The Shadow Monster Incident

Chapter 2 This Is Acceptable

Chapter 2 This Is Acceptable

I sat there on the floor for about 10 minutes trying to collect my thoughts.

"This kind of stuff isn't real. It only happens in movies and tv shows" I said to myself

I looked at the sunlight coming through my window hitting the floor. I finally just said fuck it and got up. As I walked to the bathroom to take a quick shower for school my mom stopped me at the staircase.

"Carter why are you covered in mud and grass stains?" She asked

"I went for a walk through the woods behind the house last night. I couldn't sleep" I said nervously hoping she would just drop the conversation.

She just sighed and lowered her head. As she began sobbing.

"I can't ever imagine what you went through while you were gone. I'm trying so hard to understand what you're going through. Nothing like this ever happens around here. Even when I was age and now it happened to us. After everything we do for this community and that was our reward." She said.

This was a tone of voice I had never heard my mom use. I mean don't get me wrong she hadn't really used a "pleasant" tone with me in years. I'm not gonna lie it made me upset how she claimed it happened to us.

"But it didn't happen to you. It happened to me. No harm ever came upon any of you." I said angerly

"If we had known sooner it may have been different. If you would just talk to us and let us know what you're doing, we may have realized sooner." she said as she continued to cry

I kept my eyes on her as I asked

"How long was I gone before you, dad and Brianna realized I was missing"

She closed her eyes bowed her head and began to sob

"We didn't know something was wrong til the evening of the next day when you weren't at dinner" she said quietly

"So, a little over a day?" I said not surprised

"We just thought you ate at Kevin's again and you'd be home later on that night like you usually do when you eat over there. And we're always so busy in the morning and you usually just grab a pop tart and leave. We thought you had just left early" she said as she looked away

"I have the same lunch period as Brianna. She didn't think it was odd when she didn't see me?" I asked

"You know how your sister is" she said trying to protect her

"Yeah, I do. All too well" I shouted

"She didn't hardly sleep while you were gone. None of us did." she said sobbingly

"When I called Kevin's mom, she said she hadn't seen you since the day before. It was Kevin who found your phone on the sidewalk smashed. He said he had been texting you all day because you weren't at school. He thought we had a disagreement again and you went walking in the woods again." she said looking down again

"Stop crying. It's not gonna be a good image when your clients come by." I said

She just walked downstairs. And went to the kitchen. Probably to start her daily wine regiment.

In the shower I just kept thinking about last night. My shadow, the fire on my hand and the redyed fuckhead. As I put my shoe's on, I thought about maybe just staying home. I then just decided it's probably best to go to school. As I reached for the door handle, I heard him.

"Aw such a heartfelt moment. Mommy dearest admits to having a favorite. Why the fuck did you say yes if this is your life?" I heard him say in a condescending tone