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Elliott 'Eli' Miller is your average 24 year-old with an estranged father and a resentful mother. When he goes back to his hometown to make amends, he inadvertently gets dragged into the activities of an illicit crimina...
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"You", she seethed; her voice laced with evident irritation.
Nothing had changed about the woman before me, my mother. She still had her work clothes on and an apron tied round her waist, presumably cooking dinner before I had established my unsolicited presence at her doorstep.
"Hello mother."
She begrudgingly took a step aside and I took that as a cue to walk over the threshold and close the door behind me.
"Are you here to beg for money or something because you aren't getting a dime from me."
"No mother, I've got a job. I make my own money now."
"Then why the hell...", she began a string of curses but I cut her off.
"I came back to try and mend things between us after you know what, but I guess that's not happening."
"Mend things? You're the reason my life fell apart and now you have the cheek to ask me to forgive you for it?"
"But mother, that was so long ago. You know it wasn't my fault but I'm still sorry for everything. Please mother, I want you back...", I was this close to pleading with her. Hearing her speak with such passionate fury made me want to cry. It still hurt to think about how close we were.
"What's all the hubbub down here?" a voice boomed from the direction of the staircase. I looked back towards the source of the sound and my eyes met a scruffy-looking man who bore an irritated expression, probably having just woken up from a nap of sorts.
"Who's this?"
His eyes were red and he wore a white tank top with boxers. He looked to be a little older than my mother and had a menacing air to him, making me recoil slightly.
"Get. Out."
I sharply turned back and looked at my mother in surprise. Despite her commanding attitude, the look in her eyes changed as soon as the man made eye contact with her. She seemed almost vulnerable, a look that was foreign to me.
"But I-we..."
"I said get out, you wretched delinquent!", she yelled at the top of her lungs, making me wince. She dragged the sleeve of my jacket to the door and shoved me out.
"Don't ever come back here, you got it?", her voice didn't contain as much passion from before but rather, a blend of fear and urgency.
Before I had time to decipher what it was about the man that disturbed her so much, the front door was slammed in my face, successfully breaking me out of my reverie. I also heard a male voice cackling loudly and then there was silence again. Not the kind with crickets, but complete and utter silence. The sound of the door slamming seemed to have silenced the birds as well.
I let out a deep sigh and made my way back to where I'd parked my car. The sound of my shoes hitting the pavement seemed deafeningly loud owing to the pin drop silence that surrounded me, however, offering a welcome change from the eeriness that would have no-doubt ensued.
I had somewhat, although not fully, expected my mother to react the way she did, but a man was someone I would've never expected to have seen in that house. I thought she was still distraught over my father leaving but I guess I was wrong.
After all these years, she's finally moved on.
I decided to brush off all of the irrational questions that popped up in my head and focus on getting back to my hotel.
Why would she still be mad at me if she'd moved on.
As the street lights turned on, I pulled out of the cul- de-sac and began driving
