Chapter 14: Could You Take Care Of A Broken Soul?

~“Would you take the wheel if I lose control? If I’m lying here will you take me home? Could you take care of a broken soul? Will you hold me now? Oh, will you take me home?” —Jess Glynne.~

Chapter Theme Song: “Take Me Home” by Jess Glynne.

BLAZE

My dad thinks I’m spiteful and petty, but Justine Meyers just outdid me.

It’s clear as day that she only asked Harmony to ‘show off her talent’ because she’s green with envy.

Her petty games won’t change the fact that I had ~kindly~ asked her to keep her hands off me the other day, and it certainly won’t change the fact that once I’m done with someone, there’s no going back.

I find her jealousy entertaining, but seeing Harmony standing at the front of the room, anxiety written all over her face, bothers me.

I’m starting to regret forcing her to come here, especially after she told me she doesn’t like singing in front of people.

Regret. I think that’s what I’m feeling right now. It’s been a while, but I remember what it feels like.

It’s the feeling I used to get when my mom caught me doing something she considered ‘wrong,’ right before she’d beat me until I was nothing more than a bloody heap on the cold floor.

It’s that same feeling, and I hate it.

But Harmony seems to be messing with my head in more ways than one.

I should just tell her we’re leaving. If that will get rid of this ~weak~ feeling inside me, then it’s best we get out of here and never come back.

I’m about to stand up and say just that, but then she opens her mouth and starts to sing, and I freeze in my seat.

~“Wrapped up, so consumed by all this hurt. If you ask me, don’t know where to start. Anger, love, confusion, roads that go nowhere. I know there’s somewhere better. ‘Cause you always take me there”~

I’m left speechless. The room falls silent as her soft voice fills the air, fills my ears, and oddly enough, fills my ~heart.~

~”Came to you with a broken faith. Gave me more than a hand to hold. Caught before I hit the ground. Tell me I’m safe, you’ve got me now.~

~“Would you take the wheel if I lose control? If I’m lyin’ here will you take me home? Could you take care of a broken soul? Will you hold me now? Oh, will you take me home?”~

Her eyes close, and she sings with all her heart. I can’t take my eyes off her, my fist covering my mouth as I listen, and deep down, I feel something.

And then a memory flashes in my mind, one of the many times I was abused.

~^Flashback^~

~“Mama, please!”~

~“Put your hand up there!”~

~“No-no, I won’t do it again, please? I won’t do it again! I am sorry!”~

~“Put your fucking hand up there, boy!”~

~The person who should have protected me when I was just nine, my mother, grabbed my thin hand, trying to force it onto the hot stove.~

~But my kicking and crying made it hard for her, so instead, she kicked me to the floor, stepping on my chest over and over.~

~And when she was tired, she grabbed the belt, using the metal buckle to hit me everywhere, my skin turning red and raw under her brutal assault.~

~The pain was too much for a child to bear. And sadly, that was just the beginning.~

~^Present^~

I shake my head and shift a little, trying to block out the memories and focus back on Harmony as she pours her heart out at the front of the room.

To say she looks like an angel right now might be a stretch, but she does seem like a beacon of hope. Her innocence shines bright, filling the room with a sense of peace.

~“Hold the gun to my head. Count 1, 2, 3. If it helps me walk away, then it’s what I need. Every minute gets easier the more you talk to me, you rationalize my darkest thoughts, Yeah you, set them free.~

~“Came to you with a broken faith, Gave me more than a hand to hold, caught before I hit the ground. Tell me I’m safe, you’ve got me now.~

~“Would you take the wheel if I lose control? If I’m lyin’ here. Will you take me home? Could you take care of a broken soul? Oh, will you hold me now? Oh, will you take me home?”~

A tear slips down her face as she sings, and my eyes are red and glossy. I’ve been numb for years, but what her voice is doing to me is something I can’t comprehend.

I haven’t felt this vulnerable in a long time, and it’s been ages since my eyes have stung this much. My heart is fluttering.

~“You say space will make it better and time will make it heal. I won’t be lost forever and soon I wouldn’t feel like I’m haunted, falling.~

~“You say space will make it better and time will make it heal. I won’t be lost forever and soon I wouldn’t feel like I’m haunted, falling.~

~“You say space will make it better and time will make it heal, I won’t be lost forever and soon I wouldn’t feel like I’m haunted, falling.~

~“Would you take the wheel if I lose control? If I’m lyin’ here will you take me home? Could you take care of a broken soul? Oh, will you hold me now? Oh, will you take me home?”~

She finishes the song, and a tear escapes and slides down my face. It catches me off guard and I touch the trail it left, staring at the wet mark on my fingertip.

I scrunch my forehead in confusion, rising from my chair and darting out of the room while the sound of applause and the shuffle of people standing fills the air.

~^”But lately, the thing that’s been making me cry the most is myself—the person I once was and lost, and the person I am now, with no idea about his future.” —Unknown.^~