Human

10.

            I wasn't really in the partying mood anymore after my talk with Brittany.

David had been reluctant, but finally did agree to drive me home. I am sure his feelings were still a little hurt from earlier, but I just didn't have it in me to stroke his ego tonight. That would probably just give him the wrong idea about us anyway.

The car ride was silent mostly because I was so lost in my own head and replaying Brittany's words over and over. When I walked up to my house I made the mistake of making way too much noise coming in, and not sneaking in like I usually would.

The second the door slammed behind me I knew I'd messed up. I could hear the arguing from upstairs already. I stood at the bottom of my stairs and deliberated with myself for a moment. I wasn't sure if I should just leave before he knows I'm here, or if I can make it into my room.

Mistake number two was not deciding to leave.

I reached the top of the stairs and saw my mother sitting in the hallway outside of my parent's bedroom crying. Her nice clothes looked a mess, and her short brown hair wasn't hiding the fresh and new slap mark across her cheek. "Cadence dear, just go to your room." She said to me almost annoyed.

If she hadn't announced my presence like that, he may not have noticed I was here. However, when he heard her say my name he came stomping out of his room with a half full brandy glass in his hand. "Where have you been?" He demanded as he stopped in front of me, just inches away from my face. "You think you run things around here? You just come and go as you please and you've got that smart little mouth whenever you are around."

His brown eyes looked closer to black as he got into my face, breathing his vile breath all over me. He brought his cup up to his mouth and chugged what was left, then threw his glass against the wall. The sound of it shattering made me jump, but other than that I couldn't move. It's been years since I have been caught on this end of my father's outburst. Stephen always protected me and mom from it. With him gone, and my mother being the defenseless and useless mother she is, I've got no chance.

My heart was pounding and my stomach was turning as I tried to stay calm. He wants to see me freak out, to beg him not to hurt me or mom, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction. I force a smile to him and he loses the last bit of cool he had left.

I see his fist coming, but it never connects.

"What the?" My father's confused voice calls out before he hits the ground.

"Who are you? Get out of our house!" My mother screams.

My father staggered back to his feet to lunge at Garrett, but Garrett easily restrained him. I stood there dumbfounded at the sight. I was so surprised to see Garrett here at all, but then to see the way my father, who is not a small or weak man by any means, struggling against him but making not even the slightest impact was blowing my mind. Garrett looked like he was using as much energy as it would take to hold a balloon, not what it should look like to be holding back a full grown man in a rage. "Let me go or I will call the cops!" My father shouted.

Garrett chuckled behind him. "I think that's a great idea." He taunted. "Why don't I just do that myself, and then you can explain what was happening here."

My father finally stopped fighting against him and Garrett let him go. They exchanged hard glances but my father relented and stomped into his room, followed by my pathetic mother, then slammed the door.

Everything sort of hit me at once. I choked out a ragged sob and Garrett came to me in an instant, throwing his arms around me and rubbing the top of my back soothingly. "It's ok Cade, I've got you." He whispered against the top of my head. "You're alright now."

"What are you doing here, Garrett?" I asked weakly.

"I...I was leaving Carrianne's and..." He trailed off.

"And what?" I prompted him.

"I knew you were in trouble, so I came in."

I leaned away from him slightly so that I could look into his eyes. "How did you know, Garrett?"

He cut his eyes away from mine and looked down the hall instead. "I, um...I heard shouting." He said almost like he wasn't certain.

"You heard him and then came in?" I clarified.

"Yeah." He replied. Something in me told me he was lying, but right now I didn't care. I was just happy he was here and that he had been able to shut my father down for now. My sudden burst of emotion had left me feeling pretty beat. I turned from him and walked to my room and laid down on the center of my bed. "You're exhausted." Garrett said as he closed and locked my door behind him. "Do you mind if I stay?" He asked when he looked back to me.

"Garrett?"

He smiled at me strangely. "Yeah?"

"Never mind." I said quickly. Now was not the time to talk about what Brittany had said. "You can stay." I told him as I tossed a pillow to him and kicked the comforter off my bed and into the floor.

"Thanks Cade." He said as he took off his button down and kicked off his shoes.

I followed suit, tossing my boots to the end of the bed and covering up with my sheet.

Falling asleep had been easy after all of the drama of the night. Escaping to dream land was exactly wanted I wanted to do.

I hadn't been prepared to fall into nightmare land though.

I tossed in my bed then quickly jolted upright when I smelt smoke. I ripped off my covers looked around my room. My desk was on fire. My curtains and blinds on the window were too. The smoke was making my eyes burn and my throat felt like it was closing up. I tried to scream for help but nothing came out. I looked around in a daze for something to put out the flames that were spreading. The heat was torturous. I was frozen in fear standing in front of my burning desk when the curtains burned away from the window and I could see them. Straight across from my window, Carrianne and Garrett were watching from her room as the flames grew larger and larger around me. The last thing I saw before the flames swallowed me whole was Carrianne's sick smile.