The Masquerade

The plains burn with a raging fire
Water is scarce as there is no more left
The sun does not shine here anymore
Darkness has now prevailed

I can’t believe they sang that song. That was his; he wrote it planning that no-one else would see it. Why did they sort through his stuff like it was their’s? It was not their right.
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“Luke!” Maybe I can catch a few more minutes sleep before…
“Luke!” screamed his mother Lilly. “Get out of bed right now or you’ll be late for school”. This was it. My first day of high school, everyone had been talking about it for ages. Luke looked at himself in the mirror. He saw the self inflicted cuts over his whole body. What had happened to him, he hadn’t always been like this. Ever since six years ago… the accident… no he didn’t want to think about it. The thought nudged at his conscience all morning while he had been getting ready until finally he gave in through his weakness. God he hated himself.
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It was dark; the floor was hard and cold, where was he? The ground was slimy and he could hear the beach, somewhere, but where. All night he had heard voices of men, talking, arguing. Now he heard them again.
“I told you they have to be worth something. A teenager or even an adult but no you got a six year old boy,” yelled the first man. “He will give in once he knows we have his son. Luke I think his name is,” replied the second. All night it had been like this. He suddenly heard foot steps. More voices, his dad! He tried to scream but only a muffled sound came out. His dad! He thought, his dad. Luke frantically tried to stand up only to remember that he was tied to a post.
Tears started streaming down his face as he heard his dads cries of anguished pain. His fault, this was entirely his fault. If only he hadn’t trusted that man, that strange bearded man. After it seemed like hours there was dead silence. All of a sudden he heard his mum’s voice. Not seeming the least bit scared.
“What have you done? I told you not to use the extreme. All we wanted to know was where it was hidden.” “Mum!” he tried to scream but no-one heard him.
“Miss we had no choice, he wouldn’t speak. We even threatened to hurt his, your child,” replied the first man.
“Luke! His name is Luke. Can’t you even remember it!” screamed Lilly. “Well now he has departed this world all of our problems will be solved.”
What had mum meant, did she mean for him to die? Surely mum loves dad, well at least she did. ‘Oh no’ he knew what she had done now; she is going to die for her sin! But why hadn’t god protected dad, unless… God isn’t real!
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Luke shook his wet, long, black hair in the wind. The pain hurt more everyday he thought about it some of it more physical than the rest. He hated his mum for what she did, but why did she want his dad dead. What problem could only be solved by his death, Luke wondered. He looked at the bandage on his arm and wondered why he was hiding the true him from everyone. Ever since that day he had been like this, tormented by his past. At lunch he sat by himself no-one was allowed to sit next to him; he tried to have a girlfriend but she just didn’t understand. All there was good left in the world was his music drumming, screaming, loudly in his ears, until his thoughts drifted away again.
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Everyone was dressed in black, crying. There were flowers everywhere, but Luke hadn’t given his flowers yet, he was waiting for the right moment. He had got roses for his dad as they were his favourite. His mum was crying uncontrollably, but I knew it was a mask she wasn’t really upset, going behind the building every couple of minutes to smoke. Ever since dad died mum had been smoking and drinking, it was how she ‘coped.’ I knew it was all a lie and that it was mums fault dad was dead.
People started to gather around dad closing around him in a tight circle. I shoved my way to the front as I needed to be there more than them. I placed my roses on his coffin just as it was going into the ground, almost too late. Suddenly everyone went quiet as a young woman started singing. As soon as she started I knew which song she was singing, and as soon as I realised I was enraged.