Five gloomy Richardson stories

*These stories are underneath my folder titled “Town of Richardson”. Gacha Club character designs are under this forum: https://www.youngwriterssociety.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=116005&start=1485. Enjoy!*

1. Don’t let him forget

Gabriel asked William a few days ago to never say his real name again, that he wanted to be completely forgotten.

But William couldn’t bring himself to do it. Gabriel was his close and only friend, he didn’t deserve to forget.

So William didn’t do it and it was never brought up again.

Perhaps Gabriel forgot…

2. Conria helps Gabriel forget

“I want to forget everything. My name, who I am. Everything.” Gabriel said.

He was standing in Conria and David Richardson’s room. David was out, it was only him and withered Conria with her sad, searching eyes. Gabriel never liked her children, for they always participated in his torment, but he knew how much it hurt her heart when they died. Gabriel was certain that Mr. Ladouceur had burned down their house with the girls still inside just as he knew that Mr. Ladoucuer killed him.

Denise was gone, he could no longer seep into her mind and remind her of what she did. Gwyneth was all grown up and moved away, he could not see his sister anymore. His own parents couldn’t see him, so what was the point? To exist in sadness?

Only Conria could see him. Only Conria could help him.

“Are you sure?” Conria asked, voice cracked from age and tears.

Long ago, right after he died, Gabriel asked William to never say his name again. William didn’t listen and it was never brought up again. Gabriel wasn’t happy, but he was content to exist and be with William and the others.

There was no reason to remember his sorrowful life. He had to forget it all, he had to become just Bubblegum Hopscotch Fiddlesticks the clown. He didn’t want to be Gabriel Nikolai Edwards anymore, he couldn’t stand it.

“Yes, this is what I want. Please tell the others when you’re done.” Gabriel said. His voice flew out in telepathic waves, a result of his stitched shut mouth. Sometimes, it still hurt as though it were fresh. Sometimes, Gabriel tried to scream through the stitches and tried to pull them off.

But of course, it was all in vain. The stitches would never come off, Denise and Mr. Ladouceur would never be sorry, Gwyneth would never come back, he would always be dead.

Such was the unfairness of the afterlife.

“Alright then. I’ll do it.” Conria said. She seemed to have a heavy heart when she said it, but she didn’t need to. It was for the best.

“All memories of tainted past

Shalt be removed with the seconds of past

Without a name, without something to identify

You are let go from this life”

Bubblegum tried to grin at Conria, but something was stopping him. Stitches, perhaps? No matter, he could express happiness in other ways.

Why was he in the Richardson house? To say hello to Conria? Yes, that seemed to be the reason.

Bubblegum waved at Conria. Conria waved back, but not as enthusiastically. Why? It was a beautiful day outside, she was alive. There was nothing to feel sad about.

The others were waiting for him at the circus, he should go see them.

3. Alone in the house

Gabriel lay in bed, feet hanging off the edge. It was too small for him, but Mom couldn’t get him a bigger one.

His family tried their best to go to places close to them, so that they wouldn’t have to use the car, but sometimes, there was a family celebration that required the car and Gabriel couldn’t come, because he didn’t fit. He was too tall.

So he was left home alone. Well, it wasn’t always like that. When he first started being too tall to fit in the car, he was twelve. He had a babysitter.

He was fourteen at the moment. A fourteen year old 6’8 boy.

Gabriel didn’t go out to see his cousins, his grandparents, his Aunts, or his Uncles. The last time he did, he was eleven. He was still tall then, but tall enough to fit in a car.

Sometimes his family members visited Richardson. Not really, though. They all hated that town, they thought that it was absolutely boring.

Gabriel blinked away tears in his eyes. He had the house to himself, he could do whatever he wanted!

There was no reason to cry!

4. Against doorframes

Gabriel rubbed his head as he looked back at the doorframe he had hit. At least no one was around to pick on him.

“You’re so tall you can’t even fit through a doorframe!” Some people said to him.

“What kind of a freak are you?!” They would sneer.

Then the kids would pick up on the behavior of their parents and chant: “Freak! Freak! Freak!”

Gabriel blinked back tears. He was alone. All he did was hit his doorframe. It was nothing to cry about.

Nobody was around.

5. “Far too tall for a boy his age!”

Gabriel waved at the guests as they poured into the circus. Some waved back, mostly little children still not yet corrupted by their parents, but more shrieked and screamed, recoiling away from him.

“He stands at 6’8! All natural, not a trick! No stilts in sight!” Mr. Ladouceur boomed. He loved to tell everybody how tall Gabriel was, so that they had more reason to be disgusted of him.

Mr. Ladouceur was right below Gabriel. He tried to walk away, for he knew what would happen next, but already, Mr. Ladouceur grabbed his right pant leg.

“Don’t believe me?! I’ll SHOW you!”

Mr. Ladouceur pulled up the right pant leg to reveal the skin of Gabriel’s ankle, to show that he was, indeed, 6’8.

No one did a thing but groan and walk away. Mr. Ladouceur pulled the pant leg back down and Gabriel walked as far away from him as he could, heart beating rapidly.

He told Mr. Ladouceur that he didn’t like it, but Mr. Ladoucuer always said “It’s good for the show! What are you so upset about?”.

It wasn’t like Gabriel could tell his parents either, because Mr. Ladouceur threatened to kill him. He showed Gabriel the knife, too. He was a man of his word and did as he said he would. Besides, would Gabriel’s parents even believe him?

He had to suffer in silence, but at least he smiled! And boy, wasn’t that a good thing?