Whispers and the Roars

by K. Webster

  Like now.

  Norman can do terrible things to me, but I have the ability to block it out. To replace the terror and physical pain with something perfect. Something beautiful. Yeo.

  “Such a good boy, Bones,” Norman taunts, dragging me away from a smiling Yeo in my mind. “Just like our Kenneth would have been if he’d ever been born.”

  Pain rips through me, but I quickly drag my awareness away from the present and back into the memories. Memories from this morning when Yeo and I ate popsicles on the front porch.

  Norman is weak.

  He can’t hurt Kady anymore.

  And he certainly can’t hurt me.

  I’m Bones.

  Strong. Resilient. Unbreakable.

  Kady

  I’m dragged back to the present when I hear his voice.

  “Don’t go in there,” Bones says, his voice a firm command.

  A shudder ripples through me. “Why is the door open? Was Norman here?”

  Inhaling a lingering scent of beer, I know that he must have been. The urge to call Yeo is strong. To beg him to hurry home and keep the monsters away.

  “I’ll keep the monsters away too, you know,” Bones murmurs, a slight bit of sadness in his tone.

  Swallowing, I nod as I reach for the door handle to close it. I can’t help but peek into my mother’s old bedroom with one hand on the knob. The bloodstain never came out of the wood floors no matter how many times Grandma attempted to clean them. She’d even tried to refinish the wood to no avail. Closing the door to those memories is how she and I’d handled the terror of losing my mother.

  “I wish I would have killed him that night,” Bones hisses. I can feel his warmth on the back of my neck as he also peers into the bedroom. “If only I’d gone in there prepared. I could have stabbed him. Jesus, Kady, I should have gut that fucker right then and there. Then, he’d have never come back the next weekend.”

  I smile at his ferocity but it quickly falls away. “He hurt you. Grandma had to take you to the emergency room. Daddy was stronger than you.” A tear streaks down my cheek and I almost drop the laundry basket I’m barely gripping under one arm. The damage to Bones’s anus had mostly been superficial and only required a couple of stitches. He was so tough about it. Never let me in on the details of the pain he endured that week while he healed. I’d once again hidden and let Bones deal with the horrible stuff alone. “I’m sorry, Bones. I’m sorry I brought you into this unfair world. I’m sorry you had to help me fight my battles.” I begin to sob. Closing my eyes, I relish in the way Bones’s love for me seems to envelop me in a warm hug. “I wish I were stronger.”

  “I chose to fight those battles for you, babe. I’ll be here until you don’t need me anymore,” he murmurs. I hate how sad he sounds. How it seems to bleed from him. How it fills the room and threatens to drown me in his sorrow.

  “I’ll always need you,” I tell him firmly. “Always.”

  Bones whispers against my ear. I love his whispers. “Not always.”

  * * *

  Yeo

  “Tell me your plan, son.” Dad’s fingers are steepled together, a greying eyebrow arched in question.

  I run my fingers through my hair, messing up the gel, and shrug. “The plan is…there is no plan.”

  He sighs in frustration.

  “You can’t plan when it comes to Kady,” I quickly rush out. “You saw how she truly is at dinner. You all did.”

  Mom gives me a reassuring smile. After I left Kady this morning, I came over to my parents’ house for breakfast and to discuss what happened last night.

  “She’s sick.” My dad’s jaw is set tight and he scowls. But despite his words, I see behind his gruff exterior. He understands her now. And he wants to help her.

  “I know. But listen,” I say, meeting his hard gaze. “I’ve gone to med school. I’ve done rotations in the psych ward. I’ve interviewed countless doctors and professors. Dad, I’ve spent every waking hour that I wasn’t studying or interning researching Kady’s mental illness. There aren’t medicines to magically make all the voices go away. She can’t simply go to an institution where they’ll fix her with extreme therapies. The only thing we can do is accept her the way she is. These alters she’s created are a part of her. They’ve been a part of her for some time. It isn’t something that will just go away. Kady isn’t someone to be cured. This is her.”

