The Lament of the Tortured Soul

By
Jay


Authors Note: This story is completely fiction. It is not based in anyway on actual events. Any resemblence the characters have to any living person is completely accidential. Saying that though many of the characters share traits with one person (it was completely unintentional) who unfortunately left us at the end of January 2002. Shadow as he was known to the people he called friend, the people who loved him and the people he left behind miss him greatly.

This story is dedicated to him. Rest easy my love we’ll be together again soon.


Chapter 10

The party was nearly over. Eric and Robby had disappeared an hour earlier. What they were doing Nick could only guess but he couldn’t help but giggle whenever he thought about it. He was happy that Eric and Robby were together. It made sense. They fitted together so well, each complementing the other like the fine ingredients of a great meal.

“What’s so funny?” Josh asked sitting on the stage next to Nick. Nick just picked up a guitar and started playing it. It wasn’t a specific tune just a random collection of chords that seemed to fit together.

“You know…” He said lost for words as he looked into Josh’s eyes.

“I know.” Nick smiled effortlessly shifting from one chord to another. Josh thought it sound like a song and when Nick started to sing it was his turn to giggle.

In your eyes,
I see the earth and moon collide
In your eyes,
I see the stars shine so bright
In your eyes,
I see all my hopes and dreams.
And who I want to be
In your eyes

As long as you’re always with me
I’ll always be
In your eyes

“Hi I’m Eddy Watts. That’s a beautiful song.” said the guy Nick had seen talking to Eric and the band earlier. Nick went back to playing random chords that didn’t make up a song but just fitted well together. Seemingly out of nowhere a cold breeze blew across them causing Nick to shiver.

“Your cold, I’ll get your jacket.” Josh jumped down from the stage.

“Hurry back.” Nick was eyeing up Eddy trying to make up his mind whether he liked him or not. Nick normally got a feeling almost right away about a person and it was normally right.

“Josh….” He called after Josh had run a few steps towards Robbie’s house.

“I know…You two.” Josh said turning to lock eyes with Nick for a few moments.

Eddy waited quietly for the moment to pass recognizing that it was something special between the two boys. His mind already working on a plan to capitalize on Nick’s talent while disguising the less desirable bit he had just witnessed.

“Like I said I’m Eddy Watts from EBL Records and you’re Nick, the one my Mother said that if I didn’t come to hear you and your friends play she’d disown me and cut me out of her will.” Nick felt a little easier; the guy was Mrs. Watts’s son but there was still something nibbling at the back of his mind that made him feel uneasy.

“She was right as always.” Eddy continued. “It was worth the trip. I’ve basically already signed one new band and I hope to sign a new solo artist before I leave.” Nick studied Eddy for a moment as if drawing something out of him.

“Pity I’m not straight huh.” Nick shifted the mood of what he was playing to something darker still not being able to shake the uneasy feeling in the back of his head.

“I never said that.”

“But you were thinking it.”

Nick felt it long before he heard it. Dropping his guitar Nick ran from the stage leaving a stunned Eddy behind. Rounding the fence line between Robby’s house and his neighbors Nick saw with his eyes what he already knew was happening. Lying on the ground between the house and the fence was Josh covered in blood being kicked repeatedly by his stepfather. Nick sped up and drawing strength from somewhere within crashed into the thing that was hurting what was his. He didn’t see the gun and only became aware of it as it went off flying from its owner’s hands. Nick stood over Mr. Harvey for a few moments watching a small stream of blood coming from a cut somewhere on his head when he heard Josh call his name. It sounded so distant that Nick became afraid and rushed to Josh forgetting about the other person lying of the ground.

Seeing Josh covered in so much blood for a moment Nick didn’t know what to do. Then he did the only thing he could do and covered Josh’s body with his own letting his life flow into Josh giving him life. He would have given it all freely and willingly just to see the sparkle in Josh’s eyes once more, to see him smile, to feel the warmth of Josh’s body next to his, to get the chance to say the words he hadn’t needed to say to Josh before but needed to now ‘I love you.’. In the back far reaches of his mind he could hear the evil crackling laughter that had been invading his dreams.

Nick barely felt the kicks that came in a flurry once Mr. Harvey regained is senses but the physical bruises would remain for several weeks to come. Other bruises would never completely heal. Nick was also hardly aware of several pairs of hands pulling Mr. Harvey away or of more hands separating him from Josh but still he let out a scream so full of pain that it was thought he was mortally wounded and in a sense he had. Josh was his life and to think of a life without him was too much to bear. He fought in vain to get back to Josh who was still lying unmoving on the ground as sirens began to fill the air.


Big thanks to Oldie for proof reading this story.

Any comments welcome though if you have a flame please keep it to youself as this story is of a personel nature jaysm42@dragonslore.com