FicWad

Gerard scanned the streets, looking for something that would remind him of the man who had ruined his life – who had made him what he was, but he saw nothing. He drew up a blank, and this threw him into a dark recess of anger as Lauren drove him through the average, middle-class suburb. ‘’We shouldn’t have left Mikey behind.’’ Gerard spoke up. The radio still gave a small breath of music – Lauren was listening out for a news report, and trying to concentrate on the task at hand at the same time.
‘’If we had taken him with us he would’ve died. You shot him, remember?’’ she answered. A speaker on the radio alerted her, and she turned it up, wandering if they had identified her as a hostage. The radio reporter explained the situation once again, as Lauren would bet many other reporters had during the last day and a half. And she was identified, one of the witnesses to the diner massacre began speaking, and Gerard stared at the radio with mild interest.
And then, her parents were introduced by the reporter, and began speaking; ‘We always knew letting her go was a bad idea – Lauren always was a silly girl, we heard of her offering to take Mr. Way wherever he wanted. Silly thing, she didn’t know what he was capable of. Of course, she also has a history of mental health problems; she was committed to a psychiatric institution after she attempted suicide. It just blows me away, really, I don’t think she really is a hostage – I think she helped Gerard kill those people,’ the reporter interrupted, announcing that it was time for the news to end.
Gerard continued to stare at the radio, Lauren was pressing her lips together into a tight line; ‘’Those fuckers wouldn’t care if I’d already been killed.’’ She spat, her eyes dry, but enveloped in sadness.
‘’You went into a psychiatric institute?’’ Gerard questioned.
‘’Yes…when I was fifteen – right before my family moved over here.’’,
‘’Why didn’t you tell me? ’’ Gerard demanded,
‘’It wasn’t important – and it still isn’t. I’d just rather forget about it all and focus on finding this bastard,’’ Lauren retorted.
‘’Okay...we should stop at a phone booth, maybe they’ll have local directory or something.’’ Gerard suggested,
‘’Good idea,’’ Lauren drove a little farther up the road, stopping next the metal box of a phone booth. Gerard got out, walking into the booth and looking inside of the phone directory. He didn’t wait for Lauren to get out – she sat, staring at the radio with a scowl. She wished that they were going to kill her parents. She’d wanted to, no, longed to once. But then she had run away, and had just been happy to be free of them. But if Gerard was caught and she was taken back to her apartment, then she knew they would infiltrate her life somehow. They would worm their way under her skin, and she couldn’t take that.
Gerard returned a few minutes later, ‘’Why didn’t you drive off?’’ he spoke as though he had been expecting her to do that, like he had been sure of it, even. He would have still gone to go and kill his step-father. But a void would have been left – a lack of presence that would have caused him to try and find her. He knew that, at least, even in his absence of rationality.
‘’I promised to help you, remember?’’ her voice was lifeless and flat.
‘’Yeah…Well, his street is the next one along; number fifty.’’ Gerard explained. Lauren guided the car into the next street, and Gerard stared out of the window, until he caught sight of the house he was looking for; Home to the man who had cracked his already fragile mind. Home to the man who had turned him against his own little brother. ‘’That’s the same car he had when I was younger…’’ he whispered, his voice so low that Lauren could barely hear him. She cut the engine;
‘’How are we going to do this? ’’ She turned to face Gerard, and saw that his hazel eyes were filled with a far-away veil of hate.
Gerard could remember the last time his step-father so vividly right then, it was as if he was ten years old once again.

The monster smiled at his mother as she ushered Gerard into the house, her perfume was sweet and soft – yet the monster smelt of alcohol and petrol. The contrast made Gerard’s nose sting, his ten year-old frame stood in the middle of the lounge – it was slightly cluttered, with magazines and beer bottles dotted around the vomit-colored carpet. A few toys lay scattered in the corner of the room. Mikey was still clutching his mother’s legs, seven years old and terrified of the monster - The one who was much more dangerous than any bogeyman that could ever hide under the bed, or in the darkened recesses of the closet.
