On the Strawberry Moon - 11. Chapter 11

It was a blurred vision. The halls were dark and long, the ceiling was taller. Kalum walked forward and saw a clear image of a door. He stretched his hand out and pushed it open. It eased open a little bit.

He could hear grunting. The grunting was a horrible beast like noise. He saw a long bed. Everything around the room was out of focus and distorted, but the bed is large and far away from him.

In the bed he saw a dark figure, a large dark giant. His brother was also there too. Except it was his brother ten years ago. He stared at Kalum; his eyes red from crying. The dark shadow pulled Jasper back, the face of the shadow appeared to be a large man, who gnarled at Kalum.

‘Just having a cuddle.’

Kalum woke up, gripped with panic. He stared at all the shadows around the room. Gulping, he blinked a few times, his chest burning.

He didn’t know if that was just a nightmare, or worse, a flash back. A flashback he’d tried to bury and forget.

Why would he try to forget that?

It would explain Jasper’s behaviour, but why now, why now? Why can’t he remember anything and then get random things like this? That staircase accident just made things worse for him.

Being at the bottom bunk all Kalum could do was stare up at the bed above him, wondering if Jasper ever had nightmares like that.

The sounds of cars blasting their horns outside woke Kalum up early. He didn’t realise he fell asleep again. Shifting in bed, he listened out to see if his brother was awake.

Jasper was his brother after all. It felt like a horrible bug in his stomach. That dream was too vivid. He needed to ask.

Rolling out of bed, Kalum was aware of the dry feeling his mouth, the horrible taste the back of his throat. He got up to the table they shared in the room and swung a drink of Pepsi on the table.

He then turned his attention to the bunk beds and held his breath. Climbing up to the top bunk, he sat at Jasper’s feet and with a gentle nudge, he woke his brother.

‘Morning.’

‘Buzz off.’

‘Did you sleep well?’

‘I was sleeping well yeah.’

‘No nightmares?’

‘No.’

Kalum hesitated and Jasper sighed loudly and sat up. Kalum sat next to him.

They were meant to be brothers. Kalum ached to feel that bond with Jasper.

‘Can I ask something?’

Jasper glared.

Taking a breath, Kalum asked, ‘Did anything bad happen to you? When we were kids?’

‘We’re in a care home, what do you think?’

‘No, I mean, did something bad happen here?’

Jasper narrowed his eyes on him, ‘What do you mean?’

‘I just. I don’t know. I have this feeling,’ stuttered Kalum.

‘Yeah?’ snorted Jasper.

‘So, no one touched you,’ Kalum’s voice faltered, almost to a croaky whisper ‘No bad man hurt you in that way?’

Jasper just stared at Kalum.

Kalum honestly didn’t know what to make of Jasper’s lack of reaction.

The silence dragged so Kalum stuttered again, ‘I just, last night, I think I had a flashback.’

‘Oh,’ Jasper snorted and laughed. ‘This is where it comes from.’

‘I know, but just. I had a feeling and, you know, we’re brothers,’ Kalum said. ‘We are the only family we know, right?’

‘I wasn’t molested, if that’s what you were asking.’

‘Oh. Okay. Good.’

‘Yeah, it is.’

‘You know,’ Kalum paused. ‘If you ever wanted to talk about anything, brother to brother, I am here, you know?’

‘Maybe it happened to you? Ever think of that?’ snapped Jasper. He got up closer to Kalum. ‘Well, if it happened to me, I’m not saying it did, but then maybe it needs to happen to you. We are twins and everything needs to be equal.’

Before Kalum could respond with Jasper contractions, Jasper leaned forward and grabbed him by the throat with one hand. He then forced him down on the bed and pinned all his weight on Kalum. Kalum grabbed at his hands, spluttering, scratching at his hand. Jasper then pulled slightly at Kalum’s pants.

A gush of children screaming down the corridors snatched their attention. Jasper grunted and rolled off Kalum.

‘I wasn’t going to do anything, idiot,’ Jasper snorted as he climbed out the bed.

Kalum lay there panting his heart still pounding.

Why did this always happen? When was Kalum ever going to learn?

But Jasper was his only family.