Insomnia
Zigzag lay on his cot, staring at the canvas ceiling. He'd searched the
whole camp for Squid but couldn't find him anywhere. He couldn't understand
why Squid was holding back when he knew that he loved him too.
"Where's your boyfriend?" X-Ray sneered as he entered the tent.
"Piss off," Zigzag replied, not looking away from the ceiling.
"What did you say to me?!"
Zigzag stood up and faced him. "I said piss off!" he repeated slowly,
sounding it out carefully, as if X-Ray was an idiot.
"Make me!"
Without thinking, Zigzag curled his fingers into a fist and next thing he
knew X-Ray was on the ground, clutching his stomach. He didn't know who was
more surprised, X-Ray or himself.
"Oh God, I'm sorry X-"
X-Ray cut him off. "Fag." He spat on the ground in front of Zigzags feet,
then turned and left.
Zigzag signed. He flopped back down on his cot and closed his eyes.
"Ziggy?"
His eyes flew open. Squid was standing hesitantly in the doorway. His face,
dusty from digging, was streaked with sadness.
Zugzag felt his heart beat speed up. He stood, taking a few steps foreward.
"Yeah?"
Squid bit his lip. HE opened his mouth to speak but the words seemed to
evaporate on his tongue. Finally he shook his head.
"Never mind," he muttered.
He turned to leave, but Zigzag reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Don't Squid, don't leave."
Squid glanced into Zigzags eyes, then found that he couldn't seem to look
away, compelled by some sort of force more powerful that anything he'd felt
before. Zigzag hadn't let go of his hand.
"I love you too Zig..." he whispered, turning away slightly.
"So what's the problem?" Zigzag asked, confused.
Tears spilt down Squids face slowly, he bowed his head to hide them.
"I already told you, you shouldn't waste your time on me."
Zigzag shook his head, "I'm not wasting my time Squid, I love you."
"I love you too... that's the problem."
"I don't understand..."
"It's just... everyone that I love... leaves me," Squid choked out. "My Dad
left, my Mum's too drunk to care... she loves alcohol more than she loves
me."
"Squid, I don't care about your parents, I care about you."
"But don't you see?! It's my fault! If I'd been a better son, maybe my dad
wouldn't have left... If... if I'd been-"
"Shh." Zigzag held up a hand to stop him, shaking his head. He reached out
and stroked Squids cheek, wiping away the tears. "It wasn't your fault."
He pulled Squid into a hug, wrapping his arms around the crying boy.
"Promise you wont leave me?" Squid whispered.
"I promise, I promise I'll never leave you," Zigzag soothed him, rubbing
his back comfortinly.
Squid wiped the tears from his face. As he did he saw something move out of
the corner of his eye, on Zigzags cot. It had large red eyes, and a white
tongue flicked out between two large fangs as it hissed at him.
"Zigzag, watch out!" Squid cried as the Yellow Spotted Lizard lept towards
them.
Zigzag lay on his cot, staring at the canvas ceiling. He'd searched the
whole camp for Squid but couldn't find him anywhere. He couldn't understand
why Squid was holding back when he knew that he loved him too.
"Where's your boyfriend?" X-Ray sneered as he entered the tent.
"Piss off," Zigzag replied, not looking away from the ceiling.
"What did you say to me?!"
Zigzag stood up and faced him. "I said piss off!" he repeated slowly,
sounding it out carefully, as if X-Ray was an idiot.
"Make me!"
Without thinking, Zigzag curled his fingers into a fist and next thing he
knew X-Ray was on the ground, clutching his stomach. He didn't know who was
more surprised, X-Ray or himself.
"Oh God, I'm sorry X-"
X-Ray cut him off. "Fag." He spat on the ground in front of Zigzags feet,
then turned and left.
Zigzag signed. He flopped back down on his cot and closed his eyes.
"Ziggy?"
His eyes flew open. Squid was standing hesitantly in the doorway. His face,
dusty from digging, was streaked with sadness.
Zugzag felt his heart beat speed up. He stood, taking a few steps foreward.
"Yeah?"
Squid bit his lip. HE opened his mouth to speak but the words seemed to
evaporate on his tongue. Finally he shook his head.
"Never mind," he muttered.
He turned to leave, but Zigzag reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Don't Squid, don't leave."
Squid glanced into Zigzags eyes, then found that he couldn't seem to look
away, compelled by some sort of force more powerful that anything he'd felt
before. Zigzag hadn't let go of his hand.
"I love you too Zig..." he whispered, turning away slightly.
"So what's the problem?" Zigzag asked, confused.
Tears spilt down Squids face slowly, he bowed his head to hide them.
"I already told you, you shouldn't waste your time on me."
Zigzag shook his head, "I'm not wasting my time Squid, I love you."
"I love you too... that's the problem."
"I don't understand..."
"It's just... everyone that I love... leaves me," Squid choked out. "My Dad
left, my Mum's too drunk to care... she loves alcohol more than she loves
me."
"Squid, I don't care about your parents, I care about you."
"But don't you see?! It's my fault! If I'd been a better son, maybe my dad
wouldn't have left... If... if I'd been-"
"Shh." Zigzag held up a hand to stop him, shaking his head. He reached out
and stroked Squids cheek, wiping away the tears. "It wasn't your fault."
He pulled Squid into a hug, wrapping his arms around the crying boy.
"Promise you wont leave me?" Squid whispered.
"I promise, I promise I'll never leave you," Zigzag soothed him, rubbing
his back comfortinly.
Squid wiped the tears from his face. As he did he saw something move out of
the corner of his eye, on Zigzags cot. It had large red eyes, and a white
tongue flicked out between two large fangs as it hissed at him.
"Zigzag, watch out!" Squid cried as the Yellow Spotted Lizard lept towards
them.