Nuts in May

[Rorick Skyve*]

((Aiden Slattery continued from Little Boy Blue))

The whole world was going nuts. That was the only explanation he had, nothing else made sense, like -  just why?

Aiden was still sitting exactly where he woke up, sitting on the floor, his back against the cold stone wall. Felt so goddamn rough, even now, rasping the fabric of his t-shirt like that. He didn't remember falling asleep but obviously he had. No idea how much time had passed though.

For a second, when waking up, he had had hope. That one fuckin' second of not knowing what the hell was going on, that one second his brain needed to get his memory up to date. He was happy then, happier than he was now. Not really happy, but...yeah.

He had sat there, watching her again, like no time had passed, like him falling asleep had just been a short commercial break or - something. Sat there and watched and fuckin' watched and then he had heard it.

Aiden was used to hearing announcements via speaker, had that every day in school. That one. That one hadn't been like the rest of 'em. He still couldn't wrap his head around it. Had wondered if he really was still asleep after all. Nope, of fuckin' course not. He had heard that, every last second of it and he couldn't believe it. Even after all that, even after...- he just couldn't.

People were dead. People were fucking dead. He knew Scarls was. So if that part was true, then...oh god, fuckin' Jesus, this wasn't happening, fuck.

The whole world was going nuts. End of story. Those guys, those fuckin' guys, they were his friends, his pals, his buddies, some more and others, but still, none of them needed to be fuckin' dead.

Barry, how long since he last saw him? He had no goddamn clue, no idea how long he had been out cold, sleeping, whatever. He was gone, just gone. That voice said he was. That voice hadn't lied about Scarls. Fuck.

Why would anyone do that? For any fuckin‘ reason whatsoever, why would -? Nancy, he still couldn't believe it, couldn't understand it, but it happened, it happened in front of his own fuckin' eyes and he had no clue why. And now those others too? Alvaro, that goddamn four-eyes, fuckin' Tarquin and Isa and Jazz and what the fuck, this was just - he didn't even have a word for it, it was just total fuckin' bullshit, so it was.

People were dying, people were fuckin' killing people. He had just - sort of accepted that now? Like, he didn't want to, of course he didn't fuckin' want to. But there was nothing left to cling to. People had told him, told him all along, he had witnessed it himself and now that goddamn announcement. He couldn't pretend any longer. This was the real deal. He was alone and he was going to fuckin' die, everyone was. The world was fucked, they were fucked, done for and fucked.

Except.

Except that wasn't going to fucking happen. No way on no goddamn highway it was.

There were too many peeps out there he knew weren't gonna just give up like that. Too many people he gave more than just a fuck about. This wasn't over, no way it was.

Zee Zee, he knew her all his fuckin' life, ever since he was the smallest little pipsqueak on the playground, she had been there, she was always gonna be there. She was out there, maybe even here in this goddamn huge ass building, who could fuckin' know?

Danny that goddamn ditz, Junks and Johnny Boy, Fi, they were all out there, like fuck, he needed to get to them didn't he? Try and make things better before they went to complete and utter shit, before they all-





Aiden looked up. Scarls was still there. He said he'd look after her, make sure nobody would hurt her no more.

He had to let it go. Scarls, she - she didn't need no one to watch over her no more. He had failed her before. It was his fuckin' fault she was dead and now, now all he had left was to try and make up for it. This wasn't over. He could still make it better.Not for Scarls, not anymore, but for someone, anyone.

Sharon. Sis, she was back home with everyone, with mom and dad and Sean. He had to get back there. And he would. After he had properly said goodbye to Scarls. That was what people did, so that was what he was gonna do.

He had already gotten up, walked over to her body. Her bag, he had put it on the ground, next to her mattress. He could have opened it, taken some of her stuff. Not what he was gonna do. It was fine right where it was. He didn't earn of her stuff, just didn't deserve it. It was hers.

Felt like he was supposed to say something. Like, there were a thousand and one things he wanted to say, how he was sorry, how he had fucked up, how he was gonna make up for it, try to at least.

He reached out one hand to pat hers, but winced and staggered back one step as soon as his fingertip met her skin.

She was cold. Completely cold, cold like the wall, like the ground. Aiden could feel his skin crawling with goose bumps.  

"Sorry."

There it was again, that tingling sensation all over his face. He couldn't cry again, not now. He had to go. Had to find the others, just had to.

He put his hand on the edge of her mattress. "Hey Scarls. I, uh...I won't forget about you, okay? I swear, I swear on everything, I won't forget."

He could have said more, of course he fuckin' could have. But he couldn't bring all that over his lips, he was on the fuckin' verge already. It was all he could take, he couldn't go through all that again.

Aiden nodded, didn't even know why, he just did.

"Goodbye."

Took him a few seconds, it was really goddamn hard to turn away. He closed his eyes first, made it easier. Then he turned away, his bag in hand. Opened his eyes again and looked towards the door.

((Aiden Slattery continued in Thursday's Child))