Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows

Silence was what rung in Brian’s ears. Deadly silence. Everything was a blur. Now he found himself standing waist deep in the freezing cold water as wave upon wave pushed against him. He looked down at his hand and the glint of the metal caught his eye. It was far more lighter than it had been to begin with. Three casings lighter, to be exact.

His fingers lost their strength and the revolver slowly sunk to the bottom of the ocean floor. The sand sullied its shine as the cloud from the impact engulfed it. Slowly, he brought his gaze upward once again. The warmness his eyes usually held was replaced by an emptiness. No longer were they capable of glinting mischievously in that way only known to him. His smile; detached. It didn’t connect and it was apparent.

Brian tried to recount the events in his mind, but came up with nothing. He simply remembered being here. The smell of the ocean breeze, the biting cold of the water. The reason for the gun was quickly slipping from him. Suddenly, he found his body turning and walking back towards the shore. His shirt and shoes were long gone; washed away by the tide. His toes dug into the sand as if his life depended on it. The night sky was spinning all around him and he fought to stand upright.

After a while, it was no longer sand underneath his feet, but pavement. The bright lights of Huntington’s night life blinded him. He put an arm up to block the dazzling lights. Passersby ogled at him, not quite believing their eyes: Synyster Gates roaming the streets like a madman. Soon a throng of people surrounded him, but he ignored their pleas for autographs and pictures. Texts from mobiles were being readily sent. Soon the whole world would know. Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. had finally cracked.

~~

Jimmy’s azure eyes frantically searched the streets. Drunken groups of people would intermittently get in the way of his vehicle and every time he managed to swerve out of their way. Up ahead the crowd got thicker and the flashes of cameras were apparent. He narrowed his eyes and skidded to a halt in the middle of the road.

His body immediately lurched itself out of the car at the sight of Brian. He parted the sea of frenzied people, elbowing them harshly on their sides in an attempt to get to Brian. It wasn’t too difficult of a task for him.

“Brian!” he called out, his voice a bit strained.

No one had heard from Brian or Michelle for days. Everyone was starting to worry. Relief washed over him as he locked one of his hands on Brian’s arm. Jimmy began to pull him back towards the car and Brian complied without a single word of protest. The throng of people soon dissipated after a couple of expletives from Jimmy.

He opened the door and Brian threw himself into the seat. Jimmy’s stomach knotted as he saw the state his friend was in. There was something wrong. Something had gone terribly awry. He settled in the driver’s seat and sped away, not exactly sure of their destination. The ride was completely silent. Brian’s catatonic state did not lessen. His face remained blank, arms limp at his sides. Only the rise and fall of his chest indicated to Jimmy he was still alive.

Jimmy swallowed the lump forming in his throat and licked at his dry lips. He glanced sideways at Brian and gripped the steering wheel.

“W-where ya been, man? We’ve been going crazy lookin’ for you...”

He did not dare bring up Michelle. Brian did not even shift in his seat. His voice came out cold and almost robotic. It cut straight through Jimmy’s heart.

“Did what I had to,” he murmured, his thin lips barely moving as he uttered each word.

Jimmy furrowed his brow and he could feel his heart thump in his chest. He licked at his lips again and cleared his throat, managing a weak laugh.

“Had Beach Day without me?” he asked, maintaining the smile though his skin crawled with unease. “Not cool, dude.”

Brian did not respond and kept his gaze forward. He only cared to be moving. Away from everything. His brain tried to recount all the events, but failed miserably. It was eating away at him. Jimmy looked forward as well and continued driving. They rode into the night without any words. There were no words to be exchanged. Not now. Perhaps never again.

Notes