Chapter Thirteen

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Carousel - Let's Go Home

Craig's head swims as an alarm blares, beeping loudly. Craig sits up and looks around, gasping as he finds he's in a brightly colored room that doesn't belong to him, or Tyler, for that matter. "Honey.." A sweet voice calls out, and Craig's eyes nearly pop out of his head as he sees Tyler's mother smiling at him, a bluing bruise just fading under her left eye. "Nooo.." Craig jumps out of his skin and tumbles to the floor, sitting up only to see a fourteen year old Tyler laying in the bed. "Tyler..." The mother mutters, shaking Tyler's arm lightly. Tyler grumbles and shifts, moving his face to be nuzzled into the pillow he had been hugging. Craig watches silently, half wondering what's happening, half wondering why they can't see him. "C'mon Tyler get up.." The mother says softly, and Craig hears a panicky tone in her voice, while her eyes flit around. "Erm.." Tyler grunts, nuzzling closer still so his nose is nestled over thr pillow and his arm is lolled over the side of the bed. "Tyler c'mon, please..." the mother begs, squeezing Tyler's hand.

"Before your father wakes up..." He murmurs, and Tyler shoots from his spot before grabbing his mother's face and looking her up and down. "Tyler, honey, I'm fine. It'll be gone by noon." She smiles as Tyler's thumb swipes over the bruise under her eye. "I made puncakes." Tyler giggles at the joke and Craig smiles softly "Go eat or you'll be late for school." She smiles, and Tyler nods before rushing downstairs.

"Keep him safe." The lady whispers to Craig before drifting downstairs. Craig blinks a few times and slowly stands up, looking at his hands, which are misty and are almost shimmering like water.

Craig walks downstairs, looking around the tidy house. He finds the kitchen with ease considering how small the home is, laughing silently as Tyler shoves a 'puncake' into his mouth. "Mum" He begins with his mouthful, but his mother hushes him until he swallows. "Mom. Do you know where my lunch bag is?" Tyler asks, licking over his teeth, like some nervous habit. "In your backpack, along with your pencil case and your homework. Now shoo before you're late for class, again." His mother smiles, and Tyler giggles before jumping from his seat and kissing her fading bruise. Tyler is already taller then his mother, and he pushes hair out of her face lovingly. "You'll call if anything, and I mean anything, happens, right?" Tyler confirms, and his mother smiles with a small nod. "Aren't I the parent?" She asks mockingly, and Tyler laughs before kissing her forehead. "I'm the annoying child!" He cheers, slinging a bag over his shoulder and trotting out the door. "I love you!" She shouts after him, getting a similar statement in return before the door closes.

"He's a good person." His mother smiles weakly, turning around to look at Craig. "I know" Craig mouths, but no sound comes out. "He gets himself in so much trouble, that boy. He's lucky I don't spank him already." She laughs sadly, looking back at Craig from her nervous glance around the home. "Keep him safe." She whispers, grabbing a plate of pancakes and walking back upstairs.

Craig tilts his head and follows, until he realizes what's happening. "Wait! Don't go in there!" Craig pleads, but once again, no sound escapes his mouth. "John honey, I made breakfast." Is all Craig hears, and he stands in the doorway, paralyzed, unable to move. "Go away women." The man laying in bed grunts, swatting her away. "Honey, you haven't eaten a proper meal in two days. Just have some breakfast." She begs softly, and Craig almost gags at the loving tone she uses towards this monster.

The man rises from bed and pins the smaller lady against the wall with his hand around her neck, growling. Craig tries to move, tries to help, but his body won't listen to him. "I said to leave me alone, women." The man hisses, and Tyler's mother gasps for air as she pulls at the fingers around her neck desperately. Craig spots a fork in the man's hand, and tries to scream, greeted by gurgling and growling from the other two in the room. Craig's eyes widen and a gasp is caught in his throat as the man stabs Tyler's mother in the throat, pulling the weapon out and laying back in bed as she collapses like nothing happened.

Craig rushes to the lady's side, trying to cover her pulsing wound as she breathes in her own blood with his watery hands. "Keep.. him.. safe.." She rasps, grabbing Craig's hand and gripping it in her cold fingers. The wound is small, four tiny holes, but in a critical spot, her artery. She's bleeding too fast, and Craig can't do anything but hold her hand as the life leaves her eyes.

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