He Expected The World

The person who came to speak to me was a young man with blond-dyed hair. He looked at me slowly then smiled.

“Hello, Frank. Haven’t seen you in a while. How are you?”

I looked at Ivy and frowned. Then, I looked back at the man.

“Who are you?” I asked slowly. Suddenly, I felt my body begin to shake.

He was going to lock me away… surely! The voices in my head began screaming and my breathing turned ragged. I heard Ivy call for a nurse.

“I’m… I’M MIKEY WAY!” the man yelled, over my nearly-screaming “GERARD’S YOUNGER BROTHER!”

I stopped. It all stopped. He knew Gerard?

“G-Gerard?” I whined softly. “Y-You know him?”

“Yes.” Mikey said softly. “Don’t… Don’t you remember me, Frankie?”

I shook my head slowly, with wide eyes.

“I know you, Frank! You and Gerard were best friends! He loved you so much….”

“No.” I said softly. “H-He doesn’t have a brother.”

Mikey pulled out a wallet and unfolded a picture. I recognized a younger Gerard… and I recognized Mikey.

“W-Wha?”

I felt my brain begin to get pressured against my skull. Something was bursting to get out.

“Don’t you remember, Frank? The.. car accident?”

“SHHH!!!”

Mikey was yanked back by a nurse.

“Frank needs some rest. Don’t stress him. His situation is delicate as it is.”

She all but pushed Mikey out the door.

“Wait.” I called. “I… I want to know.”

Ivy took hold of my hand.

“Are you sure, Frank?”

I nodded both to her and to the nurse. Mikey approached the bed and pulled up my sleeve. A slight scar was fading.

“You…your mother and Gee were going to see a movie... . And…. you got into the car and drove off…. And… y-you never made it to the theater because… there was a crash… and Gerard…. he saved you. He pulled you out of harm’s way…. The vehicle hit HIM instead.”

I could remember bits and pieces. Being dragged out of the car…. It was all… REAL!

“A-And you wouldn’t wake up at f-first… your mother thought you were d-dead… but then you opened your eyes and started screaming for Gee-”

“Gerard…. He…. He’s NOT dead!”

“He is, Frank. You need to understand tha-”

“HE’S NOT DEAD!”

I grabbed Mikey’s hair and pointed to a corner in the room. A corner where Gerard was clearly standing in.

“HE’S RIGHT THERE!”

“I’m so sorry…” Mikey muttered.

“I think you should get some rest, Mister Iero.”

“No! Please don’t take him away! I need to know more!”

“What else is there to know, Frank?” Ivy said softly.

“I… I.. I don’t know… Just… don’t leave.” I whimpered. “Please… you’re…. you’re making sense….”

A moment of silence…. Then, I was alone. It seemed all the people had faded into the background.

Gerard was on top of me again, softly nipping at my neck.

“G-Gee… You’re real, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am, Frankie.” He breathed.

I closed my eyes… and I could SEE it. A crash. Something hitting my head. My vision blurring.

“Frank. Stop it.”

I opened my eyes to see Gerard slapping my face lightly.

“Don’t focus too much on that-”

“Gee…. are you dead?”

“No, Frankie. I’m not.”

“Gee… YOU’RE DEAD, AREN’T YOU?”

“Frankie… calm down, please….”

“AREN’T YOU?!”

My heart began to beat quickly. Suddenly, the door opened and all the people that had originally been in the room came pouring in.

Ivy rushed to my side to take my hand. Everything was spinning. He couldn’t… he couldn’t! This… this was all WRONG! YES… THAT WAS IT! THIS WAS ALL WRONG!

“Frank. I need you to relax.” The nurse said hurriedly.

I tried to breathe, but the panic was increasing.

LOOKAROUND/WHYISEVERYONE.LOOKING.AT.ME/DOIHAVESOMETHINGONMYFACE???

More squeezing. This time, on my other hand. Mikey.

SQUEEZING.DOES IT FEELNICE? YESI THINKIT DOES. WHITE WHITE THE CEILING IS WHAT TIRED GOD PAIN OH NO SOMEONE’S CRYING WHY ARE THEY CRYING PEOPLE SOUND WEIRD WHENTHEY CRY LIKE THAT NOSTAY AWAY NEEDLE BIG NEEEDLE IT HURTS OH GOD IT HURTS WHY IS SHE CRYING IT’S ANNOYING SHE NEEDS TO STO--

And then my eyes fell shut. The voices fell silent. And the panic died.

Notes

It's BLOOD again!!!

ive been stuck, okay? long story short: panic

that up there is what a panic attack is like, described to me by my best friend and by own personal experience.

NOT fun or cool.

The title? What today felt like for me