A World of Grime

Oscar's memories

The entry ends there, with just scrambled screams of 'Make it stop' scattered around the page. Oscar flicked back and forth through the book, desperately trying to find anything after that date, but there was nothing. His hands began to tremble, and his eyes welled up. "What is it?" Manuel leant over, snapping his fingers. "Mate, you still there?" Finally the tears started to run, and his lip began to quiver. "Hey, what happened?" Oscar looked up, the eyes turning puffy from tears, as his voice wobbled slowly, turning ugly quick.
"I... I..." Was all he could let out, before it became uncontainable, crumpling into Manuel's open arms, sobbing uncontrollable sobs, the tears and snot dribbling down his jacket onto the book.
"Hey hey, it's alright, you're alright. I've got you." Manuel sat there not knowing what the hell just happened, continuing to comfort. The sobs became wails, and he opened his eyes for a split second, desperately trying to take back control. "You're alright." Manuel repeated. He started to rub his back, giving him time to breath. "god, what was in that page to get you like this?" Oscar let out a small whimper-like laugh between the fleeting tears. Their hug continued for a little longer, before Oscar coughed, muttering under his breath. "Feeling better?" He nodded, smiling faintly, before grabbing the book, turning back close to the front of the journal.
"Look." He showed Manuel a photo of Rita and him pulling faces, with a caption beneath, that read 'Me and Rita Quells!' with 'Friends forever <3' scribbled alongside it by Rita, they assumed. Manuel looked close, and it clicked.
"Oh my god." he spat. "Oh my god!" he held his head up, pulling his cheeks down. "OH MY GOD!"
"We've got a name now, I know!" Oscar answered, so he'd stop saying that, and he calmed down.
"Hey, listen, you sure you're okay now?" Oscar nodded, giving him a reassuring pat. "Alright, good, cause we've got a long day ahead of us, so get some rest!" He walked away, taking the journal with him, leaving Oscar to rest. He flicked through the pages, and came across the sealed entry, reading slow and capturing each word. His chest felt like it would implode, he couldn't breathe. His fear was not for himself, but for Oscar, Joseph, even Rita, wherever she was. They may have been the only ones to see Patrick like that, and he distinctly remembered how Oscar ended up. Thrown in an alley like a dead rat. He knew what had to happen. First thing, he'd leave, grab Joseph, and get back to explain everything. Oscar wasn't safe going back, he knew that now. For now, eye lids were slowly falling, and sleep was overtaking him, so it was best to rest, follow his own advice.