Best Friend

WARNING: Mentions of murder and blood

Charlie was just a little kid. He did anything a normal kid did. He played outside. He went to school. And he had loving parents. But he was lonely. Charlie has never had any friends. Other children would always bully him at school. One day, while playing in his room, someone came up to him. It wasn't his mother or his father. It was just an older boy. "Hello Charlie. How are you?" the boy said. "Who are you?" Charlie asked. "I'm your best friend, Julian" Julian said. Though Charlie has never ed having a best friend, but he was so happy when he finally did. He and Julian would always hang out together. They would play in the sandbox, play tag, and play ball. One day while playing hide-and-seek at the park, another kid came up to them. "Wow! What a loser! Playing all by yourself!" "No, I have my friend Julian with me" Charlie argued. "Yeah right! I bet Julian is just another weird kid like you!" Julian was hiding behind the slide, listening in on the conversation. Naturally, he was upset that his new friend was being bullied. And so, he decided to take things into his own hands. The next morning, Charlie's parents took him to the park again. It was then when he saw that horrifying sight. There were police tape blocking the area and a person was being carried into an ambulance. He approached the scene closer and saw blood in the sand. Next to it, a bloody rock was just laying there. When he looked back at the person, he realized it was the kid from the day before. Instead of feeling guilt or sorrow, Charlie felt happy. He even smiled a bit. This went on for the next few days. Charlie would get bullied, Julian would kill them, Charlie discovers it and is glad. One day during dinner, his mother said, "Charlie, we need to talk". He felt his stomach drop. Was he in trouble? Did he do something wrong? "We've noticed you've been talking to yourself lately", his father started, "Me and your mother have been getting worried". "I'm not talking to myself" Charlie claimed. His parents were confused. "I'm talking with my best friend, Julian. He's always playing with me, and he even helps me out with the bullies! I always watch him tell them off, even though it feels as if I'm the one defending myself." "Charlie...", his parents started, "There never was a Julian".