BLOODY TEARS
Chapter Seven: Suicide is Painless
"Urgh!" Zigzag pulled his pillow over his head, trying to block out the
sound of the trumpet. Armpit muttered something about school buses and
waffles. Caveman rolled over, not waking.
X-Ray was the first to get up, the rest of D-Tent followed slowly. Except
Squid.
Noticing that Squid wasn't getting up, Magnet walked over and shook him
gently.
"Usted se levanta aqui, oust perderĂ¡n el desayuno," he said sleepily (Get
up, or you're going to miss breakfast.)
Squid didn't move so Magnet shook his shoulder again. A small jar fell from
Squids hand, scattering small white pills across the ground.
"Que-?!" (What-?!)
The rest of D-Tent had already left and were on their way to the 'library'.
Magnet quickly ran from the tent, not noticing, or caring, that he was only
wearing the boxers and a white T-Shirt.
"X-Ray! X-Ray!"
"Magnet! What the hell?!" X-Ray stared at him.
Magnet started speaking very quickly in Spanish.
"Wait! Magnet! Slow down, and speak in English."
Magnet changed to English but didn't slow down. "It's Squid! He wont wake
up! He took some pills-"
He didn't need to say any more because X-Ray had already turned and was
sprinting back towards the tent, followed closely by Zigzag.
"Someone get Mum!"
They burst into the tent and rushed to Squids bedside.
"Squid!" Zigzag shook him violently, "Squid, wake up!"
"Zig! Stop it!" X-Ray cried. "Just calm down!"
He looked down at Squids still body, trying to think of what to do.
Mr Pendanski came through the tent flap, with a canteen full of water, a
bag of salt, a large bowl and a smile.
"Hello boys! How are we today?"he said cheerily as he poured the salt into
the canteen and shook it to mix it with the water.
The boys stared at him
"What are you doing?" asked Amrpit incrediously.
"Oh, this is just a way to help get rid of all those pills. It'll make him
throw up."
X-Ray got the impression that Mr Pendanski had done this before. He
wondered how many other 'campers' had tried to take their lifes.
"Is he gonna be ok?" Caveman asked nervously.
"Of course. Why don't you all go dig? Alan will be fine."
"No way!" X-Ray refused, "I'll dig two holes tomorrow. I'm not leaving
him."
"Same here," said Zigzag.
Mr Pendanski looked at them for a moment, before finally nodding.
"Fine, you two can stay. The rest of you, go dig!"
The rest of D-Tent filed out slowly.
"Ok," Mr Pendanski clasped his hands together, "How about you two sit him
up for me."
They obeyed, one on each side of Squid. Mr Pendanski tilted Squids head
back and held the canteen to his lips. He tipped it slightly, meaning for
the salt water to flow down Squids throat, but Squid choked and coughed it
up, it dribbled down onto his t-shirt.
"No." Squid moaned, almost inaudibly, barely conscious. He tried to pull
away from Pendanskis grasp, but Mr Pendanski had a firm grip on his hair
and jaw, holding his mouth open.
"Come on Alan, drink the water."
But Squid kept struggling and coughing it up.
Zigzag had one hand on his back and the other on his shoulder, "Come on
Squid, it's real important, you have to drink the water."
".tastes bad."
"I know it does Squidly, but you have to drink it, please," Zigzag begged.
Squid finally gave in and swallowed the water.
Mr Pendanski left X-Ray and Zigzag to look after Squid after the salt water
had done itsjob.
Squid slept on and off, feverous and sick, his throat burning, the taste of
vomit in his mouth. Tossing and turning, trapped in a nightmare of pain and
fear.
He opened his bloodshot eyes. Zigzag was dabbing his forehead with a damp
rag.
"How ya feelin'?" Zigzag asked softly.
Squid groaned, "Hot. and sick. oh God, why couldn't you just let me die?"
Zigzag frowned, his forehead creased in concern.
"Squidly, why are you doing this to yourself?"
Squid sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment, "Ziggy?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did he do that to me?"
Squid sounded so young and confused, asking impossible questions, tears
filling his eyes.
"I don't know." Zigzag wanted to give him an answer. Wanted to make
everything better, but knew that there was nothing he could say.
X-Ray was sitting in the corner of the tent, cleaning his glasses,
listening to Squid and Zigzags conversation. Guilt was staining his
insides, remembering the last thing he'd said to Squid before his suicide
attempt.
"You wanna kill yourself, go ahead! See if I care!"
He sighed. Looking over, he saw that Squid had fallen asleep again. Zigzag
leant back, rubbing his eyes.
"Tired?" asked X-ray.
Zigzag jumped. He'd forgotten that X-Ray was in the tent.
"Oh. No, not ready. Just thinking."
"Yeah? What about?"
"Just. I dunno. just wish I could make it all better."
Zigzag looked down at Squid sadly.