‘’Bye, honey, see you all at five ‘o’ clock when I finish my shift.’’ Their mother kissed them both on the cheek, removing Mikey from the comfort of her perfume, Mikey quickly walked to Gerard, taking his older brother’s hand and trying not to cry. He had to try and be a grown-up, just like the monster had said, or the monster would hurt him or Gerard. The door closed, and Gerard gave his little brother’s hand a squeeze. Mikey was his best friend, and he would do anything to stop the monster from getting to him…and he had many times before.
‘’Okay, you little brats, go play with your toys while daddy makes a phone call.’’ The monster turned away, slithering into the kitchen like the snake he was.
Gerard led his little brother to the corner or the ‘playpen’ as the monster called it turning to Mikey; ‘’We can play whatever you want.’’ He tried to smile; he tried to pretend like everything was okay. Gerard had always had a great imagination. His teachers had said so, and he had been proud when they had. He loved to create different worlds, and live a completely different life, all in his own mind.
‘’I want to go home.’’ Mikey’s bottom lip quivered, his glasses were half-way down his nose already, his hazel eyes filling with terrified tears.
‘’We can’t, Mikey… but mom will be back soon, and we can go back home.’’ Gerard soothed, Mikey still burst into tears, wrapping his arms around his older brother.
‘’I don’t like it here!’’ he yelled,
‘’Shut your heads in there!’’ the monster roared from the kitchen.
‘’Shhh, Mikey, be quiet!’’ Gerard held his brother closer, becoming terrified as well.
‘’I want mom! I want my mommy!’’ Mikey sobbed, his skinny little fingers gripping Gerard’s t-shirt.
‘’Mikey-‘’ Gerard began, but it was too late. The monster had returned, watching them with evil in his eyes, and a beer in his hands.
‘’I told you two to be quiet…’’ he growled. Gerard moved Mikey behind him, Mikey had stopped sobbing, wiping his eyes with both hands furtively, desperately trying to erase the tears. ‘’Looks like you need to be punished, Little Mikey. ’’ The monster tutted.
‘’No! ’’ Mikey whimpered.
‘’Yes, yes I’m afraid it has to be done. This time it’s your turn to be punished.’’ The monster gave them a wolfish grin, soaked with beer and danger.
‘’Leave him alone!’’ Gerard closed his fists together, as though he was going to punch the monster, but even if he did, he couldn’t cause any damage due to his small body, compared to the monster’s towering form.
‘’If you’re always taking his punishments for him – then how will he learn? ’’ The monster questioned.
‘’He’s just scared, that’s all. Don’t hurt him because he can’t help but be scared…’’ Gerard turned to look at his little brother, thinking of how he would die to protect Mikey. Mikey was his best friend, and he was the smartest boy in the whole school. He could even be a doctor or a lawyer one day, Gerard had told him so. ‘’Punish me, instead,’’ Gerard turned back to the monster, facing him like the hero he was in his mind. He would slay the monster one day, he was determined to do it – then Mikey would never ever be hurt, he would be sure of it.
‘’I think you’re beginning to like this,’’ the monster pulled Gerard forwards, and Mikey let out a strangled sob as his older brother was ripped away from him. ‘’Little faggot, aren’t you? You enjoy your punishment…You’ll enjoy this – and Little Michael can watch us again – like a little audience, eh?’’ The monster spat.
‘’Gerard? ’’ Lauren was shaking his shoulder, waking him from his memory. Gerard finally snapped from his realm of remembrance – feeling guilt deep inside of him. He shouldn’t have hurt Mikey – he was no better than the monster because he had. Gerard suddenly erupted with rage, opening the car door and slamming it back into the frame, the gun clutched in his hand, and Lauren quickly got out, running to catch up with Gerard as he marched across the front lawn.
He knocked on the door, slamming his fist into the wooden surface. He waited; Lauren bit her lip, waiting for the door to be answered.