We-Write #11: Home Alone

_Source

Thanks to @zeldacroft and @freewritehouse for the opportunity to express us.

---

An inky air crept through the twilight hours, and now pressed against the windows of the house. Inside, Nathan aimlessly flipped through the TV channels, the living room calmly lit. He was getting impatient.

A thump, thump down the stairs made him jump, but he managed to keep his composure. His mom hurried into the room. Her oversized coat and mittens signaled she was ready for the autumn chill outside.

“Alright, I’m heading out,” she said. “I’ll probably be gone for a few hours, so call me if you need anything. Remember there’s leftovers in the fridge, and try not to just watch TV. You know that book from—”

“Mom,” he interrupted.

“Yes?”

“You’re going to be late.”

“I am, aren’t I?” She agreed, but ran over to kiss his forehead anyway. “I’ll lock up, be sure to stay safe.”

“Yes, Mom.” He rolled his eyes. Their corner of suburbia had always felt like the most boring. Nothing bad could happen here.

As soon as Nathan heard the front door close, he leapt up and looked out the window. The streetlights cast heavy shadows on his mom’s car as she drove away. When she was out of sight, he whipped out his phone and texted his best friend, Mark. “It’s time.”

Mark had gotten his hands on some horror games, including the much coveted Bloodhunter 4, but his family wouldn’t let him play.

Nathan wasn’t allowed to either, so tonight was finally their chance. Impatience turned to excitement as he switched the TV to his Xbox. Mark lived on the same street, so it wouldn’t take long for him to get there. After gathering soda and snacks from the kitchen, he heard a sharp knock on the door.

♥♥♥♥♥♥ My continuation ♥♥♥♥♥♥

Nathan ran to open the door.

"Mark, are you crazy? With so much scandal all the neighbors are going to find out that you have come to my house."

"Dude, you look like my grandmother talking like that now," Mark replied with a smile.

The atmosphere was right for the circumstances, just the TV light on. Several sandwiches on top of the sofa and some refreshments at hand so as not to waste time. They put the Dvd with the game Bloodhunter 4 to the Xbox.

The Xbox was one of the few gifts that Nathan received from his father, before he escaped from the responsibility of being a father, did not endure the pressure of maintaining a family, the weight of his example as a role model to follow and simply one day he said "I'm going to have fun" and even today's sun has not been present in Nathan's life.

Rumors have been heard from neighbors that Nathan's father was imprisoned for possession and use of drugs at one of those street parties he usually goes to and they have not seen him since. However Nathan is completely oblivious to these comments, his mother has kept him a little isolated from society, from school directly to home, that is the day to day for him, at least that's what the mother believes.

Mark is a very underachieving guy, considered one of the worst in school, with very bad behavior and has sometimes been found smoking cigarettes and drinking liquor and encouraging other classmates to do so.

The principal quoted Mark's representative many times and only once did his father come to the subpoena, end up yelling at the principal and defending his son's behavior, with an aggressive and rude attitude, did the principal end up threatening him with calling the police if he did not withdraw from school. That day, when the principal left her job in that public school in search of her car, she found all the rubbers broken, with holes caused by a knife or something very sharp, and on the handle of the car door a note "Leave me alone, bitch".

Nathan has always been an isolated guy, introverted and lacking in affection, his mother has two jobs to cover all household expenses and the rent of the house where he lives, during the day she works as a receptionist in a small hotel and at night she puts on her big autumn coat for her work as a stripper.

The friendship between these two young men arose when Mark defended Nathan from some kids at school who were beating him; ironically Mark didn't like to see anyone being beaten, because only he could beat anyone he wanted and not the others. Nathan was grateful, he saw in Mark what the others could not perceive, kindness, Mark a character full of conflicts, vices and bad attitude, he was considered by Nathan a friend.

Nathan was only ten years old and Mark was close to his fourteenth birthday, Mark seemed to like Nathan, treated him well and did not force him to have any of his vices, he is fond of him because he is the only one who thinks he is a good person, yet they have kept their friendship secret because Nathan knows perfectly well that his mother would not like this friendship.

That night Nathan was anxious because he was going to play Bloodhunter 4 for the first time, the game that was forbidden by most parents and played by most of his classmates. The boys at school boasted about talking about the game: about curses, spells and losing the character's humanity if he didn't maintain a constant bond with other people, he wanted to belong to that common environment and that's why he thought Mark's proposal to play that night was a good idea.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

The two had fun together, all the snacks and leftovers from the refrigerator had run out, and although Mark had not told Nathan it was the first time he had played without having a cigarette in his mouth or a bottle of liquor.

"It's late Mark, you must go home, my mother must be here soon" it was already dawn.

"Nathan we are going to be a pact, we are already Blood Hunters and together we can defeat the demons of the street, those monsters that have lost their humanity and can abuse us" Mark said it completely serious, looking directly into Nathan's eyes.

"Why do you talk like that, you scare me, that's just a game and this is reality"

"No Nathan, reality is shit and people are evil, and as the game "Become the enemy to understand the enemy" says, or you don't think about your father's betrayal, what does your mother do every night?, the school assholes who think they are better than us. I understand your life Nathan I am your friend, I just want to help".

"All right, what are we going to do?" said Nathan a little nervous, trusted Mark and decided to continue with the pact.

They looked for a knife in the kitchen and found nothing. They checked a drawer in Nathan's mother's room and got a packet of blades. Mark suggested cutting the vein on the wrist of the hand.

Nathan was very nervous, his hands were shaking, but he was excited to see Mark in the process.

"You have to be very careful, Nathan. Can I help you?"

"No, I can" pretending to be a strong boy, without fear, when in fact I felt a deep discomfort, with the desire to cry and fear of being discovered, that feeling that you are acting badly.

Mark cut himself so slightly that he could barely see a few drops of blood coming out, he seemed to be an expert in the matter, but Nathan finally did not want to do it.

Angry Mark grabbed him by the neck, called him chicken, woman and other adjectives, then held Nathan's hand.

"I'll show you how to do this, baby," he proceeds abruptly and cuts too deep the veins located on Nathan's wrist, seeing that the bleeding does not stop, he flees the place and leaves it to its fate.

Nathan is extremely frightened and calls his mother many times, but the mother does not respond. He leaves a voice message between sobs: "Mom, help me, I need you, I am very ill, I am bleeding, I feel very weak, please never leave me alone at home again".

And then he called emergency.

To participate you have the following link: We-Write #11: Home Alone

---

Dear friends thank you for the support, we are in contact.