"Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies"
Oliver Glodsmith

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“Frank! Frank wake up!”

I ignored the shrill cry of my name and the demands that I remove myself from my slumber by burrowing underneath the comforter. My brain was still half asleep along with much of my body and even a simple movement such as rolling over seemed like a mammoth task that I was not ready to attempt. If only my mother was as apathetic as I. The loud thumps of her feet as she ascended the stairs scared me enough to encourage movement, but it was Sunday and I was damn well going to sleep in. My body tensed up as my bedroom door hit the wall and sent a loud bang through the room.

“Frank Iero! Get out of bed now!” She practically screamed at me, obviously getting more infuriated with my disobedience.
I let out a long groan and shuffled under the blanket, “A few more minutes.”
“No, now, the Way’s are coming over for brunch and you need to be at least half functioning when they arrive.”
“Ugh, fine.”
“Good.”

I heard material rustle and my door lightly click close signifying my mothers’ departure. I poked my head out from the comforter just to double check she had in fact left. Part of my fringe fell over my eyes blocking my view but there was no chiding for allowing my hair to get to such a ‘despicable state’ so I knew she was most definitely gone.

I threw the comforter off my body allowing it to flutter momentarily before landing on the floor. I forced my arms up in the air and waited to hear the satisfying click of the bones awakening from their state of atrophy. My feet landed on the wooden floor with a small thud as I removed my body from my bed. My feet moved about the room in a slight rampage searching for clothes that didn’t give off too much of a noxious smell. Luckily for me and unfortunately for my mother and her high standards the only clean items left were ripped jeans and a raglan shirt. Not exactly the classy look for a Sunday brunch my mother would hope for, but it was only Mikey and his parents coming over; hardly prestigious guests.

I dashed into the adjoining bathroom to do a quick check of my appearance; the odd red spot, greasy hair and bags underneath my eyes. Just the average teenage aesthetic. I ran my fingers through my hair trying to tame what I could of the wildness that sat upon my head, my fingers getting caught every so often on a knot.

“Frank! Hurry up!”
I rolled my eyes at the sound of my mothers’ voice. I love the woman but she knew how to get on my nerves.
“I’m coming!” I called hoping my voice would be loud enough to travel through the bathroom, my bedroom and then down the stairs. There was nothing in return so I’m presuming it was. I had one final glance at myself in the mirror before rushing out of the bathroom. I had to doge piles of clothes and books that were strewn throughout my room before making it to the door and then down the stairs.

I was met with the instantly indulgent but almost overbearing smell of coffee. Luckily my parents were almost, if not more, in love with the liquid than myself. I sat down across form my father at the breakfast bar in the middle of the kitchen. He smiled and slid a steaming mug across to me. I breathed in the scent that had become visible with the steam as it rose and coated my face in a moist sheath.

I was just about to take my first sip when my mother skidded into the kitchen. Her hair had begun to frizz a little and her face was flushed red from her flustered attempt to look presentable. She had, since waking me from my sleep, changed into a pastel yellow summer dress with a white lace overcoat.

“It’s brunch Linda, brunch with the neighbours, I think you’re overdoing it just a little,” my dad sighed a little placing his now empty cup onto the granite counter.

I let out a small giggle as my mother’s face reddened even more, not from embarrassment, but from anger. My dad was straining to stifle his laughter, and although we may have been a little harsh on her, it was pretty funny.

A small growl was heard from the back of my mothers’ throat, “You two could at least be on your best behaviour and at least put on something relatively decent,” she huffed before glaring at me, “Frank Anthony Iero, you have to wear nice clothes for a few hours and you can’t even manage that!”

“It’s not my fault, they’re the only things left in my room that don’t reek of body odour and sweat,” I raised my hands in innocence.

My mothers’ face contorted a little in disgust, “As soon as the Way’s leave you’re doing your laundry, no arguments.”
“Bu-.”
“No buts, now Frank help me set the table.”

My dad and I glanced at one another before looking back at my mother, “Which Frank?,” we both spoke in unison.

“Ugh forget it, I am not going through this kerfuffle over names like last time, I’ll set the darn table myself.”

With that she half-stormed out of the kitchen. Dad and I just exchanged glances before bursting out into a fit of laughter.

“We really shouldn’t be laughing, you know how worked up she gets about these dinner party things,” My dad tried to scold me whilst still smiling.

“It’s only Mikey and his parents, I don’t understand what’s she fussing about.”

“You know your mum, she likes to put on a nice display for guests, make things seem perfect, even though we are far from it, she’s always been like it.”

I just shrugged in reply and took one last gulp of my coffee swallowing the small amount that was left. I hopped off the barstool and dumped my mug in the sink before wandering out of the kitchen. I tried my best to silently shuffle past the dining room as to not alert my mother of my presence. Just as I thought I was safe I heard her clear her throat.

