The Looming Truth

Todd Casil was the definition of growing up. So much of him had change now that he was 17. His hair was a mop cut at angles, barely revealing his face. His once saucer-like eyes were now small, dull, and covered in eyeliner. He was naturally thin, and oddly tall. A poet laureate and one of the town's most talented artists.

The biggest change of all was, he had no fear.

Todd was becoming more fearless as time went on. This change was result of his neighbor, Johnny C, leaving when Todd was only 14. Johnny was like a guardian to the boy. He looked up to Johnny, taking on almost everything the man, which Todd figured was now 24, did. When Johnny left, Todd looked around the man's house for the first time, and stumbled upon Johnny's paintings.

His teacher at the center for the arts is concerned. Todd laughs when recalling what the teacher said. "You're my best student, but I can't help but notice the content of your work. It's always abuse and death. Why?" Todd chuckled. At that moment, he was painting a portrait of a screaming woman nailed to the ceiling. If only his teacher knew where Todd was getting his ideas.

Todd was in his room, recovering from a new bruise his abusive parents had formed on his arm, and looking out the window. 'Two weeks he's been back, and not a visit,' Todd whined in his head. Johnny was always there when Todd's parents abused him. To be perfectly honest, the boy missed it. He looked at his latest canvas in his "Justice" series, and sighed, pulling out his storybook. Ever since he turned 9, he had been writing down the 'scary neighbor man's bedtime stories for inspiration. He even snuck into the house since Johnny got back from his trip, taking quick pictures of Nny torturing the new blood. These were his models for his work. Nny was his model.

Yet, that night, the 'heaven house' was dead silent. Biting his lip, Todd read an entry from his 10th year. A silent house meant something was wrong, but he didn't know what. So he read a story to take his mind off of Johnny. But it just wouldn't stay.

Don't worry yourself, Todd. Johnny doesn't need you anymore, and you don't need him.

Todd bit his lip even more, looking over at his shelf. The tattered remains of his bear, Shmee, sat there, covered in dust. He never had the guts to throw the heap out.

"I do so need him. Where would my art be? Where would I be?" Todd sighed.

Johnny hasn't done anything for you. You have done it all, Todd.

"If it weren't for him, I probably would have been killed in third grade!" Todd yelled, dropping hints to the bear about his hated parents, "So don't lie to me Shmee!"

Squee, you are the one lying. Johnny means nothing.

"He means everything!" Todd shouted, sitting up and clenching his fists. He opened the window and poked his head outside. No screams. No sounds. 777 was silent. He sighed and dropped his head, returning to his former place.

Give it up, Casil. He isn't coming again.

"You said he wouldn't even come home! You're always lying to me, Shmee. Something is going wrong over there," Todd sighed, looking at the shack, "I know it."

Why do you care? I remember you used to fear him, avoid him.

Todd bit his lip, nervously.

Then there was a scream.

"SHUT THE HELL UP, MEAT! THIS IS IT! IT'S ALL OVER!!!!" Todd sat up straight. Shivers ran down his spine.

"Nny…. No!"

Todd… SQUEE WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

Todd ignored his bear and leapt out his window. He fell and bruised his knee, but it didn't phase him. He just kept running. Running. The world was still, and he was the only one. He was running….

He ran into the house and followed the resonating sound of Johnny's voice. But he panicked outside of the door. 'Pull yourself together. What are you doing?' his voice of reason asked. Without knowing that it was his heart that answered, Todd opened the door to see Johnny kneeling, his head on his knees, holding a gun to his temple.

"SQUEEEEE!!!" Todd screamed, releasing his first whine of terror in years.

Everything in the room stopped, creating an awkward position for the 17-year-old. The only sound that could be heard was unbearable screaming from the torture chambers in the lower levels. That was so normal, however, that Todd pays it no mind. 'He probably doesn't remember me,' Todd sighed, thinking to himself, 'I hope he does. I really do.' He wrung his hands, shivering, watching the man with the gun.

Johnny dropped the weapon at the sound of this squeal, and looked up. His eyes widened at the sight before him. He knew that voice from somewhere.

Don't look. Keep going, Nny! It's almost over!

"Squee?" Johnny questioned, grabbing towards the gun unsuccessfully. Todd's eyes swelled and overflowed with tears, praising the lord that Johnny knew.

"YOU DO REMEMBER! Oh, Nny, don't do this," Todd cried, "Don't die. Please." But Johnny took no notice of the words, just Reverend Meat's psycho glare and Squee's pleading face. He pounded his head to stop the noise. Such noise they make.

Todd kept insisting, so Johnny gave up, "Why, Squee? Give me a reason I shouldn't escape this hellhole I created?" Todd went silent, searching for the right words to say, but Nny gave him no time to really think this through. "You can't," Johnny sighed, "There is no reason. Don't even try."

Todd gasped at the sudden conclusion, and spurted, "People would miss you!"

"Who would miss a homicidal monster?" Nny mumbled.

"ARE YOU BLIND? I WOULD!" Todd yelled, "That art you see me selling? It's of things you have done! I wait. Every night my father beats me to a pulp, but I wait for you to show up and make things better for me. I've learned your lessons. I've bided time while you were gone. I wait! I STILL WAIT!" Todd snatched up a knife sticking out of the wall, "Fook, Nny! Flying fook! Don't you see?!? Don't you hear?!?" Todd drew the knife a centimeter from his chest, "IF YOU GO, I GO TOO!!!!!"

"Squee…."

"IM SERIOUS, NNY!" Todd wept.

He dropped the knife and fell to his knees, sobbing, "I would miss you. Me.. I.. I-I….miss…you…" Todd looked up at Johnny with his tear-glazed eyes. This man before him was all he had left. Now that his father….

Todd shuddered. He was becoming Johnny.

He inched towards the man, slowly, "Johnny, my father… I couldn't take it anymore…" Johnny understood where this was going. He reached for the boy's shaking hands and inspected them. They were spotted with blood. 3 hours old.

He was speechless, but his eyes asked all the questions.

"I don't know why I did it. I missed you being there for me. You were the reason, I suppose," Todd mumbled. As Johnny went to pull his hands away, Todd tightened his grip. "You're the best friend I ever had."

Immortalize the moment, Nny. Now's your chance.

Johnny looked at his hands, tight in Todd's grasp, "I'll never hurt you, Squee."

Todd began to cry again. 'So much for men don't cry,' he thought, slowly bowing his shaking head down onto Nny's shoulder. Johnny flinched, but he calmly sat there.

An hour later, Todd was painting on his easel again. A man with blackish-navy hair donned the canvas, kneeing in a pool of red liquid, holding a gun to his temple. His eyes were full of pain and misunderstanding. Todd smiled lovingly at this portrait.

Why did you save him, Todd?

Todd ignored him, and put the finishing stroke on the new work of art, humming merrily. Shmee picked up on his companion's glee and began to pull at it.

Why, Todd? Do you love him? Was the' scared little boy' all an act for attention?

"SHUT UP, Shmee!" Todd yelled, throwing his pocketknife at the bear, "Leave me alone!" No noise came from the bear after that point, and Todd smiled.

But the peace was disturbed once again….