muse_manifesto #16: If you could change one moment in your past, what would it be?
“Don't!” shouted Jimmy. His eyes wouldn't stop stinging and no matter how many times he blinked the blur wouldn't go away.
They'd been nice during class. They'd all been so nice to him. There had been talks of claiming the plastic tunnel on the far side of the playground as their own. Jimmy had even helped them draw a picture of it before recess. So when the three children asked him about his dog, he'd been excited. It was a chance to really impress his new friends; just the other day he'd taught Mutt how to sit. At first, they seemed just as happy as Jimmy had been when he'd first seen Mutt.
Only five minutes later and everything had changed. He shouted and he cried and he tried to call for a teacher. One of the children, Andrew was his name, took the over-sized branch that the three had chosen to beat Mutt with and swung it in Jimmy's direction. The next thing he was aware of was that blur again. It wasn't from crying this time, the very thought of which made his wipe his nose on his sleeve. Dad told him once that boys never cried. Jimmy would come home from school sometimes with a nose so raw it was pink and Dad wouldn't look at him. He wouldn't even look at him.
The ground felt soft and wet underneath his back and he could see the huge branch laying next to him if he turned his eyes to the right just as far as they could go. The sky didn't look blue today so much as white, Jimmy thought. There were voices coming from behind him so he finally decided to sit up. He needed to find Mutt and tell him how sorry he was about those other kids. Jimmy would feed the dog his ham and cheese sandwich and tell him all about the new book he was reading and the teachers would help him find Mutt.
That day, Jimmy Wilson went home with a bright pink nose. When his mother asked what happened Jimmy started crying again. He tried to tell her about Mutt and the tunnel and recess and the big branch. Everything came out as violent sobs and even though he was telling the tears to stop they kept coming. Dad was in the kitchen drinking his drink and Jimmy decided to tell him. There was something wrong inside of him, his stomach wouldn't untwist and Mutt was gone. Dad would help.
Jimmy approached the dining table slowly. He sniffled quietly and stood beside where Dad was sitting with hunched shoulders. His neck had been hurting ever since Andrew had hit him and Jimmy wasn't sure if it was something dangerous to worry about or not. Maybe he could ask Dad about his neck, too.
Dad kept drinking his drink without saying anything for a while and Jimmy almost began to wonder if he hadn't noticed him standing there. A loud cough, two more drinks of his drink later and Dad spoke.
“You've been crying, James?”
“No, sir.”
“Yeah you have.”
“It's Mutt. I thought they were nice but they weren't and Mutt's dead!”
“Don't keep up that crying shit, y'hear me?”
He watched Dad stand from the chair and walk slowly out of the kitchen. Jimmy stood still for a while, trying to think about ham and cheese sandwiches and good books. The horrible stinging was in his eyes again and he knew the blur was coming soon. A few seconds later and he sat down on the kitchen floor with his eyes closed. He started squeezing the sore out of his neck with one hand and squeezed those eyes shut as tight as he could.
Dad hadn't looked at him. Dad hadn't looked at him once.
Muse: Dr. James Wilson
Fandom: House MD
Words: 650
They'd been nice during class. They'd all been so nice to him. There had been talks of claiming the plastic tunnel on the far side of the playground as their own. Jimmy had even helped them draw a picture of it before recess. So when the three children asked him about his dog, he'd been excited. It was a chance to really impress his new friends; just the other day he'd taught Mutt how to sit. At first, they seemed just as happy as Jimmy had been when he'd first seen Mutt.
Only five minutes later and everything had changed. He shouted and he cried and he tried to call for a teacher. One of the children, Andrew was his name, took the over-sized branch that the three had chosen to beat Mutt with and swung it in Jimmy's direction. The next thing he was aware of was that blur again. It wasn't from crying this time, the very thought of which made his wipe his nose on his sleeve. Dad told him once that boys never cried. Jimmy would come home from school sometimes with a nose so raw it was pink and Dad wouldn't look at him. He wouldn't even look at him.
The ground felt soft and wet underneath his back and he could see the huge branch laying next to him if he turned his eyes to the right just as far as they could go. The sky didn't look blue today so much as white, Jimmy thought. There were voices coming from behind him so he finally decided to sit up. He needed to find Mutt and tell him how sorry he was about those other kids. Jimmy would feed the dog his ham and cheese sandwich and tell him all about the new book he was reading and the teachers would help him find Mutt.
That day, Jimmy Wilson went home with a bright pink nose. When his mother asked what happened Jimmy started crying again. He tried to tell her about Mutt and the tunnel and recess and the big branch. Everything came out as violent sobs and even though he was telling the tears to stop they kept coming. Dad was in the kitchen drinking his drink and Jimmy decided to tell him. There was something wrong inside of him, his stomach wouldn't untwist and Mutt was gone. Dad would help.
Jimmy approached the dining table slowly. He sniffled quietly and stood beside where Dad was sitting with hunched shoulders. His neck had been hurting ever since Andrew had hit him and Jimmy wasn't sure if it was something dangerous to worry about or not. Maybe he could ask Dad about his neck, too.
Dad kept drinking his drink without saying anything for a while and Jimmy almost began to wonder if he hadn't noticed him standing there. A loud cough, two more drinks of his drink later and Dad spoke.
“You've been crying, James?”
“No, sir.”
“Yeah you have.”
“It's Mutt. I thought they were nice but they weren't and Mutt's dead!”
“Don't keep up that crying shit, y'hear me?”
He watched Dad stand from the chair and walk slowly out of the kitchen. Jimmy stood still for a while, trying to think about ham and cheese sandwiches and good books. The horrible stinging was in his eyes again and he knew the blur was coming soon. A few seconds later and he sat down on the kitchen floor with his eyes closed. He started squeezing the sore out of his neck with one hand and squeezed those eyes shut as tight as he could.
Dad hadn't looked at him. Dad hadn't looked at him once.
Muse: Dr. James Wilson
Fandom: House MD
Words: 650