The Pearl Family

Joey

I watched small amounts of my blood go down the shower drain; I almost got caught with Jason's blade yesterday. I had to return it to where I found it; I then found some razors. Dad, Henry, and I use them when we reached puberty and started growing facial hair.
During my most recent shaving, one of the razors fell out when I was washing them out.
I'm using that now.
The voices started again. They're always there. But they're louder when i'm alone.
'Go back to the woods!'
'Bark for me, wolf boy!'

I made four cuts lengthwise of my forearm. As I made the cuts, the voices died down.

I washed the cuts with some hot water.
I stepped out of the shower and dried off. I took the first aid kit from the shelf and wrapped the white bandages around my wound.
I grabbed my robe, put the first aid kit back on the shelf, and threw the towel in the hamper.
I put the razor on the counter by the sink.
I tied my robe as I left the bathroom.
"Is there any hot water left?" Henry asked me.
I looked up and saw him in his uniform with Jackson behind him still in his pajamas.
Is Henry going to bathe Jackson?
"Yeah, I didn't use any," I said, walking away from the two and towards my room "Also...Jackson needs to grow up, and he should stop being such a.....puppy."
Jackson whimpered like a preschooler.
"Don't listen to him, Jackson," Henry said. He patted him between his ears.
Jackson has been acting like a small child or a puppy in wolf hybrid culture for years; he hasn't grown up; we can't keep condoling his behavior.

I sighed as I walked back to mine and Jasons room; I kept my uniform on my dresser. I get ready before I even shower.

'Hey, furry!' I heard one of the voices yell at me.

I ignore it and walk-in.
I walked into my bedroom.
Jason's bed on the left, mine on the right. At an early age, me being two and Jason a few months, we split the room down the middle.

Jason's side had numerous science fiction posters on the walls, a useless interest but, to each his own, I guess.
He wasn't in the room so that I could change.

I took my robe off and set it on my bed. It's a twin, so I don't take too much size on my side.
It's mostly just my bed, nightstand, and my desk for school work.
I silently put my uniform on.
The daily voices filled my head, yelling insults, berating me, and just basically telling me to cut myself.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I look normal, I guess. Well, I was slightly blurry.
I felt around for my glasses case.
I grabbed it and put my glasses on. Now, some people wonder how I wear glasses without ear support.
Since most glasses frames are made for humans, my dad and I use a small device made for hybrids with lousy vision. It's hard to explain, but it keeps our glasses balanced.

I put them on; the world clears up, and in the mirror behind me, I see Jason standing in the doorway in his pajamas.
He was just staring at me, not moving a muscle.
"Jason, you need to get dressed," I said, turning away from the mirror to face........

An empty doorway.
I stood there in confusion. I shook my head.
Ok, that hasn't happened for a bit. I see things that no one else does.

First time I saw something like that was when I was six.
I woke up randomly; it was still dark. And I saw a man standing in the corner of the room.
He was massive, and too a six-year-old, something big was scary.
He didn't have any distinguishing features, but there were his eyes. The eyes made me cry and start to scream for my parents.
"MOMMY, DADDY!" I cried out. Tears filling my eyes
They ran into the room, and the second they turned the lights on, the figure disappeared. I could barely get a word out through the tears.
My parents believed I had a nightmare, and they gave me a stuffed toy. They said it would protect me.

And my stupid six-year-old brain believed them.

I never saw that man again. But I never stopped seeing people that weren't there and hearing things that weren't happening.

I snapped back to reality when Jason spoke.

"Joey, are you ok?" he asked.
"Oh, im fine, just deep in thought." I said. I sat down on my bed.
Then I heard the front door close. That must be Henry.
"Joey, what did you do with my blade?" Jason asked."It smells like blood."
I didn't say anything.

'Ooh busted,' one of the voices said.

I told Jason to get ready and ignored him when he tried to talk about the blade.
I, Jason, and Justine walked to school in silence. Jason was uncomfortable.

When we arrived at school, I separated from them.
I had gotten my things out of my locker when Darius approached me. He barely leaves me alone at school.
"Joey!" He yelled, excited coming up from behind.
"What do you want?" I asked, annoyed at him.

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to come to my birthday in three days?" He asked.

I sighed.
"I don't know and don't care," I said, picking up my textbook for English; our poems are due today.
"Well, I'll just give this to you," Darius said, somewhat sad.
He put a small envelope in my book.
I sighed and walked away towards my classroom.

'Ha! You're a terrible person...scratch that you're not a person!'

Then I suddenly ran into someone.

"Oh, sorry," I said.
"It's okay," She said. She stuck her hand out.
"I'm Jennifer; nice to meet you," She said.
"Joey," I said.

I didn't even say anymore. I just walked off.

She felt.....different.