𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝗼𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝗼𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲✩

viii. POETRY

"How about some scary stories?" Charlie smirked.

"Oh, god," you said under your breath. Knox was the only one who could hear you say this. He put his arm behind your back and moved you closer to him which made you blush. He smiled as you leaned back into the strength of his figure.

"Oh, I've got a good one," Neil began. "It was a dark and rainy night, and this old lady, who had a passion for jigsaw puzzles, sat by herself to complete a new jigsaw puzzle. But as she pieced the puzzle together, she realized, to her astonishment, that the image that was formed was her very own room, and the figure in the center of the puzzle, as she completed it, was herself. And with trembling hands, she placed the lat four pieced and stared in horror at the face of a demented madman in the window." you shivered and Knox watched Neil with his jaw dropped," The last thing that this old lady heard... was the sound of breaking glass." Neil ended his story. The boys all gasped

"Oh no, she didn't!" Knox said.

"No way!" you said.

"I've got one that's even better than that," said Cameron. "I do, there's a young married couple and they're driving through the forest at night on a long trip. And they run out of gas, and theres a madman on the-"

"Oh and the thing with the hand-" went Charlie.

"And the-" You said. All of you overlapped chatter and finished the story for him.

"I love that story," said Cameron, disappointed.

"I told you that one!" said Charlie.

"You did not, I got that in uh- in camp in sixth grade," Cameron explained.

"You mean last year" Charlie said as he rolled his eyes. Next was Pitts' turn.

"In a mean abode in the shanking road, lived a man named William Bloat. Now, he had a wife, the plague of his life, who continually god his goat. And one day at dawn, with her nightshift on, he slit her bloody throat." This was followed by gasps and laughs.

"You want to hear a real poem?" Charlie said while looking at you. He stood up in front of everyone. Meeks attempted to hand him the hymnal but Charlie refused.

"What, did you bring one?" Meeks asked.

"You memorized a poem?" Neil asked, astonished.

"An original piece by Charlie Dalton," Meeks laughed.

"An original piece," said Knox. You were still sitting quite close. Charlie unfolded a piece of paper to reveal a naked woman on it. Everyone laughed, including you.

You looked to your right at Knox, but before you could look at him he jokingly place his hand over your eyes in response to the Charlie's picture. You removed his hand from your eyes to see his face quite close to yours. You were both smiling and his eyes looked right through you. You looked at each other, holding eye contact and laughing for a few seconds before looking to Charlie, who was looking at you two. While thins was happening there was chatter in the background.

"Where did you get that!" asked Cameron.

"Oh, wow," came from Meeks. He cleared his throat and began.

"Teach me to love? go teach thyself more wit. I, chief professor, am of it. The god of love, if such thing there, may learn to love from me," read Charlie.

"Wow, did you write that?" inquired Neil.

"Abraham Cowley," responded Charlie. Neil stood up to read again.

"Alfred Lord Tennyson. 'Come my friends, Tis not too late to seek a newer world, for my purpose holds to sail beyond the sunset. And though we are not now that strength which in old days, Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are; --One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong on will. To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." Todd was mesmerized by Neil. "Alright, who's next," Neil asked.

"Y/N!" Knox shouted.

"Oh, no that's all-" you began but we cut off.

"Y/N, Y/N, Y/N!" The boys were chanting as Knox pushed you up. You took the hymnal fro Neil and flipped through the soft brown pages. You began.

"'My thoughts are crabbed and sallow, my tears like vinegar, or the bitter blinking yellow of an acetic star. Tonight the caustic wind, love Gossips late and soon, And i wear the wry-faced pucker of the sour lemon moon. While like an early summer plum, puny, green, and tart, droops upon its wizened stem my lean, unripened heart," you paused, "Sylvia Plath." When you had finished there was only silence. A crisp black breeze swept throw the cave causing chills down your spine. Only silence existed. Nothing else. You began to count, wondering how long it could last. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven-. The fine line of gold was broken. Nothing gold can stay. Charlie began clapping, and soon the other boys followed. You returned to your seat next to Knox, not as close as before. To your left you heard a whisper as you stared at the mud.

"That was really good." The first words you had heard from Todd. He looked at you pensively.

"Seven seconds." You spoke to yourself. Those seven seconds had hypnotized you. How could something so simple be so elegant.

"What?" asked Knox.

"Nothing." You looked at Todd, who was looking at you. He wasn't confused. Thee way his eyes looked at you, signaled to you that he understood. You tried to change the subject, or say anything really. No one was talking. "It's cold out here, isn't it!" At this Knox pulled you close again.

"Yes!"

"Oh yeah"

"Definitely"

"Mhmm"

You couldn't tell who said what but it got everyone talking.

"Meeks' turn!" said Pitts. Meeks grabbed the hymnal and stood up. He flipped to a page and began reading a poem rhythmically like a song.

"Then I had religion, then I had a vision. I could not turn from their revel in derision. Then I saw the Congo creeping through the black, cutting through the forest with a golden track. Then I saw the Congo creeping through the black, cutting through the forest-"

"Meeks! Meeks!" Charlie whisper-shouted as Meeks continued to add to the song. Pretty soon everyone was chanting.

"...with a golden track. Then I saw the Congo creeping through the black, cutting through the forest with a golden track" You were all standing up now, marching around the cave in circles. Knox had picked up an old tin barrel and began beating it to the rhythm. You began clapping. Everyone was laughing as you all made your way out of the cave. You walked to the edge of the forest and ran once you got to the courtyard as the bell struck, marking 2:00 AM. You all ran quietly to the front door and once again gave treats to Hager's dog as you walked quietly to your corridor. You hugged Neil.

"Thank you," you whispered. He hugged you tighter and said goodbye. Then you hugged Todd, he held you and whispered.

"Seven seconds." He didn't wait for you to say anything and walked with Neil back to their room. Knox was saying goodbye to Meeks and Pitts when Charlie pulled you into a hug.

"Your poem was wonderful," he said softly. You pulled out of the hug and you stood there looking at each other.

"Nice picture," you said back. He laughed and said goodbye. While you were with Charlie the rest of the boys had returned to their rooms. You and Knox went back into your room. He leaned on the door like he always did and watch you take off your robe and shoes.

"That was... I don't even know what it was. It felt-" He started but couldn't find the words.

"Yeah," you responded. He looked at the watch on his desk. "God, I didn't know it was that late!" he exclaimed, still whispering. He took off his robe and got into bed as you got settled in.

"Goodnight, Y/N," he said, while turning to face you on his side.

"Goodnight," you laughed. You saw that he looked at you with a smile for a few moments, and wondered if he continued after you closed your eyes.

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