  My father, ever the problem solver, frowns. He flits his gaze over to my mother’s briefly before coming back to mine. “Agatha and Presley. They seem sweet. Bones is protective. That much I can tell. But…” he trails off. His face darkens to crimson as rage sets in. “Norman. He isn’t good. We all watched as he cut his name into her brand new table. We all had to listen as he hissed out those terrible things he wanted to do to her.”

  “Bless her,” Mom mutters over her tea and sniffles.

  I swallow and nod. “Norman can be driven away. I just need to make that happen. It will happen,” I assure him.

  His lips press into a thin line. “Yeo…”

  I straighten my back. I can tell by the look on his face I’m not going to like what he has to say.

  “You know you’ll never be able to have a normal marriage or children. You do understand this, right? There’s no way you could bring a child into that environment,” he says sadly.

  Inhaling a deep breath, I meet his gaze. “I know. In fact, she and I both know. It’s not something we want. I don’t need children with Kady to be happy. I just need Kady.”

  Mom reaches over and pats my arm. “She needs you too.”

  My heart aches in my chest and I give her a thankful smile before turning back to Dad. “All I’m asking is for your support. Not financial or anything like that. I need your love and guidance. I need to know that when things get hard, I have you two and the rest of my family to fall back on. To assist when I can’t be everywhere at once.”

  Dad sighs and takes a long sip of his coffee. “How will you be able to manage a practice and care for Kady full time?”

  “I called Kush on the way over here. He’s made the decision, despite his father’s wishes, to move to Morgantown. I’ve been friends with him since my early days at Yale. Kush is hardworking and trustworthy. If I have a partner, he can see patients when I can’t. We’ll make it work,” I assure him.

  His eyes narrow at me and I see the businessman, not my dad, considering my words. After a long moment, he gives me a small smile. “You’ve thought a lot about this.”

  Nodding, I make sure to meet his stare with a firm one of my own. “It’s all I’ve thought about since I graduated high school. For twelve years, I’ve planned this life for Kady and I. It’s been a long road. We’ve come this far and it will only get better. You’ll see. When I’m with Kady, she’s mostly Kady. Her alters tend to fade into the background. Some hardly show up at all. Especially the bad ones. I can help her have the best life she’ll ever hope to have. I’ll do anything for her, Dad. I’ve done everything for her.”

  He pulls his phone from his breast pocket and dials someone. When they answer, he launches into what he has to say. So Dad. No time for pleasantries. “Rita, tell Rick we want to purchase the building on Second street downtown.” His eyes meet mine for a moment and I see resignation in them. He knows this is the only way. I need my family on my side, not against me. “Yes, cash. Like he and I had talked about. Mmmhhm,” he says and I can hear her chattering on the other end. “Yes. Soon as possible. I’d like to take ownership over the property by the end of the month. Thank you.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” I tell him, my voice full of relief.

  “Of course,” he grunts as if it’s no big deal. But it is a huge deal. “Now what will she do while you work? You can’t keep up with her all the time, son.”

  “She’ll come with me. Between Kush and I, we’ll make sure she has things to do that she’s capable of. Things that won’t interfere with our patients. We’ll think of something. Not to mention”—I scrub my fac
e and let out a breath—“she can get some much-needed therapy. When Kush gets here, I’ll have her meet with him. I’m hoping she’ll like him enough to sit with him.”

  Dad’s eyebrows are raised in surprise. “You really have thought of everything. Do you think Kady will participate in the therapies? What if one of the alters decides they don’t want to go along with it?”

  Several of her alters are difficult and dangerous. I’m hoping Bones and I can get rid of them. The rest love Kady. The other alters will participate because they love me too.

  “Bones and I will make sure of it.”

  My phone buzzes in my pocket. As soon as I read the text from Kady’s number, the blood in my veins grows cold.

  Kady: Kitty Muncher, it’s me. Bones. She’s upset about Louise’s door having been left open. She only acts this way when Kenneth is coming. I need your help.

  I’m out the door without so much as a goodbye to my parents.

  “KADY!” I bellow from the bottom of her stairwell before charging two at a time up the steps. “BONES!”

