Wind-up toy (NOT MINE)

Chapter 5

Welcome to my nightmare,
welcome to my breakdown,
I hope I didn't scare you.
That's just the way we are when we come down.
We sweat and laugh and scream here,
'cause life is just a dream here,
you know inside you feel right at home...

Desperate, I scanned the parking lot. I wasn't able able to descry Frankie from there so I locked the car again, hoping that it'd let me in later. I ran along the place and checked in between trucks, calling Frank's name.
"G-GERARD! I'M..." I heard him scream and then nothing. I followed the sound of his voice and it led me behind the biggest red truck.
Approaching that spot, I saw one of the big guys we had seen inside earlier holding Frank by the hair. Another one was standing in front of the boy, menacing him with his fist while he covered his mouth with the other hand to stop him from screaming.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Don't you see he's just a kid?" I burst into the scene. Frank definitely looked at least three years younger to me and I guessed anyone would think the same, which made this situation more inexcusable. The one who had a grip on Frank's hair smirked.
"Your kid...came to us to tell us we're a bunch of ugly motherfuckers" the second man grabbed Frankie's neck now. Frank was struggling to say something and his eyes were huge with fear as much as with anger. He tried to kick them, but they systematically avoided his feet. Again, I had enough brains to know that if I tried to free him by force both of us would end up badly injured.
"And just because of that you're gonna hit him?" I asked.
"Yes, and because we're bored. Got a problem, Snow White?" the tallest guy provoked.
"Actually yes, I do have a problem. But you have a bigger one if you need to beat up mentally ill kids to feel more macho." I expected a punch right after I said that. Maybe what I was doing wasn't much more fortunate than using force. But instead of retaliating, the shorter man muttered a 'shit' and let go of Frank's hair.
"We didn't know." he added.
"Oh, you didn't know, of course! Tell me...even if you didn't know that detail, shouldn't it be enough with the fact that he's much younger and smaller than you?" I continued, seeing as the second guy hadn't released Frank yet. What's more, he was restraining him harder.
"Come on! What does it matter? The little brat still insulted us." he spoke to his friend.
"Let him fucking go! He's not aware of what he says, asshole!" I spat at him angrily.
"If he doesn't know how to behave then keep him locked up, I don't fucking care!" the man went on, finding it more and more difficult to keep Frank quiet. The kid was pretty strong for someone his size.
"He has the same right to walk around as pricks like you. More, I'd say." I shot back. I didn't care anymore whether they'd like it or not.

"Joe, let the kid go already." his partner demanded. Joe just stared at him. "Leave him the fuck alone, come on! We don't want trouble."
Before the Joe guy could have time to consider the request, Frank achieved to rotate his body enough for his knee to collide with the man's balls.
"FUCKING CRAZY SON OF A BITCH!" he shouted, finally loosening the grip on his pray. I took Frankie by the hand and we ran to the car without looking back.
"That was awesome, Frankie!" I laughed, opening the door with no problem this time. "But please, don't ever run away like that again, ok? You scared me to death when I didn't see you behind me anymore."
"I...I won't d-do it again, p-promise. F-forgive me?" He looked down, seemingly sorry. I knew that chances were he'd do it again, since he didn't always have decision or consciousness over his acts. But I needed to let him know how much he had scared me. Same as he needed to promise me that, I guessed.
"Of course I forgive you. Now come on, get into the backseat so you can sleep more comfortably, you need it." I told him. He was yawning and rubbing his eyes like a little child. I was about to start the car when he tapped me on the shoulder.
"Yes? Do you need something?"
"I..." he bit his lower lip shyly.
"Tell me." I encouraged him.
"Wh-when I don't f-feel well or...or I'm t-too nervous Grace stays with m-me until I fall as-asleep..." he said, almost a whisper, twitching. "A-and I...I can't s-sleep without my p-pills, I'm s-scared. The m-monsters I...NO! C-come here and s-stay with me?"