He can’t keep them all safe, they will die and he is afraid…
Charlie wanted to protect them.
He wanted to save them all, make them laugh, feel big, powerful… But he can’t keep them all safe, he will die and they will be afraid.
After Neil’s suicide, everyone was devastated and terrified, saddened and melancholic by Mr. Keating’s expulsion. They grew quieter and never set foot in the cave again.
None of them, except Charlie. One night, he rode his bike to the cave and entered. Inside, The Guardian of the Cave, that stupid candle lamp Neil had brought, lay covered in dust. It made him smile, tears welling up in his eyes.