  The house is eerily silent and I panic. That fucker better not be here. Goddammit!

  I’m headed down the hallway toward Kady’s room when I see Louise’s door ajar. When I push through, I almost lose my fucking mind.

  Kenneth.

  I know this because his weapon of choice is gripped firmly in his hand.

  Naked and sitting cross legged on the bed.

  Kenneth loves his weapons.

  I’d recognize his destructive self from a mile away.

  “Bones!” I yell at Kenneth, hoping to reach him.

  Kenneth lazily raises his impassive gaze to mine. Blood runs down the inside of his thighs. He’s been slicing what seems to be words amongst the already cigarette burn scarred flesh.

  “What have you done?” I seethe, my body tense and poised to pounce. I’m afraid to move though in case he digs the razorblade in too deep. “That’s not your body to destroy.”

  He lifts his droopy gaze to mine and frowns. Kenneth is always in another world. Every time he sees me it’s as if I’m a figment of his imagination. Confusion sets in and his hand holding the razorblade begins to tremble. “Get out of my head! All of you!”

  “It’s you who needs to go,” I growl as I take a slow step toward him. “Give me the razorblade.”

  His dark brown brows furrow together and he begins murmuring to himself as if to drive away my words. The moment he brings the blade back down toward his thigh, I launch at him. Grabbing his wrist, I tackle him onto the bed and pin the offending arm down. He grunts and wriggles beneath me, but I’m stronger.

  I’m stronger than all of them.

  “Bones…” I hiss into face.

  I manage to peel the blade from Kenneth’s grip and toss it to the floor. Then, I wrangle him onto his belly. With my heavier body, I keep him pinned to the bed until one of the others takes over.

  “Agatha? Kady? Aunt Suzy?”

  Kenneth continues to fight me but he’ll never get loose.

  “We can do this all day, Kenneth. Give up.”

  When he grows quiet and quits moving, I let out a sigh of relief. I hate that he smells like her. That his body is hers. That he hurts her.

  “Kady,” I murmur against Kenneth’s bare shoulder. “Come back to me, Kadydid.”

  I press a kiss to his flesh hoping to draw her back to me. And then another kiss. And another.

  Please come back to me.

  While I wait, I drift to happier times.

  I like to kiss the smooth skin between her ample breasts. Always warm and so sweet. It’s my favorite part of her. Like it was made just for me.

  “How much will it cost me to rent this pretty little piece of real estate?” I question before tonguing a trail between her tits toward her belly button.

  She giggles—oh-so-sweet—and I grin. “It’s free.”

  I nip at her belly button. “Free? What did I do to get such a good deal, beautiful?”

  “Everything,” she murmurs, her fingers threading into my hair.

  My mouth presses hot kisses down toward her perfect pussy. Her grandma is away at the grocery store so we have a good hour before she comes back. The things I can do in an hour…

  “I want to give you more than everything,” I tell her, my mouth hovering over her sex. When I look up, she’s watching me with hooded eyes. Her perfect tits heave with every breath she takes.

  “You’re all I need.”

  I drop a kiss onto her lips—the ones situated on either side of her clit—and revel in the kitten-like mewl she lets out. When my tongue flicks out and I run it along her slit, she grips my hair like she’s contemplating yanking it all out.

  “Yeo!”

  Our eyes meet again. Fire blazes in her gorgeous gaze. I love when I get one-hundred percent Kady. The more time we spend together, the more I see just her. Sure, the others come to visit from time to time, but not like they do when we’re forced apart. Last year, Dad took Mom and I to visit South Korea. When I returned three weeks later, Kady was overrun by her alters.

  Alters.

  That’s what I learned they are called.

  I’ve googled what I can about her and one day I hope to learn more.

  “Oh God!” she cries out, dragging me from my thoughts. “Don’t stop!”

  Like I could stop even if I wanted to.

  When it comes to Kady, all I do is go, go, go.

