Reservoir
I decide to stay with Rex. I need some lightheartedness in my life right now. Rex probably isn't in the mood, but I could probably get him into one. I knock on his door. He answers it.
"Can I stay in your room and talk with you?" I ask.
"Sure." Rex opens the door wider and lets me in his motel room. The lighted red of his lampshade glares at me.
"What's on your mind?" He asks.
"Just... what we saw on the side of the road when we were driving back from Southwest Adventures." I say.
"Come on, spill it."
"It really spooked me is all." I don't want to tell him about my reoccurring nightmares.
"It's alright. You don't have to tell me." Rex sighs "You know about my cousin with PTSD, right?"
I nodded.
"I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be like that." he says.
"What do you mean?" I ask, confused
Rex looks at me on the verge of tears, "Ever since he had his experience his life has been literal fucking hell. He rarely ever goes outside anymore in fear the same incident will happen again. I don't want to be like that. That was my fucking worst nightmare." he says, sniffling.
I don't know how to react. Shit went deep fast. Seeing my boss' dead corpse hit him harder than I had thought. I thought he'd just forget about it at the end of the week.
"I'm sorry." I say, apologizing.
"It's not your fault." He wipes the tears away from his eyes.
"It's just, I know I'm not like that. I can't just let this shit roll off my back. I can't just pretend like it didn't happen so I can continue on with my life. I'm truly sorry for what happened in high school. I really am." His voice cracks "I just wish I was normal and have grown up in a normal town."
I didn't know what he was talking about with what happened in high school, but apart of me just wanted to reach out to him and forgive him just to make him feel better. I wanted so bad to hold him and tell him everything was going to be alright.
"Everything's going to be alright." I tell him, putting my hand on his shoulder. "You're not alone. I'm with you. Nothing is going to hurt you anymore."
Rex took my hand off his shoulder. He took a deep breath. Then he grabbed my hand with both of his hands and held it tight. "Thank you." He says, sniffling.
Just then, I get a call from Jesse.
"Hey." I say as I picked up the phone.
"The cops will give us an update in the morning. Don't let Rex and Priyan leave yet. This week will continue."
I hung up the phone. Rex took a deep breath. "I'm scared." He said.
I hugged him tight. I felt a tear fall down my cheek. "I know. I'm scared too."
We stay like this for a minute before I say, "You know, I was already going to stay in your room for the night. Just like the old sleepovers we used to have when we were young."
Rex's eyes widen with excitement. He nods his head furiously. "Yes, let's do that!"
Lucky for me, there was another bed in the room. I take off my shirt and pants and slip into the other bed. Rex slips into the other bed as well. We lay there staring at the ceiling. We stayed like that for the rest of the night. We never did sleep.
"Can I stay in your room and talk with you?" I ask.
"Sure." Rex opens the door wider and lets me in his motel room. The lighted red of his lampshade glares at me.
"What's on your mind?" He asks.
"Just... what we saw on the side of the road when we were driving back from Southwest Adventures." I say.
"Come on, spill it."
"It really spooked me is all." I don't want to tell him about my reoccurring nightmares.
"It's alright. You don't have to tell me." Rex sighs "You know about my cousin with PTSD, right?"
I nodded.
"I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be like that." he says.
"What do you mean?" I ask, confused
Rex looks at me on the verge of tears, "Ever since he had his experience his life has been literal fucking hell. He rarely ever goes outside anymore in fear the same incident will happen again. I don't want to be like that. That was my fucking worst nightmare." he says, sniffling.
I don't know how to react. Shit went deep fast. Seeing my boss' dead corpse hit him harder than I had thought. I thought he'd just forget about it at the end of the week.
"I'm sorry." I say, apologizing.
"It's not your fault." He wipes the tears away from his eyes.
"It's just, I know I'm not like that. I can't just let this shit roll off my back. I can't just pretend like it didn't happen so I can continue on with my life. I'm truly sorry for what happened in high school. I really am." His voice cracks "I just wish I was normal and have grown up in a normal town."
I didn't know what he was talking about with what happened in high school, but apart of me just wanted to reach out to him and forgive him just to make him feel better. I wanted so bad to hold him and tell him everything was going to be alright.
"Everything's going to be alright." I tell him, putting my hand on his shoulder. "You're not alone. I'm with you. Nothing is going to hurt you anymore."
Rex took my hand off his shoulder. He took a deep breath. Then he grabbed my hand with both of his hands and held it tight. "Thank you." He says, sniffling.
Just then, I get a call from Jesse.
"Hey." I say as I picked up the phone.
"The cops will give us an update in the morning. Don't let Rex and Priyan leave yet. This week will continue."
I hung up the phone. Rex took a deep breath. "I'm scared." He said.
I hugged him tight. I felt a tear fall down my cheek. "I know. I'm scared too."
We stay like this for a minute before I say, "You know, I was already going to stay in your room for the night. Just like the old sleepovers we used to have when we were young."
Rex's eyes widen with excitement. He nods his head furiously. "Yes, let's do that!"
Lucky for me, there was another bed in the room. I take off my shirt and pants and slip into the other bed. Rex slips into the other bed as well. We lay there staring at the ceiling. We stayed like that for the rest of the night. We never did sleep.