TW; anxiety, mild physical abuse, fear of being left alone
(I'm sorry I don't know all of what is considered a trigger)
Michael's POV
I walked up my driveway, reaching for my key out of my backpack. I frowned. It wasn't in the front pocket. I checked in the main compartment, with the same result. I must've left my keys in my room. I crouched down, overturning all the medium sized rocks I could find, not sure which one held the spare key. Aha! This one was lighter than all the others. I picked it up, and slid out the bottom panel.
Nothing. Weird. I reached a finger in, and felt something. I squeezed another finger in trying to pull out whatever was inside. My face scrunched up from the mild pain. Damn you, chubby fingers. I managed to get a grip on the object, and get my fingers out of the fake rock. A folded up post-it fell to the floor, with small writing. I recognized the penmanship instantly.
"So sorry,
I used these keys when 'the incident' happened, and then somehow I lost them.
-Jeremy"
My breathing sped up, even as I tried to calm myself. 'The incident' happened four years ago, in 7th grade, but it feels like it was only yesterday.
Four Years Ago
It's the first day I get to walk home alone. I'm a little nervous, but I can't show it. I walk down the sidewalk, proud and happy, feeling like an adult. I make it all the way to the front door, no incident. I remember Mama telling me where the spare key was, under the rock in front of the house. I confidently found the rock, slid the panel, and retrieved the key. I opened the door, put the key back in the rock, and set it down in it's normal spot.
I went inside, closing the door. Flinging my backpack on the couch, I went straight to the fridge. On the freezer door, a note was attached with a magnet.
"Hey Mickey Mouse!
Your Nanay and I will be working really late. Something about a big client and it's pretty urgent. I made you some spaghetti and meatballs, all you have to do is microwave them. Call us before you go do bed. Do your homework and then play video games. I'm so sorry buddy!
Love you so much,
Mama"
I smiled. I loved my moms, but an afternoon to myself didn't seem all that bad. Wanting to prove I was responsible, I diligently did my math homework. Once I was done, I heated up the pasta and headed upstairs to my room to play on my Wii.
The excitement of being all alone turned into boredom, and then into fear as the night droned on. I wanted to call my parents, but I needed to show them I was brave, and I could handle this. It was dark, and I figured I should just go to sleep anyway. I picked up the house phone and dialed my Mama's cell number.
"Hey buddy!"
"Mama!"
"How're you holding up? Was the pasta okay? Did you finish your homework? Are you going to bed?"
"Good, yes, yes, and yes. Jeez, slow down!"
"I'm sorry. I'm just so worried about you. I know we've left you home alone before, but never at night. You sure you're okay?"
"I promise. How's work?"
"It's insane! But hopefully we should be home in around an hour."
I checked the time; 8:34.
"Okay," I replied. "Can I talk to Nanay?"
"Of course! One second."
I heard the phone being handed off, followed by the sweet voice of my Nanay.
"Hi, Nanay!"
"Michael! How's that night at home going? Your Mama's ridiculous, worrying about you so much. I know how brave you are."
I could hear Nanay's grin from here. I giggled, silly with pride.
"It's going great. I'm about to go to sleep."
"So early?"
"Yeah, school is exhausting."
It wasn't a lie.
"Alright, Michael. I love you so much. See you tomorrow!"
"Good night! Love you!"
She hung up. I set the phone down, sighing.
I climbed into bed, not bothering to change into my pajama's. I laid there, my eyes wide open, wanting to sleep, but feeling too scared to close my eyes. After about thirty minutes, I heard a creak at the door.
I sat up, overjoyed my parents were home early. I shot out of bed, skipping slightly as I reached the top of the stairs. "Ma-" I began to call out, but no one had turned on the lights. That's weird.
I almost dismissed the noise when I heard another creak, this time from the family room. A small crash, a whispered curse. My breath was shaky. Panic flooded my body. I didn't know what to do. I was stuck upstairs, with nowhere to run. I couldn't fight, not for the life of me. So I froze.
My eyes welled up with tears. Water began to flow down my face, and my nose became stuffy. I sniffed, barely, but it was audible. The floorboard squeaks that were persistent a second ago ceased. I heard whispers.
Then footsteps. Not the ginger prodding of before, but purposeful walking. There I was, at the top of the stairs, my legs refusing to move. Someone was on the stairs now. I couldn't move. I tried again, internally screaming, praying to something, and trying but failing to stifle another sob.
I locked eyes with someone. They stared back, startled, but the eye contact held. No one spoke. They started toward me, slowly, but gaining speed. Soon another figure appeared. There were two of them. My body was in overdrive, it felt as if my heart would explode from the speed of the thumping.
And just like that, my body relaxed. Black, not of darkness, but of something else surrounded me. I felt myself begin to fall.
