What Lies Beyond

"...nineteen...twenty...twenty-one"

Twenty one cars. Today was going to be a good day. Ben's alarm clock went off. He turned away from the window and hit the top of the clock. He'd managed to count before 'wake up time'; another good sign. He'd been late for school before because twenty-one cars hadn't passed in time.

He got dressed. On the way out he fingered the outside edge of his mirror, and then tapped once in the centre.

He ran down the stairs humming Pet Cemetery by The Ramones under his breath.

"Morning Ben," said his Mum.

"Morning."

Ben poured some cereal into his bowl, up to the chip, like every day.

Once breakfast was finished, they talked about what they had seen on TV last night whilst he packed his books for school.

Out of the door he went, humming his tune. Down the snicket, across the road, past the lamppost, and onto school grounds. Walking into hell.

After form, Ben went to English. Ben liked English. He was good at it, or at least his teacher said so. It could be that she genuinely liked his work but Ben was plagued by nagging doubts about his own abilities.

Second period Ben had history, which he hated. Something was tickling at the back of his mind, but every time he tried to scratch that itch it slipped through his fingers. Something about the way he'd been touching and counting lately; it was bothering him - well, more than it usually did. His OCD was the shackles on his wrists, the mill stone around his neck, the -

"... and whose army was it that killed Harold, Ben?" the teacher asked. Ben hesitated.

"Well?"

"I don't know Sir; I wasn't listening," Ben mumbled. Someone laughed. Then someone else. Ben's heart sank as the evil sniggering spread round the room. It was a horribly familiar feeling.

The bell rang, and people began packing their books away. Ben, as always, was the last person to leave the room.

A knowing dread washed over Ben as he stepped into the playground.

"Hey retard! Over here!"

Isaac was a bully, and had made Ben's school-days a misery. He hadn't noticed Ben at first, which was just Ben dodging the search lights, avoiding the radar. But then Isaac had discovered his OCD.

Ben quickened his pace, gritting his teeth.

"I'm talking to you, are you deaf as well as being a 'tard?"

Ben knew what was coming, and he broke in to a run.

"You little -!"

Ben came to a dead end. As if I did that, I'm such an idiot! Idiot! Stuck. Demolished.

Isaac had his gang with him.

"Hey guys, you wanna know why Ben's dad left?" Isaac sneered. "You know why? 'Cos he found out Ben was a tard, ain't that right, Ben?"

"No, dad left because he had an argument with mum,"

"Yeah, about whether they should keep you or not!" Jack chipped in. The gang laughed as if this remark was the funniest joke they had ever heard. Ben looked at the floor. It was impossible to overcome the odds. They were nine, he was one. It was just maths, that was all.

Then Ben was on the floor, swallowing back raw hate and hot tears.

With frustration and pain welling up inside him, his body wracked with involuntary sobs, something snapped. Ben lashed out. It was such a blind and wild blow that it could have hit anyone. It was merely chance that it hit Isaac.