Biting his lip, Taylor glanced over at his brothers, wondering if what Moira had suggested about them was true. Then he sighed and decided he wasn't going to find out today. He started on his reply.
Hi Moira,
You have no idea how happy it makes me to read your words. Please never stop writing.
Where was I up to? Oh yeah, the black eye. Well, Olivia started bashing me a bit more and the marks started more and more to appear in places I couldn't hide easily. A few weeks later I tried a second time. I was just in the kitchen and I saw the meat cleaver. The temptation was way too much to resist and I was about to slit my wrist when Mom walked in. She was about to start dinner. Fortunately she didn't see what I had been about to do. Not that it really matters now - I told you that I tried committing suicide 4 times that my family knows about didn't I?
Well, it a few more weeks before I wanted to again. I just had a particularly bad beating from Olivia. So, this time I hooked up the car so that it would fill up with carbon monoxide from the exhaust. Then Isaac walked in going to use the car himself. He completely freaked out. I nearly broke down and told him everything when he pulled me out... but then everyone started demanding that I tell them and it really upset me and I couldn't tell them. I just couldn't!
That's when Mom and Dad started sending me to the shrink.
Taylor swallowed, and glanced nervously at Isaac and Zac.
I can't talk about this any more for now.
From Tay
**********
That night Taylor dreamed.
He was chained to a bed, a foot or arm to each post. Olivia was sitting on his chest and he had trouble breathing.
"You don't deserve me Taylor." She accused him. "You're always cheating on me!"
"No! No I don't I swear!"
"Quit lying to me!" she screamed. "Quit lying to me!"
"I'm not! I'm not!"
Olivia stood up and started jumping on his chest.
"Liar! Liar! Cheating little liar!"
It hurt too much for Taylor to reply.
"You cheated on me! You cheated on me with that Chelsea girl!"
"No..." he gasped.
With each jump she seemed to come down harder. Suddenly...
"Tay? Taylor wake up!" Zac said, shaking him.
Taylor sat up. He was panting and in a cold sweat.
"Umm, you were screaming in your sleep." Isaac murmured. "Are you ok?"
Taylor stared at them with hollow, haunted eyes. As Zac was closer to Taylor, it was his shirt that Taylor grabbed.
"Make her go away." He whimpered. "Please, make her go away."
"Make who go away Tay? Who?" Zac asked desperately.
Taylor didn't answer except to burst into tears.