The Creeps (Sequel to The Weirdos)

46

One two three, a wish for every tree. Four five six, where's my fish and ticks? Seven eight nine. I miss my family, I hope they're fine. Ten, it was Glen. He hurt me, leading us back to three and tree... I remember things... The fish in the pond by the house. My garden of boring, ugly things. Prickly and smelly, green and boring, brown and ugly. And she came to me, her figure a silhouette in the bright yellow sunlight, shining down on my face.
"Why don't you grow flowers...?"
She would ask.
"I don't know. It isn't very manly, is it?"
"Who says flowers have a gender, Roderick? Besides... It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. You've got the power in this place... If they make fun of you, then stop treating them when they get hurt."
She smirked and I smiled back. We shared a laugh and I started to grow the flowers... My garden was beautiful. She was beautiful... But... Then there was fire. Smoke rising into the night sky. Gunshots and bodies thumping to the ground. The road where I last saw her. Before she dropped to the ground and was gone... Forever. I'm in here. Please help me escape this wild mind... My body is out of control. I say things, I do things... I'm broken. I don't mean to be this way, talking in rhymes and riddles. Having these episodes of panic and... Mm. Waves? And deep... Caves. Time to rhyme. Must preserve the brain and stray away from pain...
"He's seizing."
"Just hold him still, it'll be over soon."

Roderick opened his eyes and stared with blurred vision at a tank full of fish. He smiled and his body relaxed.
"Fish..."
Nature sounds played over a speaker he couldn't find, if he even cared to find it. The room was painted a mustard yellow and he laughed and clapped his hands. This was familiar and pleasing. There were a couple of potted plants sitting on a desk and one on a nightstand beside him.
"Home home home... But the others still roam."
He saw a flash of red in his memories and his brows drew together.
"No..."
He hit his forehead repeatedly with his palm.
"No. No no."
His hand was taken and thumbs smoothed over the back of his hand.
"Roderick?"
The albino focused his attention on a familiar pair of glasses on an all too familiar traitorous face.
"Bad! Bad!"
He scooted back and snatched his hand away, bouncing and clapping his hands together, then waving a finger in Books' face.
"No. Bad. Away. Stay away."
"Roderick."
"Away! Away..."
Books ran his fingers through his brown hair, then cleared his throat.
"Roderick, Snow is here. He needs your help. Don't... Don't do it for me, do it for him, ok? Do it for him..."
Roderick was curled in a ball and staring warily at Books when the brunet waved his hand at the door. Snow was carried into the room and laid beside Roderick.
"He... he can't feel much. Other than cold."
Snow lay very still where he'd been placed, only tired gray eyes working to look at Roderick and a chest that rose and fell with each slow breath. Roderick slowly reached out and touched Snow's head, brushing hair out of his face.
"Chosen one... You are not done."
He whispered. Books bit his lip. He hoped this would work. Roderick pulled Snow up into his arms and hugged him close.
"Not done... not done. Done done done. Not."
Books had to look away as something bright like the sun started emanating from the albino. When he opened his eyes again, Snow was staring at him.
"Time to kick some ass."
Books smiled at the words.