“Uh Frank, where do you think you’re going?” She raised an eyebrow at me.
“To my room,” I replied nonchalantly.
“Nice try, go wait at the door for the Way’s they’ll be here any minute.”

I groaned in annoyance before slinking off in the opposite direction toward the front door. Damn my mother and her Sunday brunch. As soon as my body had rested against the door the cringe worthy cry of the doorbell echoed throughout the house. I don’t know why I bothered but as an instant reaction I swiped my hands over my jeans and shirt, trying to rid them of any invisible dirt or dust.

I grasped the bronze handle and forced a smile before pulling wide open the door. Donna and Don Way were dressed in formal casual attire and carried a plate each, one with lemon tart and the other looked like a salad. I spotted the blonde top of Mikey’s head over their shoulder and allowed a genuine smile to replace my false one.

“Morning Frank, how are you?” Donna smiled politely at me.
“Morning, yeah everything’s alright, mum and dad are in the dinning room, go on through,” I smiled and moved to the side allowing them entry.
They just nodded and sauntered off down the hallway disappearing through the doorway that led to the dinning room.

Mikey stayed at the front door and just smirked at me.
“What are you smiling at?” I asked nudging his shoulder playfully.
“Oh nothing, just some rumours I heard floating around, things might start getting interesting in this shit hole town.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just wait, my mum won’t be able to refrain from talking about it and knowing your mum neither will she, trust me though, this is actually interesting, for once you might actually listen to your mum.”
“Hey! I listen to her.”
Mikey gave me a knowing look.
“Okay, okay fine, so I don’t listen to her.”
Mikey chuckled, “It doesn’t matter anyways, come on, we better get in there, my mum always gets all suspicious when I suddenly disappear with you.”
“Why? Doesn’t she like me?”
“Oh no it’s not that, it’s just-it’s not important, my mum is just making assumptions, don’t worry about it.”

With that Mikey grabbed my wrist and pulled me along with him down the hallway. We joined my parents at the dinner table and sat across from one another. It wasn’t a moment later that my mother began dashing around placing plates piled with food in front of each person at the table. She then settled herself and insisted everyone eat at much as they like. Mikey and I just smirked at each other, eat as much as we like? We could manage that.

The table was silent for the most part, only sound of cutlery scraping against porcelain created any noise in the room. At first it was a little disconcerting but I suppose it’s kind of hard to uphold conversation when everyone was stuffing their faces with food. Mikey and I were no exception. However after a pea from Don’s plate managed to make its way onto my father’s plate after an odd fork movement caused it to fly across the table, the pair plunged whole heartedly into a conversation about golf and how to achieve the perfect swing. It was the conversation sparked between our mothers’, however, that Mikey and I paid any attention too.

“I couldn’t help overhearing the other day, these two ladies were having a conversation whilst I was getting my coffee, they were talking about the old manor, you know the one that was practically left to rot?,” Donna hushed a little and leant forward whilst talking to my mum.
“Oh yes, but that house hasn’t had anyone near it for years, the wood would be rotten and falling to pieces by now, wouldn’t it?,” my mother replied pushing her now empty plate away from her.
“Oh no, it was kept in very good condition, weathered yes, but liveable.”
“I didn’t even know it was up for sale, who bought the place?”
“I heard the two ladies say it appeared to be just a single male, early forties, but one swears they saw a boy in the car, around Mikey or Frank’s age as well.”
“Hear that Frankie? Maybe you two could be friends!” I cringed as my mum smiled at me and used my nickname.
“We’re seventeen mum, not seven,” I said putting my head in my hands.
I heard my mum scoff a little before Donna started speaking once again.
“That’s not it though, they said the boy had a blindfold on.”
“A blindfold? What on earth for?”
“Not sure, the man didn’t look anything like the boy apparently, the ladies said there was no way he was the father.”
“It does seem rather odd that they would buy a run-down rotting manor in the middle of a forest, despite its condition I doubt it would have been cheap.”
Donna nodded in response, and nothing more was said on the topic. Mikey raised an eyebrow at me with a suggestive smirk. I let my jaw hang a little slack, he was right, this is the most interesting thing that’s ever happened in this shit hole town.
“Uh mum Mikey and I are going to go for a walk, we’ll be back before dark promise,” I said quickly pushing away from the table. Mikey stood as well. I went to grab his wrist but missed and took hold of his hand instead. Normally I would recoil as holding hands was not a part of our relationship but I was too concerned with getting out of the house.

Mikey didn’t protest to being dragged through the house and out the front door but I could tell he wasn’t happy about it. I let go of his hand as we made it into the sidewalk and tucked my hands into the pockets of my jeans. I caught Mikey smiling slightly to himself in the corner of my eye, but didn’t mention it.

