In the Mind

Chapter 4: Broken on the Inside

Elijah's heart stopped. He felt his face turn completely white, and chills ran down the back of his spine. The back of his neck burned from the fear and shock. Elijah couldn't talk or move. He stood there, staring at his mother who looked at him with a sad face. His eyes couldn't move away from hers he was so weak.

"Elijah?" his mom asked with a low voice. Elijah didn't reply.

"Honey sit down." she said looking at the chair in front of her. Elijah unknowingly complied, even though in his mind he was still standing there.

"I know this is hard to take in." his mom started, talking in a calm manner.

"How?" Elijah asked shakily, his voice rattling from the lump in his throat. His best friend was dead. The real world isn't some game where if you die you'll come back. Once you're gone, you're gone forever.

"From what his mom said, she went upstairs to wake him up for school and found him hanging from a noose." His mom looked at him with an even sadder look. Elijah knew she felt bad for him, but his world had flipped upside down.

"Noah wouldn't kill himself." Elijah pointed out. His voice was still shaky, but he knew that Noah wouldn't kill himself. He was always so happy.

"Well he did Elijah. I know you're in denial right now-" his mom started when Elijah cut her off.

"I know Noah mom. He was the happiest person I knew. You don't go from being super happy to suicidal in a day!" Elijah started to get mad.

Elijah had the sense that his mom was lying. He knew there was no possible way Noah would kill himself. Then, a thought came to Elijah's mind. "What if that thing killed him making it look like a suicide. Noah caught it trying to kill Liam, but didn't because Noah told his mom and they went outside before it could." Elijah thought to himself. That was the only thing that could kill Noah.

"I don't know Elijah! But I do know that he hung himself, and that is considered suicide. But if you're in denial, I'm not going to say anything." his mom said to Elijah who was still terrified and sad, yet angry. Angry at his mom for thinking his happy best friend would kill himself. She knew him well, and the fact she believed it was a suicide caused his blood to boil. "Unless she knows about that thing and won't tell me about it." Elijah theorized in his head.

"I'm not in denial. Noah didn't commit suicide. He was murdered, and I don't care if you don't believe me." Elijah said getting up from his seat.

"You're in denial!" His mom yelled to Elijah as he shakily walked up the stairs.

"Even if I was, I don't give a shit!" Elijah yelled back slamming his bedroom door behind him.

His chilled, sweaty back pressed against the hard wood door. Elijah slowly slid down the door into a sitting position. his head only a few inches away from his knees. His hot breath filled the now cold air. Elijah knew he wasn't crazy. He knew that his mom was connected in this somehow, but couldn't figure out what it was. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He concentrated on the small things his mom did after he woke up from a nightmare, or when someone died....like his dad. Then, he noticed something odd that his mom did. Little bits of memories showing this popped into his head.