the lonely by E.K. Perkins (life books to read txt) 📕

There are three of them.

Joshua, Landon, and Brenna. The Trio, they like to call themselves. They do everything together. They share their things. Like their cat. Joshua especially loves to share his cat. Tickles, they call her. She's orange - that's Landon's favorite color, Joshua says. Landon likes everything orange, Joshua says, like construction hats and pumpkins and Halloween, Joshua says. 

Brenna doesn't talk. She only talks to Joshua and Landon. She's really shy and so she stays hidden in the shadows a lot. Joshua says she's really pretty. He describes her hair as a chocolate waterfall and her eyes as cucumbers. Like the kind his mom used to give him when he lived back at home. Now he's older and lives in an apartment, he says.

Joshua says he hears voices. But not in the creepy way. He says they ask him how he's doing - he says that he likes them. Because they help him through all the confusion. Landon and Brenna are the only people who care to stick around through all of his claims of voices. Everyone else says the voices are fake. And that he's crazy. But they don't think that. They say they believe him. And they stick around. 

And they share things. 

Like Tickles.

Speaking of Tickles, she licks Joshua's cheek to wake him up. He smiles at her and sits up. "I'm awake." he scratches her fur and then gets out of bed. He walks to his kitchen where Brenna and Landon are already sitting at the table. Landon is drinking orange juice and eating an orange roll. Brenna doesn't like eating, Joshua says. It hurts her stomach, he says, so she doesn't eat, he says.

Joshua sits down at the table after grabbing orange juice for himself.

"What are we doing today?"

"Let's go to the park," Brenna says, a slight pleading tone in her quiet voice. 

"I'm not allowed out," Joshua says uncomfortably. He fidgets with his hands and then runs his fingers through his hair. "I mean, I shouldn't go out. People don't like me. You know that."

Landon finishes his orange juice. "You're just scared. Scared of them. We'll protect you." 

"I don't think you understand," Joshua's hands are shaking. Brenna gently takes his orange juice glass and sets it on the table. "The Ones Who Wear White? They scare me, Landon!"

Brenna stands up. She walks to a window and pushes back the curtain. All the windows in the house have curtains. Joshua doesn't like the outside, he says, the sun hurts his eyes he says. The sunlight streams in and Joshua turns away from it. He stands up and paces back and forth. His palms sweat. He mutters things. Landon stands up too. 

"Joshua, just come out for a day, we promise we'll make the Ones Who Wear White go away," Landon begins backing himself toward the door. 

"They'll take you away, they always take you away, I don't like going outside," Joshua blinks. 

Tickles meows. She wants to go outside too, Joshua thinks. But they'll take her too, Joshua thinks. The Ones Who Wear White are evil. They steal things. They steal friends. 

"Even if they do take us away, we always find a way back," Brenna says softly. Her voice is like water, Joshua says. Clear, crisp water.

Joshua wrings his wrists. "I... I... I just feel nervous when I'm alone."

Tickles meows again. Joshua frowns. "Fine. We'll go to the park. But if we see any of The Ones Who Wear White, we comes straight back."

Landon nods and opens the door. Daylight scares Joshua. Tickles runs out. The Trio follows her out of the apartment complex and into the busy town. She knows where they want to go. When they reach the park, Joshua glances around wildly for The Ones Who Wear White. They're hiding. They'll jump out and scare him. Joshua hates hide-and-seek.

"They aren't here," Landon says. Brenna has become a stiff mannequin-like being. She's staring at the ground. Joshua wishes to see her cucumber colored eyes, he says. That's also why he didn't want to come out here, because he wants to see her eyes, he says.

"Joshua."

The voice startles him, but he realizes that it's the Reassuring Voice. He relaxes ever so slightly. 

"Joshua, everything is fine, but I need to talk to you, okay?"

"Is it the voice?" Landon asks, Brenna looks up at them. 

"Yes," Joshua says. But he knows what accompanies the voice. The Ones Who Wear White. Sometimes Joshua will have a good conversation with the voice at his apartment only to find The Ones Who Wear White in his kitchen or room stealing from him. Usually they take Tickles because Brenna and Landon can hide very well. But she always finds a way back. 

"I don't want to talk to you," Joshua frowns. He sees a little girl who is staring at him with a strange expression on her face. Joshua doesn't like people who stare, he says, he wants them to stop staring, he says. But they never do. He glares and the little girl runs off. 

"Joshua I need you to come with us."  the voice says.

The Ones Who Wear White are surrounding The Trio suddenly. One of them is hiding Tickles, Joshua says. He knows, because she's not here anymore. Joshua's anger flares up.

"Give me back Tickles, she's m- mine! Not YOURS! I only share with my friends, and you are evil people, not friends!" He's terrified. He can't find Landon. Brenna grabs his hand and together they run out of the group of The Ones Who Wear White. Joshua is crying now. He misses Landon and Tickles. But he still has Brenna. He can't lose her too. 

The Ones Who Wear White are gaining on them. They reach the apartment complex and dash into Joshua's apartment.

"Joshua, listen to me, they will not hurt you if you don't hurt them."

"They've taken Tickles and Landon away! They're going to take Brenna too!" 

The door handle rattles and Brenna frowns. She's getting distant. They'll take her, Joshua thinks, they'll take her and I'll be alone again, Joshua thinks. He falls to his knees. Sobs tear from his chest. He feels Brenna's feather-light hand rest on his back. He loves her soft hands, he thinks. They make him feel calm. The door finally gives in and Brenna is almost gone.

"No! She's not your friend! And neither is Landon! And Tickles is MY cat! Give them back!" the group advances on him mercilessly. He stumbles up and follows Brenna to the kitchen table.

"Today we fight back. Then we can get back Tickles and Landon and The Ones Who Wear White will stop bothering us." Brenna says.

Brenna picks up Landon's empty orange juice glass and throws it as hard as she can at the first One Who Wears White. He has light blonde hair and icy blue eyes, Joshua says. It shatters across the man's head and he falls down. As soon as the man falls, Brenna is gone. They've taken her. Joshua yells in rage and throws his still full glass at another One Who Wears White. It misses him by an inch and shatters on the ground. They look like orange candies glistening in the light, Joshua thinks. Landon would like that, he thinks. 

"Joshua." the voice is firm. 

And Joshua blacks out. 

When he wakes up, he is in a bed. Not his bed. A white bed.

A familiar woman is sitting in a white chair. She is wearing white. She is behind a glass wall. Everything is white. 

"Where is Landon and Brenna and Tickles?" Joshua demands. He tries to sit up, but finds that his arms are tied tightly across his chest.

"Joshua," the woman is the Reassuring Voice, Joshua realizes, she is human, he realizes. "Landon, Brenna, and Tickles are not alive. They were all killed in a car crash three years ago. You were the only one who survived. Do you remember that?"

But Joshua isn't listening. He's already gone back to his apartment, where Tickles and Landon and Brenna are waiting for him. And now, he has a new friend who has blonde hair and icy blue eyes. 

Publication Date: 11-27-2014

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