Authors Note: Alrightie everyone hopefully this update has been quick enough for you all! I'm excited about this chapter, mainly because the plot is starting to become more in-depth explanatory (I hope) haha but remember if you have any questions about the story feel free to drop a message! and I know my chapter may seem a bit boring at some moments but please bear with me, this is all important to the lead up for the more important bits! Okay now onto the fourth chapter! And I know I've said this a million times in practically every story I've posted on here but PLEASE REVIEW. And special thanks to everyone that has already.
Haunted
Alex quickly twisted the knob of the door, taking one quick step through the wooden door frame.
The bedroom was just he remembered it from that night. The few toys that lay lifelessly on the ground, right down toun-made bed Josh had slept in previously.
Alex felt like an intruder in this un-touched display of his and Josh's childhood, so he very carefully made his way to the wooden dresser on the right of the large room.
Grabbing a pair of pyjama pants and a T-shirt, Alex gloomily started to change clothes.
Once he was finished, Alex stared at once shared bunk bed in front of him.
Slowly, Alex made his way over the bottom bunk; Josh's half.
The brunette sat on the edge on the soft mattress, memories flooding back of many times Josh had awoken screaming due to a nightmare. Tears welling in his eyes, Alex turned, noticing the pink rabbit sitting idly next to Josh's pillow.
Alex gently picked up the stuffed toy, examining it carefully.
Placing the toy back, Alex laid down in the bed, tears falling from his eyes while doing so.
The Shepherd boy could still smell Josh's scent on the pillow as he cried quietly.
This room, those memories, they were all becoming too much for Alex. He felt alone.
Alex clutched onto the pillow tightly, trying his best not wake his parents with his sobbing.
That night Alex cried himself to sleep.
-
The next morning Alex awoke to the sun glowing faintly through the curtains covering the window.
Slowly Alex got out of bed, rubbing his red and slightly swollen eyes. From the sounds coming down stairs, the rest of the family was up and going about their daily business.
The brunette yawned quietly while walking into the small on-suit bathroom next to the dresser.
Alex stared back at the figure in the mirror. He felt so cold and alone, could anyone is Shepherd's Glen truly understand how he felt?
The young adult looked away from the reflection. He then opened the glass shower door, and turned on the water.
Alex took off his clothes and placed them neatly on the bathroom floor.
The water burnt at first, but after a few seconds the shock died down and Alex relaxed.
Alex leaned his head back, sighing as he did so. The warmth of the water mixed with the clouds of steam, seemed to help Alex relax, and best of all not think, at all.
Once Alex had finished in the shower, he stood in front of the mirror and began brushing his teeth.
Whether it had been the water or the steam, Alex noticed he didn't look as sickly as he had before the shower.
-
The young brunette walked down the stairs leading to lounge, in dark blue T-shirt and denim jeans.
"Alex is that you?" Lillian called from the kitchen.
"Yeah Mom, it's me." Alex responded while walking into the kitchen.
"Did you sleep well?" Lillian asked with a smile.
"Yeah, I slept fine." Alex lied.
"That's good to hear."
"Would you like some breakfast?"
"Umm, no thanks, I'm not really hungry." Alex said quietly.
"Are you sure? You really should eat something."
"No thanks Mom." Alex smiled while walking out into the back yard.
The sun was out, giving the backyard a less grim effect than yesterday. Alex, for the first time in months, actually felt as though his life could start getting back on track again.
The golden rays of the sun painted the tree house in the Shepherd family yard a lightened brown. Alex stared at the large wooden box-like structure. He hadn't been inside that tree house for what felt like years.
Climbing the small wooden steps, Alex smiled slightly as he noticed the photos and drawings stuck to the walls of the tree house.
Alex scanned the photos; some were of Josh and Adam, others of Josh and Lillian. The brunette smiled to himself as he came across a bunch of him and Joshua, one was at Josh's 6th birthday party, another on Alex's 12th birthday, and the rest were random snaps taken throughout the boys lives.
Alex leaned his back against the wall, and looked at all of the photos thoroughly. It felt as though Alex had been examining those photos for hours, a past reality clouding over his own.
These pictures made the young Shepherd happy.
Suddenly Alex heard the sound of a child giggling. Quickly the brunette climbed down the small steps; trying his best not to fall.
Alex's eyes grew wide with shock at the sight of Joshua playing in the backyard.
"J-Josh?" Alex stammered whilst walking slowly toward the boy.
The younger boy looked over at his older brother in wonder.
"Come get me Alex!"
Joshua then opened the backyard fence, and promptly ran away.
Alex didn't think, instead he ran after the boy.
The dirt path was familiar; it led to the old playground the two Shepherd boys used to play at a lot when they were young.
Josh ran straight through to the other side, ducking through a large hole in the fence.
Alex then followed Josh through the fence and along another pathway; this time leading to Toluca Lake.
At first Alex didn't realise where he had been led to, but as trees began to surround him, Alex soon got a strong urge to turn back before he got any closer to the Lake.
"Alex, over here!" Joshua called playfully as he ran closer toward the edge of the Water.
The elder resisted the urge to stay away, and ran after the child.
When Alex finally arrived at the edge of the water Josh was nowhere to be found, the thing left was the horrific memory of that night.
Alex tried to block out his thoughts, but the aching guilt that had once subsided, now began pounding in his chest, and the painful loneliness crept its way back into Alex heart.
That Lake...that one Lake had ruined Alex's life forever.
The tears began to stream down the Shepherds face as he slowly walked aimlessly around the edge of the water.
Alex's legs suddenly felt weak, so he leant against a nearby tree.
"I'm so sorry Josh...I should have protected you!" Alex whispered in anger at himself.
"Alex, is that you?" Elle interrupted while stumbling through the bushes.
Caught by surprise, Alex quickly tried his best to wipe away the tears falling from his light brown eyes.
"Oh shit, are you okay!" Elle gasped by the broken Alex standing in front of her.
"Yes, fine." Alex said a little too quickly.
Elle frowned.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes Elle I'm sure." Alex hissed quietly while trying to hold back the tears, but failed miserably.
Elle opened her mouth to say something, but then closed when she noticed the tears streaming down Alex face.
"Alex please tell me what's wrong!"
Alex turned further away from the blonde.
"Trust me Elle you don't want to know...I'm gunna head home."
The brunette then walked home grimly; his whole trembling slightly with building hysteria.
Authors Note: Awwww poor Alex haha don't ya just wanna hug the poor guy! Anyways I shall hopefully have chapte 5 up soon; I really hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think of it!
until next time.
BleedingMascara23