When a hangout becomes a nightmare

Alexa had heard stories about the new neighbor since they moved in. The new guy was very different from what anyone expected but she couldn’t bring herself to hate him. He just didn't seem like he wanted to be there, that's all. Maybe it was because they were two of the youngest kids living there. There wasn't anything wrong with that but it seemed as though he would never really have fun unless someone forced him. She had seen her brother, Shane, talk to people on the phone but he never acted out like the other boys did. That was good right? At least until today.

The sound of screaming came first. It started as a muffled sound but grew louder as Shane continued to scream for help. Then Alexa heard it all again. This time she couldn't even distinguish what was coming from him. There was no way she'd ever find the source of those sounds. So she ran. She ran so fast and far away that she almost forgot how badly hurt Shane looked. His shirt was soaked with blood from the back where an open knife had sliced his torso, and he was crying in pain. Tears stained his cheeks, his hair stuck to them, and he looked as though he could pass out at any second. So, Alexa did the only thing she could think of. She ran over to the house.

"Dad!"

It sounded like his voice was underwater, distant and distorted by whatever strange noise he was making, but somehow still audible through the glass walls.

"Dad?" she called, knocking on the door. She kept banging on the door until finally a light turned on inside one of the windows on the second floor. "I'm here! My step brother is having some kind of accident and I'm scared. Please let me in!"

Silence met her request and then she saw movement at the bottom of the window. Her father appeared to be looking down at her, and she thought she saw relief in his eyes. But it might've been a trick of the light or a trick of her mind. She was exhausted after running all the way to the house. She leaned against the front door and tried desperately to catch her breath while she watched her dad's silhouette. After several seconds passed he pulled back and opened the door completely.

"Come on in," he said, stepping aside. "There are towels under the sink."

She stepped into the hallway which was lined with family photos hanging on either side. As Alexa passed them, their faces seemed to stare straight back at her, accusing her of lying about her and brother being out for a walk. But maybe Shane told his friends that he was going to die or something.

She found a roll of paper towels and sat heavily on the couch. The music playing from her headphones seemed to fill in every crack but it was still completely silent. After what felt like an eternity Alexa heard footsteps approaching. She held up a finger to warn Shane to wait until he got closer before continuing talking again.

"Is Shane alright?"

Her father crouched down next to her. She hadn't realized that she'd cried when she saw his face. There weren't any tears falling anymore but her lip trembled and she sniffed loudly. He put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. It was enough to comfort her.

"No, honey. Shane isn't alright."

That made Alexa look back up at him. He was shaking his head slightly and wiping at his own eyes. She stared at him and her breathing suddenly hitched. Had this always been happening to them? How long had she known it? Why hadn't anyone said anything sooner? Her dad noticed how distraught she was and took her hands in both of his.

"Shane has gotten himself stabbed. And it looks serious."

He reached for her glasses and placed them back onto her face as well as the towel.

"Can you stand up please? If we're lucky I can drive us to get Shane some help before he loses too much blood."

Shane lost more than half his blood that day. When they arrived at the hospital, their mother was already there waiting. Alexa remembered seeing the way she looked after Shane collapsed. She must've gone crazy if she thought she could handle losing her son. She was sitting next to him as he lay on the hospital bed staring blankly ahead.

"Hi Mommy!"

Her mother jumped up, startled by Lexa's arrival, and rushed over to give her daughter a tight hug. Alexa returned the embrace and allowed herself to be enveloped by the familiar scent that always reminded her of home. When their reunion ended her mother asked for details while Alex answered them in a monotone tone. She explained what happened, the wound, everything. When she finished, her mom led her to the reception and sat her down. It was then that her mum explained what was going to happen to her.

Her mother told her that Shane wouldn't be able to go to school for weeks. Even with the best doctors she could find, his injuries were not repairable. The doctors told her that Shane needed to take it easy for the rest of his life. She agreed. No matter how much she wants to play with Shane, she would try to make things right for him by avoiding it.

***

As promised, Lexa spent most of her time at Shane's bedside while her mother worked at the hospital. She would ask questions to distract herself but there was only so much time she could sit there. It didn't help that her father also insisted that she spend some time with Shane. They talked about many things; mostly school, sports, and TV shows. But he didn't tell her anything about the night before. She understood that he wanted to protect her from the gruesome details but it frustrated her.

We all went home eventually, as we got discharged from the hospital. Shane was sick and recovering. How could he still want to talk about trivial things?

When her mother finally returned, she went directly to Shane and sat beside him on the bed. Lexa remained standing and watched silently as Shane and her mother spoke quietly to each other. Shane looked exhausted and his complexion was pale compared to the usual tanned skin. He had managed to get himself cleaned up but she could see some bruises along his arms, neck, and shoulder.

"Lex, why don't you call your sister and tell her to come over?" her mother suggested, pulling her from her thoughts.

"But she doesn't live near us," Lexa replied quickly.

"You could send your friend over to watch Shane while we go shopping mum. That way you'll be able to pick up some stuff for yourself while I go do the errands and she can stay with Shane."

Her mother thought her suggestion was smart. While her friend was definitely nice and fun, she was already old and feeble and Lexa wasn't sure she should trust her with Shane's condition. She looked between the two for a few moments, trying to decide what to do. In the end, she relented and grabbed her bag, promising to text as soon as possible.

***