed to get out of those walls before I suffocate to death.

I found myself wandering around town. Looking around for a familiar place, I saw the drive thru theater Jeremiah and I visited last. I saw the amusement park we used to go through with our parents when they still gave a fuck about eachother, or us.

Then I found myself home. Standing at the front porch of a burnt house. A house that burnt along with my brother and I. I fell to my knees and started sobbing, and that's the first time I felt it.

Anger started building up inside me, eating away at me, and that was that. That was the day that I was truly born. That was the moment I realized how painful and cruel this world truly is, but I don't know whether I hated the world, or simply hated the parents I had in this world.

I went back to Kyle's house and I saw the family gathered in the kitchen with a stranger and papers in their hands. They all look disappointed and sad, but I don't know why. "What's up guys?" I say as I drop my bag down.

But no one says a word, until Kyle finally steps forward, "We need to take you to foster care Ezie," He says as he looks at the ground, "Based on your actions at school the family reputation is crumbling, and we can't have people speak badly about our family name." He adds.

I didn't know whether to laugh, or to simply not give a shit. But I remembered what my brother always told me, "A broken promise is a broken bond." He always believed that if someone broke a promise you must get rid of them right then and there.

I picked up my bag and laughed, "Respect for trying to act like a big brother Kyle," I say, "You would've never been half the guy he was." I add before I walk away, and that's when I see her again. Kyle's little sister, hugging the staircase, watching from afar.

Her childish eyes had nothing but pain in them, fear, but yet again I paid no attention to it and just walked away with the stranger who was there to take me.