Trigger Warnings - Blood

TWO

Muffling noises, things rattling, and a woman's voice mumbling something in Spanish slowly pulled me away from my sleep.

A weak groan escapes my throat as sun rays burn my eyes. I try to shift to my side but I screech. My body aches from head to toe. Tears trickle through my eyes but I wipe them off, managing to finally lie over my shoulder. 

“Wake up Arlo!” The woman shrieked and my ears rang. Fuckin- It was my sister. She rummaged through the room. Picking whatever and everything. Urgh, your room reeks of alcohol and there’s glass everywhere.” She complained. Dropping everything into a garbage bag. Annoying. 

“No!” I retorted and pulled up my blanket. My throat ached.

I coughed, and for a moment I could taste blood on my tongue and I wiped some away from my mouth. My chest heaved rapidly, silently. What the hell? I couldn't make out my vision or hear my surroundings. It was difficult to focus. Urgh, the goddamn headache.

“Get up, we have to go. It's late,” I think she said something. I couldn’t make it out. My ears rang. My heartbeat was too quick. Too loud. Then she stroked my temple. The calmness of her voice almost eased the creases between my brows. It was still difficult to understand anything or see anything. My ears exploded with blood. My breath was too loud for me to hear her. 

“You don’t have to go, I’ll stay back with you and maybe we can watch some movies or go to a park.” She suggested as I slowly got to normal. 

Her words confused me. She spoke with such sweetness and calmness, but something in her voice was heartbroken, void. But my body ached, it burned so bad, fuck, I could cry. I opened my mouth to ask her what was wrong but my stomach flipped on the thought and my throat dried. 

“Gimme a ten,” I whined, keeping my uneasiness hidden, and sunk back into the mattress, stretching my legs and arms. I snuggled with my pillow, reveling in the softness. Even though my fucking muscles ripped apart- I tried to enjoy the soft silk sheets. 

She sighed and I felt the dip beside me gone. 

I heard the rustling of the garbage bag. “Ow!” She yelped. Pestering and cursing me under her breath, I giggled.

Doris threw something over me. I grunted and reached my hand out of the blanket and pulled it in. Something in my shoulder ticked. With a hazy mind and burning eyes, I half opened my eyes to see what it was. 

A picture. 

A smile reached up to my eyes.

Two guys stood together: one of them being me and the other was a black-haired and pink-lipped guy. My arm draped around his shoulder and my palm cupped his jaw. I held an ice cream cone in my other hand and he did too. I chuckled at the visible annoyance on his face in the picture.

Then I coughed and I think I did splutter blood this time. An exasperating grunt escaped me.

I hugged the picture against my chest and felt myself slipping into deep slumber. A grin on my face. 

“Your room is all over the place. Dad found you on the floor. Arlo,” she clutched my hand, “You don’t have to go today if you don’t wish to.” Her voice is gentle. 

For a moment, I looked at her with confusion. 

The other moment, reality hit me.

Yes. I didn’t sleep on the bed last night. And I definitely didn’t sleep under the blanket either. 

I glanced at my room, then again at the picture. 

Oh.

I remember. 

I got back from the hospital last night.

I crumpled the picture in my palm and threw it away somewhere across the room. My teeth grit and it felt like they'd break. My nails sunk into my skin, cutting into it. 

“Arlo..?” My sister called me, her voice low as she patted my hand hesitantly. 

“I’ll go. Wait for me downstairs.” I replied harshly. 

Because when she left the room, my guts spilled. 

I bit into my lip until I could taste copper. 

My vision blurred due to the never-ending tears and my mind fazed back to last night. The nightmare. 

Muffled screams, bloodshot red eyes, wide… wide blue eyes looking at me. People shoving me, tugging at me. Crying to me. 

My breath picked up pace dangerously, my blood rushed through my ears. 

My mind raced through his memories– His smile. His lips. His voice. His blood. His soft, cold hand holding mine. His lifeless body, clutched to my own as if he might come back. My nails were now digging into my veins, trying their breath to pop one. 

My chest ached. My head throbbed. My body burned. My mouth dried. I chuckled. Nervously, angrily. 

Then it all came down to a halt. 

 A knock on the door and I chugged it all down. Shoving it back somewhere dark in my mind, locking it. 

A muffled, croaky voice peeked through the door. 

“We leave in 30 minutes.” The door didn’t shut yet. “If you feel too tired, Arlo. You can stay home and look after Brodi-” I interrupted. 

“I am okay, Dad.” I managed to respond after a few moments, wetting my lips and swallowing my blood and saliva. My voice was hoarse, it cracked. 

I heard his sigh and the door shut. 

My arms and legs sank back into the bed, and my head too. My heart pounded fast, painfully. My breath shuddered with my body’s burning sensation.

Then I cried. Tears flooded my eyes endlessly, all the pain, all the grief, the burns, bruises, cuts, everything hurt. Everything bled. 

My heart bled. 

My forearm was mapped with crimson scratches, skin nudged. 

I was numb. 

But still, I felt peace. 

Peace?