Behind Your Walls

07 | madness

I take my time strolling around the room and touching the objects. Everything here smells like Carter and I feel a sense of awkwardness being in control of the space.

I sit on his bed and it bounces a little, making me thankful for the soft mattress. That is the one thing I never expected to find here after looking at the condition of Carter's house. I smile a little, lifting my eyes and sending a prayer of thanks to God for sheltering me.

That is something I got from my Mom. My Dad wasn't a religious person but my Mom is high on faith. She taught me that it is good to have faith; it takes a little burden off your heart.

I pull my bag near me and open it to take out a fresh pair of clothes. There aren't many to choose from so I end up with a full-sleeved, white T-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants. I get up and check the lock to make sure that the door is closed and no one will enter without warning. When I am assured of my privacy, I pull open my hoodie and the rest of my sticky clothes, stripping in the middle of Carter's room.

I quickly change into the fresh set of clothes before putting the wet ones back inside the compartment of my bag. I let my medium-length hair fall free as I run my fingers through them in an attempt to get rid of any extra water.

When I am done changing for the night, I breathe a sigh of relief to calm myself before lying down on Carter's bed and looking up to stare at the ceiling.

So much has changed within the last few hours. I think about Mom and Panther; they must be asleep and have no idea that I am not at home. It scares me to think about what the next day will bring but I am sure that Mom will be happy to see me gone. I feel a teardrop slipping from my eye to my ear. I rub it off and turn to my side, finally closing my eyes.

I wake up at the sound of something tapping against the windowpane. The sound pulls me out of my sleep in an instant and I sit up with a jerk only to come face-to-face with Carter tapping at the window. I didn't turn off the light when going to sleep nor did I care to shut the curtains and therefore, the sight of his face makes me gasp.

He has a black eye and I can see the blood on one of his cheeks. His bottom lip appears swollen and the way he stands, with a hand on his stomach, makes me fear something being wrong.

"Carter," his name drops from my lips as I climb out of the bed in a hurry and rush towards the window.

Pulling the glass panels open, I reach forward to hold his hand. He grunts when I touch him and I pull back only to find my hand covered in what looks like blood. I am no stranger to blood but the fact that it is Carter's leaves me stunned.

He puts a hand on the sill and lifts himself. I hold him by his shoulders as he drops down to the floor, his bag tumbling after him. His jacket is gone and he is dressed only in his T-shirt and jeans. His shirt is wet and he stinks. I close the window, my heart pounding against my chest. I kneel beside him after he drags himself towards the bed and leans by it.

"Carter, what happened? Who did this to you?" I ask, reaching forward to touch the cut on his cheek.

"Shut up and open the cupboard," he says with a groan.

His sudden harshness makes me recoil. He looks up with one eye, the other hardly opening.

"I'm sorry...but it hurts," he grunts and pulls his T-shirt off, making me let out a small squeal at the sight of his stomach.

There is a large black and brown bruise covering the left side of his torso. It looks so painful that the sight makes me shiver.

"Please...there's a first aid kit inside," he says, moaning in pain.