Andrew's Tears

Chapter 12

{Chapter 12}

9:57 AM February 16th

Andrew’s muscled locked up and his body began to shiver violently. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Everything was split in two and floated around randomly. With every bat of his eyes pain scorched through his nose. He could feel his cheeks were bloated, and if he looked down, he could see that the skin around his eyes was blackish-blue.

Soon Andrew’s eyes focused. His body shook violently, and he noticed that he was soaked with water. How had that happened? Andrew’s face ached, and his wrist stung. The zip tie bit into his wrist still, and if he wasn’t careful, it would cut his wrist and he would be at a loss. Wouldn’t it be better to just get it over with? No, Thomas will stop the bleeding and he will hurt you even worse, Andrew. He thought to himself.

“Get up you worthless piece of…” Andrew didn’t hear the rest. Thomas had kicked Andrew in the gut and it caused him to see stars and his hearing to falter slightly. Thomas pulled Andrew to his feet so quickly, that Andrew groaned. Andrew nearly fell to his knees. But he stopped himself, so that Thomas wouldn’t let any more fury out.

“I am going to release your hand. If you do any funny business, you get a bullet in your leg.” Thomas pulled a Smith and Wesson pistol from his waistband. Andrew had seen one before on a shooting range once. “You are going to clean the mess you made, got that?” Thomas cocked the gun and held it at his thigh.

Andrew wouldn’t do anything stupid. He didn’t want to get shot. But, maybe if he did get shot Thomas would feel inclined to let him go. You’re an idiot…

Thomas grabbed a pair of shears off a counter and said, “Don’t move.” He clipped the zip tie in one swift fluid motion. The second Andrew had his hand back, it went numb. The blood circulation had diminished immensely; though it hadn’t turned purple, so there must have been a small amount of blood flow.

Thomas said, “Use your shirt to clean up.”

“Why?” Andrew asked. His voice was extremely shallow and ragged, most likely the cause of Thomas nearly strangling him to death.  

Thomas breathed deeply through his nostrils. “Just do it!”

“I just don’t understand why you can’t just let me use a towel or something!” Andrew said. His nose caused his speech to be slightly muddled.

“Oh my gosh! Does it look like there is a freaking towel here? Just do it!” Andrew could tell that Thomas was getting close to the edge of his patience, so he took off his shirt, which was sadly, white. “Good, now wipe up the freaking blood!”

Andrew bent down on his knees and started to wipe the red, sticky blood off the floor. He had to scrub harder to get the blood which had crusted over around the edge of the pool.

Ten minutes later, the blood was gone, except for the red tinge that it had left. Thomas had stood off in the corner to Andrew’s right. “Put on your shirt, now.”

“What? Why?” Andrew said. His voice shaky. The thought of putting on a shirt that was drenched with blood caused him to gag involuntarily.

“Seriously, you are going to question me again?”  Thomas leveled the gun at Andrew. “Do it. NOW!”

 “Can’t I just wash it in the water that’s near here?” Andrew had noted that Thomas wouldn’t have occupied a place that had running water. So, he assumed the water must have come from some outside source that was easily accessible.

Thomas moved the gun a centimeter higher and pulled the trigger. “That’s my final warning. Next time you question me, you will be in a world of hurt.” Andrew’s ears rung with the shot that had been fired. His heart pounded in his chest.  He pulled on his shirt being careful to not breathe in the rancid fumes. As he pulled the collar over his head, he tweaked his broken finger, and hurt his nose. He had forgotten that his finger had been broken by Christopher. That day felt like lifetime before.

Andrew wondered what Carrie was doing. Did she realize that the lowly kid she had helped was now facing the greatest of monsters? He hoped that somehow some way, she knew that he was in trouble. Even though she wouldn’t be able to help him, he knew that she was kind enough to pray for him. Even if he didn’t believe in that stuff, it would still be nice to know that someone was willing to take time for him.

Thomas seemed to notice that Andrew held his finger awkwardly for he said, “What did you do to your finger? I know I didn’t do that to you.”

“You don’t need to know. Why would you care anyways?” Andrew snapped angrily. “You already have me wearing a bloody shirt; you broke my nose, and bruised my esophagus. I don’t understand why you care to know!”

“You’re right, I don’t care. But, you’re going to tell me.”

            “Ugh…” with Andrew’s bruised throat, the sound was more guttural and beast-like than he had intended.

            “You’re such a little brat, you know that?” Thomas rolled his eyes angrily. “Tell me. Now.”

            “I got beat up!” Andrew said exasperated. He didn’t like admitting that to Thomas because it proved that he was weak. It proved that he could get beat up. Thomas immediately got a funny look on his face.

            “You got beat up?” Thomas said with obvious mockery in his tone. His smile annoyed the heck out of Andrew. “How did you manage that?”

            “It wasn’t me. You are the one who caused it.” Tears started to form in Andrew’s eyes.

            “I didn’t do anything!”

            “Yes you did! You did this,” Andrew pointed to his cheek. “People ridiculed me because of what you did!” Andrew screamed. His voice was ragged. But the emotion in his tone was immense.

            “That doesn’t mean I caused you to get beaten up!” Thomas said.

            Andrew fell silent. He knew that it was all Thomas’ fault. Everything was caused by him. If Thomas hadn’t gone crazy, Andrew wouldn’t have ever been hurt in ways he was being now. He would still be the cute boy that girls liked and guys envied. He wouldn’t be ugly.

            Ten minutes passed and Thomas pulled out a zip tie. “I’m not going anywhere.” Andrew said quietly. “I won’t leave. It’s better that I die than live…”

            Thomas contemplated this for a while. Thomas didn’t say anything. He didn’t put any zip ties around Andrew’s wrist. He did, though, level the gun at Andrew’s foot, and squeezed the trigger.

            The shot rang out in the small space. Andrew screamed out. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. But, well actually, I don’t trust you.” Thomas turned on his heels and walked leisurely up the stairs, through the door, and out into the progressing day.