Delirium

Chapter 14

Warning this chapter contains abuse!! Feel free to skip it!

Nine-year-old Dallas, sat in his room, strumming his guitar. Griffin was staying the night with a friend, and Huntleigh was asleep. His stepdad worked late and he didn't know where his mother was. He sat his guitar down, got up, and made his way to the kitchen. He climbed on the cabinet, pulling out his two-year-old sister's Elsa cup. He turned the silver knob as the cool water ran into the plastic cup. The cool water felt good to his dry throat.

Dallas heard the front door knob jiggle. Excitement pulsed through him. He was dying to show Clayton the song he had learned. He sat the cup down and rounded the corner, "Dad I have something I want to . . ." Dallas stopped dead in his tracks. His blood ran cold. He came face to face with a set of familiar jade green eyes.

Darren smirked at him, "Well if it isn't my own flesh and blood." He chuckled, "What do you have to show your old man?"

Dallas' heart went cold, "Nothing, Darren."

His father's drunk smile fell. He slammed his fist on the wall, "I'm your father boy. Respect me!"

Dallas fought a flinched as he kept a cold expression.

"Are ya scared of me?" Darren chuckled.

"No." He replied feeling his heart burn.

"Good, Now fetch me a beer!" He yelled.

Dallas did as instructed. He grabbed a beer from the fridge. He opened it gagging as the bitter smell attacked his senses.

"Took you long enough." Darren said, taking a sip, as he sat in Clayton's recliner.

"Where is mom?"

"She should be coming in shortly." He slurred, "Now do something. Entertain me since the damn TV isn't working!"

Dallas fetched his guitar, as the remote clattered against the wall. He swiftly checked on his sister."How is she sleeping through all this?" He mumbled shutting her soor.

He played the song he intended for his stepdad to hear. Dallas had hoped it would make Darren proud. Instead, his biological dad laughed, "You are pathetic! I hope you know you can't make a career out of this!"

Dallas felt tears threatening to spill.

"Are you going to cry?" His green eyes darkened.

"No, sir." His voice wobbled.

"It's dad to you moron." His father shouted, waving his hand back.

Dallas closed his eyes waiting.

A few moments later his mom stumbled in. Her hazel eyes went wide, at the sight of Darren gripping their son by his bicep. Dallas fought the urge to squirm in his dad's grasp.

All she did was stare at them. His head eventually drooped. What had he done to deserve any of this? Why couldn't his own mother stop his hateful biological father? Why did she bring him back here?

Later that night, Dallas was curled up in his bed as he listened to Darren argue with Clara. He heard whimpers coming from Huntleigh's room. He scrambled from the bed to check on her. He crept down the hallway quietly turning the brass knob. His sister wailed as she stood up in her crib, "Shush Huntleigh. Your big brother is here."

"Dally!" She cried, putting her thumb in her mouth.

Dallas pulled Huntleigh's thumb out, "What's wrong?"

She flung her arms out, "Uppies!"

He picked her up out of the crib, "That better?"

She stuck her small fingers in her mouth, "Yeah."

"Want to go back in?"

"No!" she wailed.

"Huntleigh shush." Dallas whispered as he looked at the door.

She hit one of his bruises, "Stay Dally, I don't wike it when mommy and daddy argue."

Dallas sucked in a deep breath as she hit his bruise again, "I don't either Hunt." Little did Huntleigh know it wasn't her dad that their mom was fussing at.

"Where's my other son?" Darren roared, slamming something.

"I don't know!" Clara shrieked.

Huntleigh cried once more and Dallas covered his sister's mouth. Dallas wanted nothing more than to protect his mom but he wouldn't dare let Darren near his sister. "What the hell is that crying?"

His father sounded closer than earlier. His voice boomed in their small hall. Darren burst through the door flipping the switch on. His green eyes grew angrier at the sight of Huntleigh. He balled his scuffed hands into fists. Dallas clutched his sister closer to his small body. He was willing to take another beating to protect her. Clara rushed into the room and threw herself in between them, "Darren you need to leave."

"Who's daughter is that?"

Clara glanced back at a crying Huntleigh, "She's Clayton's daughter."

"She's not mine?" Darrens eyes had grown darker.

"She is Dallas and Griffin's half-sister, Darren." Their mom said in a calm tone.

Dallas felt his expression grow colder, "She is my half-sister but she is still my sister! I won't let you near her!"

Darren pushed Clara out of the way, "You're only nine Dallas. What are you going to do?"

He took a step back pulling Huntleigh closer. She screamed for her dad in Dallas's ear.

Clayton then entered pulling a drunk Darren away from them, "Get the hell away from my family!"

Huntleigh's amber eyes had grown more terrified at the sight of him, "Daddy!"

"Dallas isn't even your flesh and blood!" Darren slurred.

"He is my son. I adopted him, I love him and Griffin as my own." Clayton stated, placing himself in front of Dallas.

Once Clayton had thrown Darren out of the house, he tended to Dallas's wounds. His amber eyes expressed concern for Dallas, "Why do you care for me dad? I'm not even your blood."

Clayton applied a bandage to Dallas's right forearm, then met his eyes, "You may not be my flesh and blood Dallas or even have my last name. . . but you are my son. I will always protect you."