Hollow Grace

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ɴɪɴᴇ - ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴏʀᴀʀʏ ʀᴜɴᴀᴡᴀʏ

November 20th

The legal proceedings dragged on while they were away in Portland. Charlie had opted out of attending, yet he knew with absolute certainty that the spectacle would be rife with drama, tears, and sensational local headlines. Of course, his father's former superiors would pull every string to hush up the scandal, but Ember Hill was already clued in. Everyone had seen the security footage: his father, resembling a deranged beast, brutally kicking his son. These recordings subsequently served as damning evidence against him, appended to the psychological evaluation and medical report. This was all further substantiated by witness testimonies and a dispassionate diagnosis that was already widely known: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, marked by episodes of uncontrolled aggression and a high risk to others.

It all felt like chewing on dried, stale meat, but the essence was straightforward: Wright could no longer, by law or by common sense, be near his son or wife.

Harriet was dispatched to a high-security, closed psychiatric facility. It was more for isolation than for punishment or treatment. Doctors, lawyers, and social workers spoke in unison of long-term observation, intensive therapy, and rehabilitation spanning at least several years. Charlie wasn't interested. All he needed to know was that his father was out of reach. He wouldn't be able to harm him or his loved ones anymore. They wouldn't cross paths on the city streets for months to come. And by the time he was released, he and Evan would have already left town.

Linda, however, took a different path, though her fate mirrored her husband's in many ways. While she wasn't accused to the same extent, the domestic situation became clearer with each interrogation and every new revelation, forming a complete picture.

She saw everything. And did nothing.

The court deemed her actions — or rather, her inaction — a threat to the child. Her parental rights were temporarily suspended. For her own safety, she was sent to a less restrictive clinic, akin to a sanatorium with a structured daily routine and group sessions, designed for rehabilitation from less severe mental health issues. Nevertheless, in her case, the treatment was compulsory. She was given a chance, which, in the eyes of the church parishioners, she had earned by begging forgiveness from the Lord.

It was the same old story. The mother begged forgiveness from the Lord, but not from the one she had wronged so deeply. Charlie wanted no meetings, rejected calls, and tossed every note Linda somehow managed to send him via casual acquaintances. He wasn't surprised by it; it merely irritated him. When Joel informed him of his parents' fate, he offered no comment, only a grim nod before changing the subject. He had no intention of backing down from his stance.

Everything had already been said. The bridges were burned, and the embers were slowly cooling.

No one condemned Charlie's reaction. No one hovered with reproachful glares or uttered phrases like 'How can you? They're your parents!' . Sylvia supported his efforts to distance himself from the whole ordeal. Joel delivered information sparingly and factually. No one revisited the topic.

Evan's stepmother was declared wanted in the state. His father was reported missing, once authorities confirmed he wasn't in any town within their county of William. The investigation progressed agonizingly slowly and superficially in light of recent events. A few perfunctory interrogations, a handful of search party expeditions, and some paperwork. It was as if Holden Sr. deserved nothing more. The town allowed him to vanish, to get lost in the procession of ordinary days returning to their usual rhythm.

Evan feigned concern, but otherwise, he made no secret of his true state. He had always been prepared for his father not to return home, and now that it had happened, the shedding of that hateful burden brought him unspeakable relief. What was terrifying, conversely, was the thought of William Holden being found. Or seeing Gloria return under the cloak of night to defile everything with her presence once more. These thoughts fueled nightmares where he screamed and cried. His sleep became completely uncontrollable, either vanishing entirely or engulfing Evan for full days.