This is the only thing I've written recently that I've taken semi-seriously so some comments would be nice. Sorry it's a bit weird and it's only called "Roy" because I can't think of a better title.
The stuffed toy is kept in his wardrobe now; he even locks it into a small box so no one can get to it. Since he found out his mum had been going into his room to tidy up he’s hidden it away. He can’t risk anyone finding it, remembering when he had first taken it from his sister’s room and she had accused him of stealing it. When she had shouted to their mother, “Stephen’s stolen Pinky, Mum”, he had to bite back the urge to shout back “His name is Roy”, instead scoffing that he was seventeen; and what would he want a stupid stuffed pig for? He always makes sure to lock his door before he takes Roy out of his wardrobe, after the last time his dad had burst into his room without knocking and he’d had to scramble to hide him under his pillow so he didn’t get caught out.
Roy likes to sit on the bedside table while they talk, Stephen had put him on the bed once and Roy had complained very loudly about how uncomfortable it was. Stephen was glad no one else could hear his companion or his secret would be out. They’d think he was crazy, he knew it, and he isn’t. Just because no one else can hear Roy doesn’t mean that Stephen is crazy. It doesn’t. It just means that Roy is special, that Stephen is special because Roy chose to talk to him. His parents hear them talking sometimes, hear Stephen talking and it sounds like he’s having a one sided conversation so he has to pretend that he’s on the phone, talking to one of his friends. He hasn’t told his parents he doesn’t have friends any more. Roy told him to stop talking to them, told him to “stop fraternising with those imbeciles”. He did what Roy told him, he doesn’t need anyone except Roy.
His parents are arguing again. Stephen hates it, wants to put his hands over his ears and block it out and he tells Roy so. He thinks that his parents are arguing over him. He’s heard them before, talking about how his tutor had called their house and said she thought Stephen was having some issues. Stephen remembered when she had tried to talk to him in school, asking him if everything was all right at home and if he had fallen out with his friends. He had told her everything was fine, that he didn’t hang around with his friends any more but he had friends outside of school. His mum had decided that whatever was wrong with Stephen, it wasn’t her fault, so it must be his dad’s. She was always getting on at him, about anything and everything that was supposedly his fault.
“You can’t say that about my mum, Roy. I know she’s not very nice at the moment but you can’t call her that.” Roy hates Stephen’s mum. He wants him to disconnect himself from her too, like he had done with his friends. But it isn’t as easy to do with his mum as it had been with his friends and this time Stephen isn’t as prepared to do whatever Roy asks of him.
“I’ve told you before, I can’t get away from her. I live here. I can’t move out, I have nowhere to go.” Stephen glares at Roy, before remembering to control himself. He doesn’t want Roy to be angry with him. He doesn’t get angry at Stephen though, just seems to get more annoyed at his mum. Stephen stares at Roy in shock for a second at his suggestion. Roy had never told him to hurt anyone before.
“I can’t do that. I can’t do that. I can’t hurt her, I’d get in trouble. They’d put me in jail, Roy.”
His parents have stopped arguing now and before Stephen can continue their conversation Stephen’s dad knocks on the door. “Stephen? Who are you talking to? Come out, it’s dinner time.”
As if on reflex Stephen comes out with his usual excuse when he’s overheard talking to Roy. Not for the first time, he wishes the walls and doors were thicker so no one could hear him. He makes a note to play some loud music next time. “I’m just on the phone, Dad. I’ll be out in a minute.”
His dad pauses for a moment and Stephen thinks he’s walked away to get his sister but he realises he’s still there a second later when he speaks again. “The phone’s out here, Stephen. Who are you talking to? Have you got someone in there?”
Stephen hastily shoves Roy in his wardrobe, making a mental note to apologise later and unlocks his door, opening it to reveal his dad on the other side. “No. Uh…just talking to myself. Didn’t want to say, a bit embarrassing, you know. Just…just talking to myself.”