********
I woke up, unsure of where I was. I looked around. I couldn't see much. My arms sprawled out, reaching for my glasses, only to grasp carpet and a shoe. The soft light of the moon was all that illuminated the space, casting shadows and creating dark corners everywhere I looked. I heard a faint click of a clock on the wall, and I caught hints of light purple paint and the green of the floor I laid upon. My room. I froze, remembering what happened. I guessed I had fainted from fear, and I was worried it would happen again.
"Kid's awake," a gruff voice half-whispered.
I tried to sit up, but a second figure pushed my shoulders down.
"Let me explain what's happening." This one's voice was softer, but there was still something off about it. "It doesn't matter why we're here. But if you tell anyone what happened..."
The threat was left hanging in the air. I didn't want her to finish the thought anyway.
I squinted, trying to see the face of the voice.
My eyes began to well up with tears. I didn't want to die now. I couldn't! I was only twelve! Not even a teenager! Why me? What had I done wrong? What about my family? My friends? Why did I deserve this?
My crying got louder, and a hand was placed over my mouth.
"Shut it!"
My weeping turned into full out wailing, and the hand that was on my mouth reached over and slapped me clean across my face.
My noisy cries halted, replaced by labored breathing in an effort to stop the tears from flowing.
I couldn't believe this. It had to be a dream. This stuff only happens in movies; in video games!
"Okay, buddy. We're gonna leave now. We have everything we want. Mommy and Daddy will wake you up in the morning, and you'll pretend you have no idea what's going on. We were never here."
And with that, the pair left the room, but their presence still hung in the air. I could still feel the slap on my face, the hand over my mouth, and the fear running through me. The fear never left.
I sat up and pulled my knees to my chest, rocking back and fourth, wiping my tears with my sweatshirt sleeve. After what feels like forever, I reached for the home phone to dial my Mama's number. Hope rushed through me every time the ring stopped, thinking she'd picked up. But I was told to leave a message. I didn't know what to say, so I sat there silently, gripping the phone in my hand. I tried to call my Nanay, but I got the same result.
I didn't want to be alone. When you're alone, that's when the bad guys come. I can't be alone!
I slowly punched out Jeremy's number, praying that he would pick up.
"Hi Michael. It's late, shouldn't you be asleep?"
I felt it all blubber up, ceasing at nothing, the tears coming again.
"Yeah I should be but the-they came and-I-I can't tell you but you have to help me I can't be alone! Jeremy—what if they come back?"
I sobbed into the phone.
"What if who come back? Michael, what's going on? Are you okay?"
"N-no. I-I can't be alone! J-Jeremy you ha-have to help me!"
"O-okay. I'm coming over right now. Don't hang up. I'll keep talking to you. Keep talking to me okay? Where are you right now?"
"At home. I-I'm in my room."
"Okay. Starting from the beginning, can you tell me what happened?"
"I-I am home alone. My parents are a-at work. Th-then I heard a c-crash from downstairs. And..."
I trailed off, choking on tears.
"Michael, everything's gonna be okay. I'm almost there. Keep talking to me."
"I w-went to the top of the st-stairs to see what it was. A-and then I saw them..."
"Who's them, Michael? I'm almost there."
"Th-they are the pe—no. No, no, no! He said I can't tell anyone. N-now their g-gonna come b-back! Th-they're gonna k-kill me!"
"Deep breaths, Michael. I'm at your front door, getting the spare key. If you hear a creak, it's just me."
I heard a creak a few moments later. I screamed. This was a trap. It wasn't really Jeremy. They had come back for me! I knew it!
"You're not Jeremy! Y-you're them! You c-came back!"
"Michael, it's just me. Ask me something only I would know," he paused. "Something about us."
I stopped to think. What could I ask?
"Okay, 'Jeremy'...what did I say to you when I first met you?"
There was no hesitation.
"You said, 'Hi, I'm Michael. I'm a hugger.' And then you hugged me. Michael, it's me. I'm coming up the stairs, okay? I can stay with you. You don't have to be alone. Okay, Micha?"
"O-okay, Jeremy."
I heard footsteps walk up the stairs, down the short hallway and into the doorway of my room. I dared look up.
There was Jeremy, his face wet, shining in the moonlight.
"Hi, Micha."
"H-hi, Jer."
He crossed over to my bed. I scooted over, and let him sit down. He daintily rested his arms around me, and I hugged him back, hard. I buried my head in his shoulder, crying out everything.
"Shhhhh....It's okay Michael. I'm here."
We stayed like that for a long time, eventually lying down, our arms still encompassing each other. Slowly I began to relax into him, letting the horror of that night pass. I hugged Jeremy tighter.
"Everything's okay now. I have you," Jeremy whispered.
"Jeremy?"
"Yeah, Michael?"
"Thank you. F-for coming. Y-you didn't h-have to. B-but you did. Why?"
"I came because I love you, Michael. And I promise to always be there for you. No matter what."
"O-okay."
A moment passed.
"Jeremy?"
"Uhuh?"
"I love you too."
He kissed my forehead, and I nestled closer. We fell asleep in each other's arms, letting the rest of the world fall away.
Word Count: 2030