  Kenneth grunts in my grip, dragging me back to the present, and I hold him tighter. I know I need to tend to the wounds he’s inflicted on Kady’s thighs but first Bones and I have to take care of him. Whatever Bones does from the inside works. He’s done it before and I have no doubts he’ll do it again.

  Come on, Bones.

  Run this twisted prick out of our girl’s head once and for all.

  * * *

  Bones

  It’s motherfuckin’ show time.

  Operation: Get Those Fuckers Outta Her Head—Starting with Kenneth.

  Kitty Muncher is doing his part. Doing what he does best. Drawing Kady out and forcing Kenneth back in. Shoving that piece of shit back into the darkness with the rest of us hood rats.

  “I’m not a hood rat, pumpkin,” Agatha kindly reminds me. “I’m not even sure I know what one is.”

  Yeah, yeah…

  “Presley, glasses,” I order as I tug my black Nirvana shirt off my ripped-as-fuck body. Bones my ass. Only when I get to drive around in Kady’s world. When I’m in here, in my world, I’m the motherfuckin’ king. Biggest badass around.

  “Pink or black?” she questions, her cute nose scrunched up. Whiskers, that fat cat, squirms in her arms but she has a death grip on the poor fuck.

  I pretend to think for a moment before settling on the black pair. Smirking at her, I slip the sunglasses on and run my fingers through my crazy dark hair.

  “Agatha, Cheetos.”

  She snorts in response but I hear the familiar crackling before she holds up a cheesy treat in my view. I pop one in my mouth and then crack my knuckles.

  “Officer Joe. You’re my backup, man.” I slide my gaze over to him and grin. He’s all Mr. Serious with his aviators on and arms folded over his chest. His badass gun sits tucked in the back of his slacks. All I get is a simple nod in response.

  “Suzy Q,” I holler out. “Bring it on.”

  Aunt Suzy comes sauntering up wearing a cheerleader outfit, a giant smile plastered on her bright purple lips and her signature scarf tied neatly around her head. Presley and Agatha both giggle at her silly outfit. I wink at her. Bones has bitches.

  “I beg your pardon, Bones!” Agatha gasps.

  I flash Presley an “oh shit” look before storming off into the darkness. Where I know Kady is hiding. Where soon she’ll run back to Yeo and dump Kenneth’s destructive ass back where it belongs. Where we’ll end those assholes once and for all.

  “Ready Po-Po Pig?” I ask Officer Joe.

  He grunts but draws his gun.
In our world, his gun doesn’t do shit but he feels good carrying the damn thing around. Whatever floats his police boat.

  “How much longer?”

  I shrug my shoulders at him and tap my foot on the ground.

  Music.

  We need music.

  “Yo, Suzy Q!” I holler, my voice echoing around in the darkness. “We need some fight music.”

  “Ooh,” she squeals. “I have just the thing!”

  Seconds later, Meghan Trainor’s Lips Are Movin’ thunders around us. Both Officer Joe and I cringe in motherfucking horror. Presley starts dancing and her brown pigtails bounce with her movement. Whiskers, like us dudes, is not amused.

  I meet Aunt Suzy’s gaze with a raised eyebrow. “Something badass,” I clarify.

  She huffs and changes the music.

  Sabotage by Beastie Boys.

  Now we’re motherfuckin’ talkin’.

  All we need now is that douchebag Kenneth.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”

  While we wait, I pull a joint from my pocket. In Kady’s world, I have to use a zippo. In our world, I use a badass blowtorch. Officer Joe gives me the side eye as I attempt not to engulf my hair in flames. Once the cherry’s lit, I smirk at him.

  “The law don’t live here,” I remind him, a cloud of smoke billowing around from my mouth.

  He flips me off. “Just be ready for him.”

  “Kady!” I holler. “I know you’re hiding. I’m not gonna ask nicely, baby girl. Get the fuck outta here and back out there with your man!”

  Agatha huffs from behind me. “Language, Bones Marshall!”

  More giggles from my girl Presley. And a terribly annoyed meow from the cat.

  “Sorry,” I say and shrug my shoulders, muttering under my breath. “Not really sorry.”