His dad nods but eyes him in a way that Stephen thinks he suspects something. But he leaves any way, going to get Stephen’s sister and Stephen quickly ducks back into his room to lock Roy away more securely. He hastily closes his bedroom door after himself and makes his way to the dining room, hearing his dad tell his sister to come to dinner now. He enters the dining room just as his mum is serving up the food and sits himself down in his usual chair. His dad and sister join them a minute later and Stephen doesn’t miss when his dad leans into his mum and whispers something that sounds suspiciously like “Talking to himself again”. Stephen stares down at his plate as if he hasn’t heard, picks up his fork and slowly begins to eat his dinner, not really registering what it is. He half listens to his parents’ conversation, lifting his head when their talking slows to a stop and his mum asks his sister to go to her room. She goes without protest, having finished eating and eager to get back to whatever she was doing in her room before.
His parents are looking at each other and look like they’re trying to communicate telepathically. His mum raises her eyebrows at his dad like she does when she wants him to stop talking or urge him to say something. Stephen knows they want to have a serious conversation but neither of them want to bring up the subject. They’ve done this before and Stephen finds himself remembering when he was much younger and they tried to teach him about the birds and the bees. His dad shakes his head, causing his mum to glare at him harshly and Stephen wonders if they really are reading each others’ minds. His dad clears his throat and looks uncomfortable, shifting in his chair, but finally speaks after his mum shoves an elbow into his side.
“Stephen, we need to talk to you about something.” Well that much was obvious, at least. Before his dad can say anything Stephen hears Roy calling from his bedroom, telling him to get out now before it’s too late. He knows what’s coming, they think he’s crazy and they want to put him in a hospital with padded walls and straight jackets. He doesn’t want to let his dad continue, doesn’t want to hear what he has to say and Roy is calling him. If he doesn’t go now he’ll be in big trouble.
“Um…may I be excused? I have some work to do.” He throws in that last bit as insurance, he knows his parents can tell he’s hardly eaten (in fact, he’s still hungry, but food can wait and Roy cannot) and they will be more likely to let him go if he has a genuine excuse. Truthfully he has no work, he finishes everything at college during his free periods. Roy hates him bringing work home.
His father stares at him evenly. Stephen can tell he’s annoyed but is trying not to show it. “I’m sure it can wait until everyone else has finished eating, Stephen. You’ve hardly touched your food; surely you must be hungry, you’ve been locked away in your room since you got home.”
Stephen knows that his dad keeps talking but he doesn’t listen, he catches a few words and phrases but he can’t really hear him over the noise coming from his room. Roy is getting louder now, he was shouting before to be heard through the door of Stephen’s bedroom but now he’s screaming. It’s as if he’s right inside Stephen’s head and he puts his hands over his ears to try and block it out but it only seems to get louder. His parents are looking at him and he can see their lips moving, asking him if he’s ok, but he isn’t hearing them and he squeezes his eyes shut too so he can’t see them staring. It doesn’t work though because he can still feel the burn of their eyes on him and he knows his sister is staring too and is probably going to tell all her friends tomorrow about what a freak her brother is. Roy keeps screaming and he isn’t showing any signs of stopping or getting quieter but for some reason Stephen can’t bring himself to get up, run to his room and let him out. He feels a hand on his arm and it shocks him so much that it causes him to stand up and push away from the table so quickly his chair falls over. He still has his hands pressed over his ears so hard he can feel them burning and his eyes shut so tight it’s starting to make his head hurt. He’s aware that he must look stupid but can’t bring himself to open his eyes, to look at everyone staring back at him like an animal in a zoo. He might not be able to see them but he knows that’s what they’re doing.
Someone touches him again and he jerks backwards, almost tripping over the upturned chair behind him. Roy’s voice is so loud in his head now he swears he can hear it echo around his skull and he’s not sure it’s real any more. He doesn’t know when he makes the decision, but he knows he’s got to do something to stop it. He finally prises his eyes open and peels his hands away from his ears and before he can take the time to look at his family and they can register what’s happening he grabs the carving knife from the table and dashes to his room. He locks the door and wrenches open his wardrobe, fumbling to retrieve the inanimate pig, driving the knife into its middle as he dumbly registers his parents banging on the door.
When Roy is nothing but pink material and clumps of stuffing he opens his window and throws the mess out onto the pavement. The screaming doesn’t stop.
And also very weird.
