I know, I know . . . I was so good at updated frequently, but I kind of fell off of the ladder with the whole up-to-date thing. I apoligize, and I promise I'll update quickly this time!
Enjoy . . .
Trey shot up off the couch.
He looked around confused. What the hell just happened?
His hands went up to his face and rubbed at his eyes.
The room was spinning it was distorted. And even though the pale light from the lamp was comforting, he knew who was behind that damn oak door . . . Ryan.
He had just hallucinated; he had succeeded in killing his brother. The nightmare was still fresh in his mind.
Shaking his head, Trey got to his feet and went into his room.
He sighed heavily when he opened the door, his room looked exactly as he had envisioned it in his nightmare, only this time he knew he wouldn't be saying goodbye to Ryan. Thank God.
It took a lot of strength not to go looking for his stash of cocaine, because in all the chaos, confusion, and nightmares . . . Trey had forgotten where he had placed the white powder.
A chill ran through his spine as he remembered more of the horrid nightmare. It had felt as if he was on the outside looking in, he had watched as his double hurt his brother.
He would never do that, would he? Well of course he had already succeeded in beating the crap out of Ryan, but not extensively as the other guy who looked so much like him had done.
Trey walked hurriedly walked over to the closet.
What if the nightmare wasn't a dream? What if he had really killed Ryan?
Trey was on his knees and pulling up floorboards as record speed. "Thank God!" Trey said out loud.
Ryan looked like death warmed over; he definitely looked worse than when he had seen him last, which was only a few hours ago.
Dry blood was encrusted on his face; it didn't go well with the ugly white pallor his baby brother was sporting with his skin. The bruises were oddly comforting, it was the only hint of darkness on his brothers' throat.
It was even more disconcerting when he turned his brothers' head; the ugly gash that Trey had made by slamming the phone into Ryan's temple was massive. It was after that incident that Trey had choked his brother, had killed him.
How could he have done that? Trey berated himself, he remembered.
Marissa, he had fallen hard for the girl, but of course the boy in Chino had become a man in prison. And the troubled girl from the O.C. had already found her knight in white shining armor, his little brother.
Anyhow, Trey pushed all the angry feelings and the self-loathing, and that damned nightmare . . . he sucked up his problems and pulled Ryan from his prison.
At the movement Trey felt Ryan's body go rigid, even in Ryan's oblivion he could feel the pain.
Trey had to ignore his brothers' attempts to push away the pain; he had to get Ryan to the bathroom. Maybe cleaning him up would relieve some of the pain.
Trey reminisced on the fact that Ryan had seemed to be in less agony when he was hyped up on heroin. Trey had to forget about that little detail. If he were to give Ryan any more of the stimulant he would be looking at an almost definite overdose.
He drug Ryan's unnaturally limp body into the bathroom, and set him down carefully on the linoleum.
Trey tried not to jar Ryan's stomach, knowing his ribs would be sore from the many penny shots he took at him during their brawl. He took the key from his pocket and removed Ryan's bindings including his gag.
Pulling off Ryan's shirt was not an easy task. Ryan had begun moaning and groaning in pain, along with him withering on the floor, still in the clutches of his hellish nightmares.
It had only taken five minutes for the warm water to fill the bathtub. And Ryan was now stripped down to his boxers.
Trey did not want to see his little brother naked. Sure he remembered having to take baths with Ryan when he was younger, but that was only because his mother was too plastered to risk having to watch both children at separate times, making sure they didn't drown.
And seeing his brother naked would absolutely be a no-no back in Chino. Not to mention if Ryan was in the land of the living he would be screaming for some clothes right about now.
Taking his time Trey lifted Ryan into the tub. He sat on the seat of the toilet and watched his brothers head loll back and forth against the rim on porcelain tub.
Trey washed the dried blood from Ryan's face as best he could, even though it was hard when sometimes Ryan's head would slip into the water and Trey would have to fish him out before he drowned.
After he was done, Trey dried Ryan off and managed to slip a clean pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt on him.
The older brother didn't bother on putting Ryan's bindings back on, that was only a precaution for when Sandy had stopped by, minus when he was on his cocaine high in his bedroom the night before.
Ryan now rested peacefully under his heavy wool blankets, hopefully tomorrow would be a new day.
TBC, And thanks for your reviews!