Chapter Seven: Suicide is Painless
"Urgh!" Zigzag pulled his pillow over his head, trying to block out the
sound of the trumpet. Armpit muttered something about school buses and
waffles. Caveman rolled over, not waking.
X-Ray was the first to get up, the rest of D-Tent followed slowly. Except
Squid.
Noticing that Squid wasn't getting up, Magnet walked over and shook him
gently.
"Usted se levanta aqui, oust perderĂ¡n el desayuno," he said sleepily (Get
up, or you're going to miss breakfast.)
Squid didn't move so Magnet shook his shoulder again. A small jar fell from
Squids hand, scattering small white pills across the ground.
"Que-?!" (What-?!)
The rest of D-Tent had already left and were on their way to the 'library'.
Magnet quickly ran from the tent, not noticing, or caring, that he was only
wearing the boxers and a white T-Shirt.
"X-Ray! X-Ray!"
"Magnet! What the hell?!" X-Ray stared at him.
Magnet started speaking very quickly in Spanish.
"Wait! Magnet! Slow down, and speak in English."
Magnet changed to English but didn't slow down. "It's Squid! He wont wake
up! He took some pills-"
He didn't need to say any more because X-Ray had already turned and was
sprinting back towards the tent, followed closely by Zigzag.
"Someone get Mum!"
They burst into the tent and rushed to Squids bedside.
"Squid!" Zigzag shook him violently, "Squid, wake up!"
"Zig! Stop it!" X-Ray cried. "Just calm down!"
He looked down at Squids still body, trying to think of what to do.
Mr Pendanski came through the tent flap, with a canteen full of water, a
bag of salt, a large bowl and a smile.
"Hello boys! How are we today?"he said cheerily as he poured the salt into
the canteen and shook it to mix it with the water.
The boys stared at him
"What are you doing?" asked Amrpit incrediously.
"Oh, this is just a way to help get rid of all those pills. It'll make him
throw up."
X-Ray got the impression that Mr Pendanski had done this before. He
wondered how many other 'campers' had tried to take their lifes.
"Is he gonna be ok?" Caveman asked nervously.
"Of course. Why don't you all go dig? Alan will be fine."
"No way!" X-Ray refused, "I'll dig two holes tomorrow. I'm not leaving
him."
"Same here," said Zigzag.
Mr Pendanski looked at them for a moment, before finally nodding.
"Fine, you two can stay. The rest of you, go dig!"
The rest of D-Tent filed out slowly.
"Ok," Mr Pendanski clasped his hands together, "How about you two sit him
up for me."
They obeyed, one on each side of Squid. Mr Pendanski tilted Squids head
back and held the canteen to his lips. He tipped it slightly, meaning for
the salt water to flow down Squids throat, but Squid choked and coughed it
up, it dribbled down onto his t-shirt.
"No." Squid moaned, almost inaudibly, barely conscious. He tried to pull
away from Pendanskis grasp, but Mr Pendanski had a firm grip on his hair
and jaw, holding his mouth open.
"Come on Alan, drink the water."
But Squid kept struggling and coughing it up.
Zigzag had one hand on his back and the other on his shoulder, "Come on
Squid, it's real important, you have to drink the water."
".tastes bad."
"I know it does Squidly, but you have to drink it, please," Zigzag begged.
Squid finally gave in and swallowed the water.
Mr Pendanski left X-Ray and Zigzag to look after Squid after the salt water
had done itsjob.
Squid slept on and off, feverous and sick, his throat burning, the taste of
vomit in his mouth. Tossing and turning, trapped in a nightmare of pain and
fear.
He opened his bloodshot eyes. Zigzag was dabbing his forehead with a damp
rag.
"How ya feelin'?" Zigzag asked softly.
Squid groaned, "Hot. and sick. oh God, why couldn't you just let me die?"
Zigzag frowned, his forehead creased in concern.
"Squidly, why are you doing this to yourself?"
Squid sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment, "Ziggy?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did he do that to me?"
Squid sounded so young and confused, asking impossible questions, tears
filling his eyes.
"I don't know." Zigzag wanted to give him an answer. Wanted to make
everything better, but knew that there was nothing he could say.
X-Ray was sitting in the corner of the tent, cleaning his glasses,
listening to Squid and Zigzags conversation. Guilt was staining his
insides, remembering the last thing he'd said to Squid before his suicide
attempt.
"You wanna kill yourself, go ahead! See if I care!"
He sighed. Looking over, he saw that Squid had fallen asleep again. Zigzag
leant back, rubbing his eyes.
"Tired?" asked X-ray.
Zigzag jumped. He'd forgotten that X-Ray was in the tent.
"Oh. No, not ready. Just thinking."
"Yeah? What about?"
"Just. I dunno. just wish I could make it all better."
Zigzag looked down at Squid sadly.
