Crouched so small, clenching his fists around his legs holding his only possession he had which was his old guitar which he’d kept since he was small. His bulging eyes staring into the darkness, thinking, about his past life and where he had gone wrong…
He was raised well by his loving parents living in a big house also with his older sister. His parents were very wealthy and they cared for their son very much. He started school and made a lot of friends, quite a popular boy at his school. He was very bright and was very talented in his music class at playing the guitar as his music teacher kept saying. His dad immediately bought Eric a guitar so he could practice at home. He was growing up so fast and already he had finished primary school. He started a local secondary school with all his friends and was doing very well in his studies. He achieved high results in his end of year exams and his parents were delighted. They were so proud of him and were certain he had a career to look forward to in the future. He was well disciplined, did his homework punctually and didn’t get in trouble once.
At the end of eighth grade, his parents decided to move house because Eric’s dad had moved job and was working far away from their home. This meant that he had to leave his friends and start at a new school. This is where his downhill journey began. He mixed with he wrong people who encouraged him to take drugs and do bad things like stealing from people and shops, vandalising cars and even breaking into people’s homes. He did it because he thought he was making new friends, but later on in the year they neglected him. He thought he’d start again fresh and make new friends but he was still stuck on drugs. They still supplied him and Eric was starting to get in debt. All his lunch money was used to pay for it, but it was increasing too much and Eric needed to get some money fast. He started stealing from people, from shops, from anywhere. His education suffered badly. He didn’t do his homework, started misbehaving and arguing with his teachers at school. His parents tried talking to him but he didn’t tell them anything. He was so stressed out; the drugs were getting to him and on top of that he had so much work from school and his parents kept nagging him trying to find out what was wrong. He needed help but he didn’t know who to go to. He wanted things to go back to how they were before. One evening, he sat down with his sister and told her all his problems. She tried to help him, telling him to go and see a professional but he thought it’s a waste of time. He decided the best thing to do is to run away from home leaving all his problems behind. So one day after he returned from school, he grabbed all his savings and his guitar for some apparent reason and quickly left the house before his parents returned from work. He heads out not knowing where he is going. He just keeps walking, after about an hour or so, he gets really tired and sees a bed and breakfast nearby. By now, night is falling he decided to stay in the bed and breakfast for the night.
Next morning he wakes up early to set out again. As he leaves the bed and breakfast to his luck he sees his sister driving past. He turns away hoping his sister doesn’t see him and just drives on normally. Luckily for him she doesn’t see him and she watches as she goes past in relief. He just stares at the back of the car as it went past as if something is wrong. For about two full minutes he’s still gazing in the same direction even though his sister’s car had gone way ahead and out of sight. Then all of a sudden Eric collapses, his bones felt too weak too carry him and he passed out on the floor.
When he awakes, he finds he’s lying on his sofa at home with his mum and dad shouting his name trying to wake him. They knew what he tried to do and were looking at him with hatred and shame in their eyes. He wondered how he got back home. Someone must have called the police and they must have found out he was trying to run away. He had failed miserably. He couldn’t even look at his parents in the eye anymore. He fell back in a deep sleep.
When he awakes again, he finds the house empty. His parents must have gone to work thinking they’ll deal with him when they get back. He couldn’t face them, he needed somewhere to stay for a while to think. He remembered the basement in the shed, no-one will ever find him there. He gets up, finding his guitar resting beside the sofa decided to take that with him. He also remembered to take as much food he could hold. Locking the shed door behind him, he starts down the basement ladder. He reaches the bottom and finds a comfy spot for him to sit down.
So here he is…Still living all by himself in this silent little room. He’s been living on his food supply for months but now does not have long left as he has ran out. He can’t go back now to face his family. He knows he has to stay here until the end. He’s too fragile now, can’t move around a lot and he is barely breathing. All shrivelled up in the corner of the room. He knows there’s nothing left for him anymore. He messed up and now it’s all over. Thinking of his family and what their doing makes him angry, makes him think why he ran away, what it would have been like if he didn’t run away. It’s too late now anyway, he can’t go back, he knows he has to wait here in this rusty old basement for his death to come.
