Dust Devil

"Let me in Charlie..."

"I won't. You can't tell me what to do."

I young boy lays on the ground in a fetal position trying to block out the voice in his head.

"Surelly, you don't mean that Charlie. I've been there for you when no one else was." He whispered in to his ear. "That deadbeat of a dad of yours skipped town and left you to rot. And your mother hasn't even the time to prepare you anything to eat during the day. She doesn't even know you are home, Charlie."

"Shut up!"

Charlie yelled. His alarm clock began to ring. Reluctantly he climbed onto his futon and pretend to sleep for a few moments. Reynald snickering in the back of his mind.

He didn't remember when it started. Reynad had been there since he was young. But he wasn't always like this. He was happy before. They played together once. He was imaginative, carefree and joyful. But after everything in his life started to turn up side down.

Well Reynald started to grow more and more sinister. Now his voice was so loud he could hardly hear his own thoughts.

I'm going to be late, he thought. Charlie made a point to note this was his own mind talking. He didn't know if he was crazy or not. But he was suspecting people would see it that way for sure.

Charlie briskly went through his morning routine brushing up his teeth, emptying his bladder and bowels. Making some french toast and pouring some orange juice from the fridge, shutting it with the back of his heel.

The stuff your average high school student would do. Just with a commentator on the side.

"You know what would look better on you Charlie, a pair of fangs."

"Why don't you eat something with a little meat on it. Bacon? Everyone loves a bit of bacon."

"Your going to break that fridge door one day and then your Mom'll finally notice you. Is that what you are going for. A good ol' beating. Are you some sort of sadist."

"Shuddup, shuddup, shuddup."

It was hard to ignore Reynald, but he had to. Acknowledging anything he had to say just made it worst.

Running outside he caught the school bus as it was coming in.

"Hey Charlie the Chink!"

He was greeted by Bosko, the resident bully and his goons. His friends jeering him on. Inwardly, Charlie laughed to himself. Name calling was nothing compared to what Reynald put him through on a daily basis.

"Let me rip his teeth out and swallow his tongue, Charlie. You know you want to punch in that fat face of his. Bosko the Bully - how stereotypical can you get."

"No Reynald, I won't do that." Charlie whispered to himself fighting down his clenched fist. Charlie was struggling to grab control. Just as he was about to slip into a blind rage a voice perked his ears.

"Are you okay, Charlie." It was Joanna the only other Chinese student on the bus. They both somehow ended up in this small town in the middle of america. Famous for their tornadoes and dust storms.

"Say yes Charlie." Reynald coaxed.

"Yes, um yes I'm okay." Charlie stammered.

"Now massage her breasts." Reynald suggested offhandedly.

"No!" He shouted loudly against Reynald. Startling some of the nearby students. Embarrassed he quickly added.

"I mean no, I have a bit of a cold. And ain't feeling well."

"Oh sorry to hear that," Joanna said a bit confused.

Not wanting to make it any more awkward than it was. Charlie moved his way to the back. Dropped his bag and looked out the window.

This was going to be another long day.

He sat alone, he ate alone, he studied alone. And went home on the bus. That was the only time he interacted with the other students in his class.

If you could call that interaction. He had no friends. He was even surprised Joanna knew his name. But he then remembered Bosko made sure everyone did.

The end of last quarter rang the bell. Everyone was piling out of Mrs. Winston's Intro to Physics class. Charlie didn't like to take the same crowded hallways everyone else did. He knew a short cut that ran out from an emergency door at the bottom of a side staircase.

As he pushed opened the door, he was suddenly jostled from behind. His backpack taken away from him.

"Well what do we have here."

Bosko and two of his friends were rummaging through his bag. Until they found his sketch books. Charlie was a big anime fan and he drew all sorts of characters.

"You one of them hint-eh lovers aren't you, you sick fuck."

"Here, Anthony." Flicking a lighter over to one of his goons. "Show how lit, his shit is."

Bosko picked Charlie up off the ground.

"Here Roxanne, hold on to him." He tossed him her way. She grabbed him and got him into a Full Nelson.

Roxanne was actually a girl Charlie had a crush on when he was younger.

"Yah that's because you have a thing for pain..." Reynald added.

Where were you!? Charlie exclaimed vehemently through his thoughts.

"I told you, let me take control today. But nooooo you wanted to be a big boy. This is what big boy's get now you have to walk home you stupid idiot."

As much as he hated being called a idiot. Reynald did have a point.

"Aren't you three going to miss the bus." Charlie pointed out.

Bosko realizing this was true quickly came in hard. Not exactly what Charlie was hoping for. He combo'd a left, right body punch straight into an uppercut. Which left Charlie dazed.

"Hahaha, perfect Charlie. Now you're bleeding. You realize how much I could've helped right there." Reynald was ecstatic.

Roxanne threw him to the ground as his book was burning beside the trash can. Everything in Charlie wanted to reach to save his books. It was everything to him. His Dad was an animator.

But everything ached. He was tired of this life. What did it matter, his father left him. Looking up into the sky, droplets began to fall from the clouds above. Starting as drizzle then turning into great big ol' droplets.

The sizzling of water dousing his burning book kept him awake. He wanted to sleep forever. He had a bully in his mind, a bully at school and no one to turn to. The world was one big bully. All he had was his sketch books and flip books. But now those were gone too.

"So you are just going to lay there like a wuss huh, Charlie."

Charlie nodded.

Reynald snarled.

"Grab your mom's gun shoot everyone in the school. Kill Bosko, Kill Anthony, Kill Roxanne, Kill the Bus Driver who never stopped them from harassing you. Kill everyone."

Charlie exhaled slowly. He tried to remember Reynald as he once was. A more innocent ethereal creature. The past few months was like a constant struggle through life. He had to fight down Reynald's lustful comments of girls he barely knew. The boiling anger and hate that was in him that he had to seal.

All these things Reynald wanted to unleash...

But you know what. Charlie finally realized something. He may feel powerless morning, noon and night. But Reynald. Well Reynald had no power at all.

Without answering, Charlie picked up his bag. And trudged through the rain. Made that four hour walk home. Got home to an empty house. Made himself dinner and went to bed.

"Tomorrow is going to be a different day." He told himself.

"Is that right? Don't kid yourself. Everyday is the same ol' shit." Boasted Reynald.

"Not this time... This time, Reynald, I choose how to live my life. And I choose to be happy."