Poppy Playtime ~ An Angel's Bleeding Heart

Chapter 19 : In Need of Counseling

"What do you mean you quit!" Gabriel's father, David, shouted with frustration saturated in his voice.

"I know it sounds hard to believe...!" Gabriel, sixteen at this point, struggled to respond as his father's overwhelming voice overpowered his. "But look, I just, I got a...a...gut feeling, that's all!"

The whole family was in the living room witnessing the whole confession happen, the mother, Suzan, and the siblings, Derek and Sophia, were all sitting on the couch while they watched the middle child get reprimanded. It had been but three days since Gabriel decided to quit Playtime.co but he kept it as a secret knowing how reliant they had become. But after a few days of staying home, he finally decided to come clean.

With the more darker details being left out.

David tried to avert his gaze so that his anger wouldn't seem to be directed at his son, however everyone knew that there was no point in hiding it. "Son, we are in dire straits right now." David said keeping his tone down.. "The crop yield isn't good and of course it just so happens that the produce market has gotten bad now! If we don't find a way to earn more money we may have to sell the equipment, or even the house!"

Suzan then interceded, trying to be the voice of reason. "What if we take a loan or something? Just enough to keep going?"

"Honey, we may have had made a profit here, but only enough to just pay off all the other expenses." David replied, his temper still hot. "We make only enough to get by, and if we take a loan, the debt would be impossible to pay back!"

"But if we pray and ask God what is happening I'm sure he'll provide." Gabriel said trying to appease his father David's worries. "After all it is what he said, right?"

David however wasn't convinced as he sharply rebutted. "Gabriel, I don't know if you had noticed, but this doesn't call for miracles! Faith isn't what we need now! We need money!"

Gabriel felt guilty for being yet another cause of his family's turmoil, although he couldn't bear the thought of going back to that factory. He knows there is something deeply wrong in that company, seeing that purple creature bleed, hearing the sound of its ear-piercing, distorted screams, it is all too much for him. But maybe he could have done something,...maybe...no, what is done is done. Even though the guilt may forever haunt his conscience, there will be comfort knowing that he has no part in it.

It is out of his hands now. Best to leave it.

But it has done little to curb David's anger issues. "Arg! I'm sorry but I need to get out of here and just not think of this at the moment!" And with that he stormed off into the kitchen, anything to get away from all the nonsense.

The rest of the family is also having to deal with this sudden change in other, less stressful ways. Derek has decided to turn on the TV just to pass the time while Sophia decided to just watch along with him. Suzan on the other hand was more concerned about as to why this has happened.

"What I don't understand is your reason why you would even leave the job in the first place?" Suzan said with a hint of panic. "I know you didn't like it too much but you we needed you to work there."

"But mom." Gabriel interjected. "Summer is almost over and school will soon start, I can't have a job and keep up with high school at the same time!"

"But we needed you!" Suzan yelled. "This isn't fair! Why would you do this to us? Are you selfish?"

"I-uh...I...". Gabriel stuttered, finding it hard to say what he wishes without offense or lies. Is he really selfish? Perhaps he is, given how he just left the factory and whatever wrongdoing is happening behind without second thought. Was it really fear, or was he truly just a scumbag coward?