Well...This is awkward... Has it been a year already? Technically it's only been 11 months but I would like the 3 (if not less) people who are still waiting for this story to be updated to know that these last 11 months have been insane. Completely and utterly insane. That's all I would like to say besides apologizing for the immense time gap. However, I haven't had a single spare moment to sit down and write. I hope I can update much more frequently for those of you who actually still care about this story. I hope you enjoy. :)

Previously on The Silent Victim:

Stupid, stupid, stupid. She's right. No one likes me, because I'm a freak and a horrible person. I know she's mad at me and I don't deserve to be her friend but if I stay away from her like she said, maybe one day she might forgive me, he wondered though he strongly doubted it. He grabbed a pencil and opened his book to a new page.

Chapter 9

Just Breathe

"Keep breathing. Just keep doing it. It's easy. In and out."
― Jenny Downham, Before I Die.

Bradys POV

I once heard someone say crowded hallways can be the loneliest place. I never understood. Now, it's not so hard to understand, not when every day is like that. It's kind of funny how I went from feeling like I was on top of the world to feeling like this. Like I'm nothing. Crazy how fast things can change right? I know it'll get better though, my parents always said you'll have to deal with the ugly days, so you can learn to enjoy the most beautiful ones. Doesn't matter how long it takes, I know it'll be worth it one day.

Mikayla Makoola. I wonder how long I've been in love with her. I've stopped counting the days when the numbers stopped making sense, a lot of things have stopped making sense. Last year I forgot my birthday, and it wasn't until school started up again that I realized July 9th passed. I turned 16, and I didn't even know until I started freshman year of high school. I was actually excited to start high school, thought maybe I could get a fresh start, instead of being known as the freak, or the mute. I did get a fresh start for a little while, but only until everyone knew about me, I guess it takes time for news to travel at a bigger school.

It's fine though, I've learned to stop caring about what people think, their opinions don't matter to me. There's only three people I wish to please. Only three that matter to me. I'll never know what two of them think of me, of what I've become; I can only hope they'd be proud. The third though, I know exactly how she feels about me every time we happen to make eye contact, which happens very rarely. I never knew someone could look at another person with that much anger. Every night I lie awake wondering, how I did wrong by her, why she refuses to speak to, look at, or even acknowledge me. I don't think I'll ever really understand what happened between us all those years ago.

Something happened three days ago. I've never been the best at fishing or hunting so when I came across an abandoned basket full of fruit I didn't hesitate to grab an apple from it. However, the basket wasn't exactly abandoned.

"Put that down boy, before you lose those hands." An elderly woman spoke as she appeared from behind the trees. I instantly placed the apple back and warily looked back at the woman. "You don't seem like an idiot, child. However, the fact that you fail to see the apple tree standing above you, and you choose to steal what you can acquire yourself makes me wonder." I failed to meet her gaze. "Ashamed, are ya? Good. You should be boy, stealing from others." She tut-tutted at me as if I were a child she was chiding for taking a cookie before eating their supper. "Would ya like to tell me why you were stealing from an innocent old woman?" I met her gaze then and attempted to look apologetic without having to utter the words. "Nothing huh? Hows about I go have a little chat with your parents eh?" My mouth briefly opened as if I was going to speak before shutting. I turned and began walking, though I wasn't expecting to hear footsteps behind me. I turned back to see the 'innocent old woman' staring back at me intently. "You didn't think I was about to just let you off the hook did ya? If so, you're quite the comedian. Come on, I'm in no rush. Lead the way boy." I continued along the path and we walked in silence until we reached my house.

"Gosh. What is this? A haunted house? You gonna charge me to go in? Y'all expect me to believe you live here?" She gave a small chuckle as if it was such an outrageous thought. I ignored her and opened the front door, gesturing her in. Surprisingly she didn't hesitate to enter the dreary house simply looking around as he entered. "Alright. Where are your parents' boy?" I shook my head. "Use your words boy." I shook my head once more and she gave me a curious look. "You got that lary-in-gitis thing going on?" I shook my head with a small bit of amusement; that was certainly a first. "I haven't got time for your games child." She shook her head at me before heading up the stairs with a determined look in her eyes. I took a seat at the dining table and patiently waited around five minutes before I heard a sound from the top of the stairs.

I looked up to see the 'innocent old woman' who had such a determined demeanour carefully descend the stairs with a blank look on her face. "There was a room." I nodded sadly, I had a feeling I knew where this was going. "It…What…Why was it so…cold? That room looks like someone hasn't been in there for 30 something year's boy. What's that about?" I met her gaze and we shared a silent conversation as I felt the gears turning in her head. "Yous alone boy?" I felt her determination through those words and nodded solemnly. "That place where yous attempted to steal from me. You remember how to get there?" I nodded confidently, I could find that place with my eyes closed the amount of times I've been there. "Few yards off there's a house, pretty big so it'd be hard to miss. Just me and my husband up there. You can stop by any time ya hear?" I looked at her dumbfounded. This stranger who I wronged was offering me so much. "Ya hear?" She repeated a bit more forcefully and I nodded quickly. She looked at me once more before walking past me and out the front door.

I was brought back to reality with the beginning of a storm making itself known. I was hoping thunder wouldn't be a part of it, unfortunately here I am sitting through it alone. When I was a kid I remember being terrified of thunder, and though it became less scary as I aged, I can still be found trembling every time a really loud one hits. When I was a kid my mom or dad would sit down with me during storms like this and just tell me to breathe. In and out they'd say, in and out. They made it seem so simple, but being here, suffering through the worst storm I can't breathe. I'm drowning and I can't find someone to pull me up, to pull me free. I can't see their hands at the surface, I can't hear their voices, I can't see their loving smiles and I've never been more terrified.

Breathe

In and out, in and out.
See, it's easy.
When the world becomes too much son, just breathe.
I breathe in.
The water burns my lungs.
I breathe out.
I sink deeper.
The world's becoming too much.
Help me.
I can't breathe.
Not anymore.
It's too hard.

I breathe in.
Water fills my lungs.
I can't breathe out.
I'm drowning.