The streets were silent and deserted, it was nearing midday and the sun made the air thick with warmth, however it was pleasant. Not the overbearing warmth that makes you sweat just by moving, but the comfortable nice warmth. The only sound that could be heard was our shoes scraping and scuffing against the concrete, there wasn’t even a bird chirping or siren in the distance to break through the painful quietness. We kept walking, and walking, I knew where I was heading, but decided to take the long way so that Mikey wouldn’t get suspicious and leave. As interested in the house as he was, he was beyond terrified, petrified even, of going near it. Just seeing it gave him the jitters and sent his anxiety skyrocketing. I was an asshole for forcing him to come along with me, but he only had himself to blame after getting me all excited about the new members of our small towns’ society.

The houses and industrial aura started to subside as more and more trees began to come into view. Soon enough the concrete ended and grass began. The scraping turned into a light crunching noise as we stepped on dried grass and sticks.

“Frank.” Mikey’s voice was stern.
I admit; I am an asshole. What kind of friend takes their friend to the one place they know that they hate wholeheartedly and causes them to have extreme anxiety? Me, I do. Because I am an asshole.
I smiled trying to ease some of the tension, “Yeah Mikes?”
“Where are we going?”
“Uh, just for a walk, nothing special, like we used to when we were little!”
“Frank.”

I cringed slightly and looked back at Mikey who had stopped walking. I hadn’t even noticed that we were now fully submersed in the forest. Trees loomed above and around us, the pine needles and limbs seemingly extending towards our, in comparison, small frames. It was dark too, substantially so. Almost all beams of midday sunlight were refused access beyond the canopy, making the floor of the forest eerily dark and the air thick and damp.
Mikey stood with his arms crossed defiantly across his chest. He mouth was turned upside into a scowl and he looked pissed.

“Okay, okay I am sorry, but we can’t just not investigate! Did you hear our mum’s, there is a kid our age with some random forty year old, doesn’t that spark your curiosity at least slightly?” I took a few steps toward Mikey and put on my best doe eyes and smile. He usually caved with the eyes, it was the only way I’d ever won an argument or got what I wanted with Mikey; doe eyes.

“Don’t you dare go using those eyes on me Iero! I am so mad at you right now but all I want to do is hug you, god dammit Frank, why we are friends I will never know,” he uncrossed his arms and sighed loudly, “Fine, we will go and have a look, BUT just this once, then we leave and don’t come back….you know how much I hate this place.”
I may have squealed a little bit too highly because Mikey nearly fell over when I engulfed his body in a tight hug, “Thanks Mikes, this is why we are best friends.”
“What? Because you force me to do things I don’t want too with the use of your unnaturally cute eyes?”
“Yep, pretty much.”

Mikey groaned in annoyance before slumping forward and walking alongside me once again. The flora began to thicken with wild and untamed shrubbery taking over parts of the pathway and trees growing in every direction making passing through the needles slightly painful and very difficult. They got caught on our clothes and jabbed into every soft bit of flesh leaving mottling our bodies in red. I heard Mikey’s faint breathing begin to quicken as we grew closer to the manor. It may seem stupid to be afraid of a house, but Mikey honestly thought that it was cursed or haunted or something. He said he’d seem apparitions and phantasms lingering around the manor one night when he snuck out. He described them as white spectre’s that hovered around the front of the house, they were slightly opaque and had a misty fog outlining the bodily shapes. He said he one had begun to float towards him and he didn’t stay long enough to see anymore, he ran and he didn’t stop until he got home. I never believed him, but he didn’t know that. Mikey was never a liar, it was just the fantastical nature of the story that prevented me from taking any slice of truth from it. I was certain he must have dreamt it.
I slowed my pace slightly so that I was beside Mikey. My arm slung around his shoulders and I let a grin creep onto my face.

“Hey Mikey.”
“Yeah?”
“Race you?”
“Frank, no.”
“Too late!”
“Frank!”
I ignored Mikey’s calls as I let my feet take hold of my body. I allowed the cool air to run its fingers through my hair and caress my face whilst sticks and leaves snapped and crunched under my feet.
“Frankie! Stop running! I can’t keep up with you!” Mikey called from a small distance behind me.
“Oh come on Mikey, we’re nearly there just a little farther!”

Notes

Hey guys! So sorry about the wait but as I said updates with be infrequent (once a week) but the chapters will be lengthy so hopefully that makes up for the waiting :)
Anyways, so please do tell me what you think, comments are the one thing that helps this story improve, rate and subscribe and all that fancy stuff!
Also i very quickly read through this, so let me know if there are any errors!
and thank you for reading! xx