Love In Shadows

38. After Six Months

From the third person's point of view:-

It was the late evening of the 13 October, when sixteen-year-old Samantha was sitting in the corner of her room in complete darkness. Her arms were wrapped around her knees in fear. She'd been trembling with anticipation and fear as she heard those arguments from downstairs.

Her brother, Adrian, and her father, Andrew were bickering over something. Andrew had a drinking issue that he picked up ever since his dear wife died. His coping mechanism took a toll on his kids' life. This made the elder son of this dysfunctional family look after his sister from a very young age.

Samantha flinched again when she heard a loud crashing noise from downstairs. She was too scared to check what was happening outside. She might know the reason behind this heated argument. 

Adrian was initially planning to leave this house along with his sister to escape their father's abuse but the fear struck Samantha wasn't sure about this idea. Suddenly, her father's voice raised again and another crashing noise followed, which made her come out of the room to check up on her brother.

"It should have been you in place of your mother!" He glowered in his sloshed state at Adrian, making Samantha's heartache. Being hurt by her father's words for her brother, she stepped down the stairs in fury and pulled her brother back whilst sparing a little glare towards her father.

But his tipsy state didn't prevent him from letting go of the look she gave him. In fact, It added fuel to the fire. He skulked towards her with a glowering stance as he spoke, "Who the hell are you looking at?"

She clutched at her brother's shirt from behind as she cowered back in fear. She was aware of her father's rage. She knew that one wrong move might flip the lids and the result wouldn't be good. "Back off. We are done with you!" Adrian grumbled before turning to his sister and asking her to go back to the room.

But this didn't stop there. Andrew, being drunk in grief and rage snapped and staggered towards them with hands towards Adrian to harm him in any way possible. "Now you've got balls to talk back to your father!?"

He pulled Adrian back harshly, making him lose his balance on his feet. He crashed against the counter while Samantha got frozen in her spot. She had witnessed this many times but it was never enough for her to desensitize this trauma.

Andrew wiped the sweat off his forehead before he lumbered towards Adrian. "I feed you! I– I put a roof over your heads and this is how you pay back to me!? You ungrateful—" 

"Dad..." 

Samantha finally chose to speak up but Adrian's eyes widened, pleading her silently to go away from his sight. Yet, In the intention of saving her brother, she didn't budge.

Andrew turned back to her voice. His hooded, bloodshot eyes glared at her as he grumbled, "You've got a long tongue to speak between men now."

She stepped back in fear but her eyes slowly flickered between her father and her brother, who was slowly approaching the table where the phone was kept. She knew that she had to stall her father now.

"I was just..." her voice quivered.

She knew that it would give him the illusion of power over her. Her father's stance became more confident as he walked stealthily towards her. His mind was still foggy but the rage swirled around in his mind as he glared at his very own flesh and blood.

Just before he could swing his hand across her face, he heard the sound of a small beep from behind. Samantha's eyes widened when she saw that Adrian was a little careless while handling this situation.