Looking Inside

Chapter Thirteen - Gun and Gone

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

HARRY'S POV

I let out a shaky breath. The feeling of a knife stuck in my throat is present as I tried holding back the tears forming in my eyes. Sometimes I wish I could turn back the time and go back to relive that day. I could've done things right. I could've stopped myself. I could've saved my mom. But what's been done has been done. I stared up at the sky, seeing the first star near the moon, bringing memories back from that day.

"It's been four years. Four, long, horrible years. Since that day happened and everything my brother and I went down the drain. All because of him. Four years since..." I paused, doubting if I should tell Dawn. What if she starts judging me? Will she be scared of me? Her hand soothed my back, urging me to continue. Four years since my mom died and my dad went to jail. I spoke slowly, as I started revealing what I've kept inside of me for years, to Dawn.

*FLASHBACK

"Harry look! The first star!" Ed pointed to the sky as we both layed on the freshly lawned grass on our front yard, watching the sky change to various colors as the sun set on the horizon.

"Ughhh not again Ed! We both know it's not going to come true. So let's not waste our time, okay?" I groaned, knowing what he'll make me do with him next.

"Nooo c'mon, just make a wish! It might! Someday!" He tried convincing me.

"Your 'someday' means 'never'." I retorted.

His hand covered my eyes, attempting to close my eye lids. "Shh. Now just make a wish." He hushed. I groaned, finally giving up as I closed my eyes and made a wish.

"What did you wish for?" Ed asked when I opened my eyes.

"Something."

"Of course it's something. Now spill."

I huffed as I leaned into his ear, not wanting anyone else to hear it. Ed suddenly bursted out laughing as I stared at him with furrowed eyebrows. He held his stomach after a while as his laughter died down. "See!" I stated, my hands thrown in the air. " This is one of the reasons I don't like making wishes with you or telling you my secrets."

"I'm sorry, its just that, I think we both know you just made that wish impossible to come true." He laughed. "Fine, what did you wish for then?" I questioned back.

"I wished-"

We were cut off as a loud crashing sound came from inside the house. We knew exactly who it was.Exchanging worried glances, as we both whispered in unison;

"Mom."

Pushing ourselves off the ground, Ed and I rushed back into the house. Broken pieces of glass greeted us as we entered the house. Anger and tears filled me as I saw my mom sitting on the floor, her beautiful face now bruised, pink, plump lips, now bleeding, and her usual combed dark hair was now messed and all over the place. She looked up to us, giving us sympathetic looks as her hand shooed us away. 'Go. Now.' she mouthed. Dad stood infront of her as he suddenly gave her a hard slap, mom's head leant to the side. "Nooo!" Ed yelled as he rushed to dad with a vase in his hand and slammed it to his head. I, on the other hand, rushed to my mom as Ed kept trying to distract dad from us. "Go Harry! Go take mom with you!" He yelled. I held my mom under her arms as she stood up. I guided her as she limped to the door. Mom halted when we reached the front yard. "Mom, c'mon we don't have much time!" I rushed her, but she stayed in her track. "Yo-your b-brother." She responded weakly.

The front door bursted opened as a manly figure came out the door, heading towards us. Dad. His forehead now had cuts and drops of blood. And his hand. He held a gun in his large hand, his veins visible as he held it tightly. "Mom let's go!" But she wouldn't budge. Just as he aimed the gun to mom, Ed had struck dad's back with a pot from mom's flower garden, as he fell on the grass.

Ed quickly took hold of the gun in dad's hand, taking advantage of the moment while dad was still on the ground. In only a matter of seconds, dad was back to consciousness and stared evily at Ed who was now aiming the gun at him. He smirked, wiping the blood dripping from his fore, as he slowly started walking towards Ed.

"D-don't e-even think a-about taking an-nother step." Ed stuttered, trembling as he kept his aim at dad. Just as Ed threatened, dad stopped moving.

"Ed no! Don't do it! He's still our dad!" I reminded him but ignored me instead.

"Whatcha gonna do kid?! Shoot me? C'mon shoot me! Just shoot me!" He bellowed wildly, the effect of alcohol still on him.

Ed's finger was set on the trigger, ready to shoot, but he kept hesitating. Tears escaped his eyes.

"You. Y-you deserve to die. You've done enough to mom. You've done enough to Harry. You've done enough to all of us! You don't deserve us. You should be the one protecting us, taking care of us, working for living. But no. You were never a father to us. You never showed us how having a father was. You never showed us that you loved us." Ed cried.

"Enough with the talking kid! Now give me that fucking gun!" Dad yelled emotionless, ignoring what Ed had just said.

Ed returned his aim at him. But this time, he was serious. With no more hesitation, Ed pulled the trigger. Little did we know that one small movement would change everything.

As Ed pulled the trigger, mom quickly rushed infront of dad, taking the bullet to her back. She saved dad. After everything he's done to her, she still saved dad. That one most important person to me was killed by Ed. After that, the neighbors who we didn't even know were watching called the police and the ambulance. The police brought dad to jail and mom was brought to the hospital but she was dead on arrival. And since our mom had no sibling we were left with our uncle. Dad's brother. He was no different from dad. Drinker, abusive, gambler, loud, evil. You name it.

*PART TWO OF FLASHBACK NEXT CHAPTER*