Adopted By Unspeakable

The Bell

Preston's POV

I was walking with Bri to see Nathan. Hadn't seen him in a couple months. We had just gotten out of the car. Only had to walk a couple of (what would be on the street) blocks. After walking for a couple minutes, we are at the front door. I ring the doorbell. It sounded all different. It reminded me of something that happened a long time a go. I fall to my knees. I hold my head. That familiar noise was way too much for me to handle. Bri had all her attention on me. I started to get a nasty headache. What was with this bell? Why was it so familiar? I try to remember. After no use, I give in. But then, it hits me...

Flashback... (This may contain violence for younger readers.)

I was walking through the hallways of my school. Brianna was eyeing me again. That beautiful face had kept me in a great mood all morning. I look away, trying to hide my blush. I hear a noise. Not exactly like a doorbell, but much, much more annoying. I look around and I see... Brianna, she was getting bullied. I go over to try and help her. That one noise does not stop ringing in my head. It gets louder as I take every single step. Finally I reach Brianna, by now I had a pounding headache. I push the bully away from Brianna. My head was still pounding. The bully pushes me back. He had a hood over his head. That was all I could see of him. I punch him in the stomach. He does so back to me. I punch him now in the head. He takes a deep breath and starts to beat me up. I start to blur. That noise was getting louder. On top of that, I was being beaten up. I had definitely got to go to the nurse for my mad headache. I look up at Brianna. She had the most concerned face on ever. I take another hit to the face and faint.

Back to the present...

I open my eyes very slowly, trying to adjust to the light. I can make out the figures of at least six different people. I was on a familiar couch. As my eyesight began to focus, I could make out the concerned and worried faces of Nathan, Gabe, James, Y/N, Bri, and Stephen. I sit up a little. Breathing heavy. That noise was gone. I could not remember what it sounded like at all. "Preston, what happened? Are you alright?", Bri asks me as worried as you can possibly get. "I -I don't know. I -I just...", I drift off at my last word. I couldn't find the right terminology (term) to explain this with. Bri hugs me. I hug her back. I could tell everyone was still extremely worried about me. I wanted to say "I am fine", but I was actually the exact opposite. I just ignored the sick feeling, or at least I tried to. I didn't feel like my usual self. My energetic self. My own person. I just didn't, no matter what I kept repeating in my mind, it didn't work. I tried to remember a happy time, a time that I enjoyed. One that was so great, it stayed in my brain. Finally, I remember the first time Bri and I met. That was one of the greatest memories I had. I just think hard about it. As hard as possible. I start to calm down. My breathing slows. Gabe walks away to go get something. Y/N goes to help him. I was pretty sure they were talking through all my thoughts, but I couldn't tell. Nathan nods his head and walks away. Gabe and Y/N come back. Gabe held something a lot like tea. Tea does help a lot when you are sick. He hands me a cup that held a small portion of tea on it. I felt too bad to drink though or basically anything. I just stared at the cup. Just kept on staring at it.

Bri's POV
Preston had fell on the front porch. He fainted as well. He was not so much in physical pain, but more likely in mental pain. He was senselessly holding his head up. I felt so very bad for him. Nathan had went away so we can talk more in private. I was about to start a conversation when Y/N and Gabe came back. They held some tea. Gabe quickly pours some of the tea into the cup Y/N was holding. Gabe takes the cup from her and gives it to Preston. Preston takes it. He just stares at it for a couple of seconds. He moves it into his other hand and stares at it from a different view. He repeats this odd motion over and over again. I move my head to the door, symbolizing that I wanted Y/N and Gabe to go. Gabe nods and grabs Y/N's hand. He pulls her to the exit. I sit on a stool next to Preston. He puts the cup down on a table. He stares at me. His twinkling eyes shine in the sunlight. "What happened?", I ask him yet again. "Well, I heard this noise and - and, I had a flashback", Preston replies. "Oh, what was it about?", I ask him. He started to think. From his face, I could tell he didn't want to tell me. I turn my head to the side. "Alright fine", he says. "It was from back in high school. You...", he started. There was a slight pause. "I was what?", I ask him. He sighed. "You were getting bullied. And there was a whole bunch of that... that annoying sound.", he says. I nod. I was trying to take it all in. He had a flashback. And specifically, this one. You see...

Chapter: 18
Word Count: 1002