Devils and Demons

Chapter 1

I walk to the park in hopes that maybe Eyes and Ears would be there. They were the only ones who cared and asked that I go to the park everyday so that they could check on me.

Sometimes neither came, but they always knew if I missed a day. I sit on the bench and focus on breathing because I was already struggling and I would have to move a lot to communicate with Eyes and Ears if they did come.

They hadn't come the last two times.

I vaguely wonder what others must think. I come here everyday for an hour and don't even skate. At a skating park. I knew how to skate you know and Eyes 'n' Ears said I was good too, but it wouldnt be right.

I wasn't able to feel anything right now but the numb pain. Hey it was either this with the pills or agony to the point that I couldn't move.

I hated that I depended on it, but there was nothing I could do anymore. They took away the pain, and someone knew I needed help because they kept coming.

The first couple times I found the bottle I thought it was a mistake, but then it had instructions. I remembered them like it had saved my life. Who knows, maybe the pain would have killed me. In that case, maybe I shouldn’t have taken them. I wouldn’t mind dying.

I shake my head at the thought. If I died, Eyes and Ears would find a way to bring me back from the dead to kill me again. I watch the kids skate as I keep waiting. A few of them fell but that was to be expected. I remember when Eyes and Ears taught me how to skate. They were still learning themselves but knew enough to teach me. They thought the reason I was quiet was because I was embarrassed.

Over the following months they learned I was mute. Well, selectively mute, but it wasn’t until a year ago they figured out it was selective, and I had known them for 10 years now. They had been insufferable since. Thought I was weird since I chose not to talk. I was fine with them teasing me though; they knew when to stop.

I stand up and begin to walk away. Watching where I step because I will not know if I trip until I’m on the floor. Come to think of it, I probably use too much of those pills. All I know is that it numbs the pain. I begin to walk away when Eyes comes into the park. I almost smile.

Once I see him I sit back down on a different bench. While most kids were scared of him, if you gave him time, he was just a big softie. Sure, he could kill you in a second and carried knives and guns on him at all times, but then again, I carried a knife on me at all times. Didn’t like people. They always got too close to be comfortable.

“Silencer!” He calls when he sees me.

I just nod at him and he beams. They were so energetic it made me tired thinking about it. They didn’t know I was mute at first, so they didn’t know my name. Thus, the nickname started. It was worse once they found out I carried a knife on me. I mean, they saw the bruises already so they thought I got into fights. I just hoped they kept on thinking that.

Better they think I fight people rather than get pushed around by my foster parents. I had come to hate that term. ‘Parents’. The worst thing that could happen to you. You never know how the new ones will be. My social worker hated me so she looked for the worst families to put me with. I mean, sure, I deserved it, but it still hurt because I saw how she treated other kids.

Similar to me, or at least they were a foster kid. She searched high and low for the worst families to put me with. I had been in 15 houses in 10 years. She’d pull me out once they had done enough damage. Whether it was mentally, physically, emotionally, or any other way.

Eyes snaps in front of me to get my attention again. I look at him. Eyes and Ears knew that a few of the houses weren’t the best, but they didn’t know details. All they knew was I had a ‘terrible’ habit of dissociating. I want to scoff at the idea. I just don’t pay attention to everything around me - and end up forgetting most of what happens at ‘home’ -  and sometimes I could just be at the park.

Maybe I should look up what dissociation was… ya no

I look at Eyes and he asks me if I’m okay. I just shrug. I had told them I found a container of pills last time and gave one to Ears so he could test it. He should have the results today. He better. It had been days since I had seen them. Did you know that I only eat if Eyes or Ears bring food to share?

Foster parents -more like monsters- told me that I didn’t get to eat, and apparently once you get to High School you have to pay for lunch. Eyes and Ears quite literally keep me alive. Not that I would tell either of them that. Just as I think this, Ears walks into the park and over to Eyes and I. He walks so slow even I could beat him.

We don’t wait for him and pull out our skateboards. Remember what I said I shouldn’t skate? Well, that was going out of the window because how else were we going to get to our sanctuary. Eventually Ears catches up and all of us skate through town and walk through the forest to our little building.

It was abandoned and probably a safety hazard, but no one came. Eyes’ dad wanted him to take over the Mafia business as soon as possible while Ears’ parents already had him working in the Mafia as an assassin. Did I mention Eyes was the heir to the Mexican Mafia and Ears to the American?

Either way, Eyes’ dad and Ears’ parents couldn’t find them here. The foster monsters couldn’t find me here either, which was all I asked. Eyes liked to secretly take pictures but because he was supposed to be this intimidating person he couldn’t take pictures. Ears liked to carve. It wasn’t that bad of a hobby, but he liked to carve things that couldn’t really be used to hurt someone, so his parents didn’t approve.

He also liked listening to girl music. Well, the kind of music that the popular girls blasted in the hallways and screamed to. I shudder at the thought of returning to the hell called school. Couldn’t I just stay here the entire time? We go into the huge square of cement. That’s what the building was. No one had finished building it or it looked that way now that we have destroyed it. Probably why it was abandoned

Eyes kneels on the floor and uncovers a few floorboards. We all smile. Eyes pulls out his camera, Ears his carving set, and I pull out my mask respirator.

At least here we got to enjoy what was forbidden in our houses. I pull out my spray paint cans and begin to spray the walls. Eyes and Ears joke around and I have fun watching them. They thought I had some sort of disability at best.

I wonder what they thought was wrong with me. I barely spoke, and could never move fast. My personal Devil -the social worker- made sure to tell every set of foster monsters that I was trouble and they had to beat me until I could barely move.

That meant I had trouble walking and moving and breathing most of the times. Although the pills help. I think they're the ones that numb the pain, which was all I needed.

I stop painting and go over to Ears. I tap him on the shoulder because he's still carving something. When he turns around I begin to sign to him because I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

Did you ever get a result on those pills I found

"Oh ya. I didn't bring them but they weren't anything big. Just some anti-depressent laced with Tylenol. Weird kind of drug if you ask me" He mutters the last part, but I still hear it.

Anti-depressents. I had been taking anti-depressents for years. The Tylenol part was weird, I mean, who puts Tylenol on Anti-depressents. Wonder what would change if I stopped taking them.

We all do our own thing for a long time. Might as well, right? It was the only time we got to do what we wanted. What I should've remembered was that I had recently changed Foster monsters. They had different rules.

They were going to beat me for being late. Not a regular beating, but one that wouldn't let me move for days. And now I questioned the pills job. It's only purpose was to take away the pain, and it didn't do that. They were going to beat me.

I run out of the building and take off skating as soon as I can. They were going to kill me.