Growing Pains - Charlotte Emma Gledson

“Mummy, I don’t feel well, my chest hurts!” Sammy moaned more urgently as Trinny walked hastily into the bedroom.

“Come on now, the medicine I gave you earlier must be kicking in by now sweetie.” Trinny desperately tried to reassure her 5 yr old son Matty as he continued to writhe in agony within the bedclothes. It was 2am, and Trinny had been visiting Matty regularly due to his constant complaints of a sore chest.

“Do you love me Mom?” He pleaded.

“Of course I do, why do you ask?”

“Well me and Will have been learning a song.  It’s your favourite, that Nat King Cole song If I give my heart to you.”

Trinny smiled with an air of hesitation.  He was right. Ever since the sudden parting of her husband Keith six months ago, Trinny had continually played this track in a desperate hope to rekindle the good memories of her now annulled marriage.

William lay in the top bunk, staring up at the ceiling listening to the conversation below. Will in his 10 years had never felt such bitterness as he did so right now. He resented deeply that his beloved Dad left him for an up and coming Lawyer, leaving his Mom to bring them up alone on a meagre wage. Worse, he hated Matty for always insisting he felt ill, grabbing his mom’s attention constantly. He felt utterly abandoned, he felt rejected by all of those that he cared for.

“Why honey, that’s lovely, so you going to perform the song for me on Valentine’s day? How much have you learned already?”

“Well, the first two verses anyway, “If I give my heart to you, will you handle it with care?”

Matty awkwardly but successfully sang the words, as Will covered his head with his pillow shaking with frenzied fury.

Trinny left the room, her heart warming as she left the door slighty ajar, ready and willing to receive the cries of her younger son.

“Pssst, Matty, you know what would make her really happy?” Will whispered, leaning down from his bunk and yanking the covers off Matty.

“No. What?” Matty retorted.

“Well, wait there, and I will be back, this would be the best present you could give her.”

“What is it?” Matty spoke urgently.
“Shhhhhhh, wait there, I will be straight back!”

Will slid off the wooden bunk, left the bedroom, and crept into the hall, down the dimly lit staircase and into the kitchen.

Returning up the stairs, slowly and carefully he hid the object behind his back.

“She’s gonna love this!” Will sneered.

“Matty, wake up and lie still!”

With such vigour and passion, Matty didn’t even stir as Will rammed the knife into Matty’s sore chest manically and began to carve out his brother’s heart brutally. Blood layered his face as he worked, crimson fluid gushed over the bed, staining the Power Rangers wallpaper with rich clots of bloody fluid. Finally delving into the crevices of his brothers broken body, Will grabbed the pulsing organ in both hands as he dropped the butcher’s knife. Lifting his blood soaked face he turned to the open door. Will cheerfully, yet slyly called out;