His Control

Before

* Before *

Cameron bubbles over in laughter as he hobbles up the front steps.

"Hey, say goodbye to Aunt Maggie." I instruct, politely as I latch onto Cam's hand preventing him from falling over.

He turns halfway around and begins to wave frantically. "Bye Aunt Meggieeeeee." Cameron shouts, jumping up and down.

Aunt Maggie sticks her hand out the window and waves. "Bye Cameron! Bye Jannie! Tell your parents I say hi!" she yells, over her car engine.

I nod and wave her off, she pulls away and Cam continues to bounce up the front steps. "Jannie tonight was soo fun! I wuv it sooo much." Cameron exclaims, still holding my hand.

I laugh lightly at the innocence he possessed as a three year old. "It was fun. Say love Cameron."

"Wuv."

I shake my head and smile. "No Cam it's Love." I say putting extra emphasis on the L.

He just stares at me like I had four heads.

I tried.

I fiddle through my pocket to try and find the house key. My pocket was full of nothing but small balls of linen and my phone. "Dammit." I mutter under my breath.

I push the little luck I have and reach for the door. I twist the nob, praying.

It opened.

That's weird my parents said they would lock it when on their way out.

I shook off any concerns and helped Cameron into the house.

"Are mommy and Daddy back yet?" he asks, glancing up at me.

"I don't think so." I say, unsure. Taking in my surroundings, the house felt awkwardly still.

The kitchen lights were on, but the room was empty. Maybe they had just forgotten to shut the lights off.

I walk in front of Cameron who was humming to himself, not paying attention to anything.

I'm not a paranoid person or anything, but my parents aren't usually the forgetful type. I go to scope out the living room, my heart felt like it was being electrocuted at that moment. The large living space was a mess.

Not the kind of mess you get from three year old, or from just neglecting to pick up every once in awhile. It was the kind of mess that you see in a horror film. The curtains on the windows looked tattered, and half pulled off the curtain rod. The lamp that had sat on the end table by the one of the couches was gone. In fact it was shattered among the carpet. On the usually spotless clean beige carpet there was dirt, and a lot of it. My eyes followed the mess to the opposite side of the room, that lead stairs. I had to take a few steps further into the room to make sure I was seeing everything right, Blood?

My throat tightened as I stared at the still damp looking stains on the carpet.

Cameron. I quickly turn around and run into the kitchen, Cameron was sitting on the kitchen floor obliviously. I scoop him up and hurry into the bathroom.

Cameron begins to laugh, thinking I was playing some sort of game, and I really wished I was playing. I sit Cameron down in the shower. He continues to smile up at me. I take his small fragile hands into mine. I try to hold back the shakiness in my voice as I speak. "Cameron, I need you to stay in here for a little bit, while I look for Mommy and Daddy. Do not move until I come back, Im going to the lock the door, do not come out till I come get you." I command softly, trying to lessen the situation unfolding.

He looks at me cross. "Ohay Jannie" he answers, no longer smiling. He understands enough to know that whatever is going on is serious.

I kiss him desperately on the forehead, then head to the door. Locking in behind me.

I prayed that I was over reacting, knowing my parents there is a reasonable explanation for all of this.

I walked slowly through the disastrous living room, my legs gradually became stiffer and stiffer as I made it to the stairs.

The blood stains made a path up the wide stairs. It was deathly quiet, making my heartbeat seem like a fire alarm sounding off around my ears, my hands shook dangerously as I got to the top of the stairs, the blood on the floor leading to my parents room was more like puddles now, completely wet.

My heart began to throw itself against my ribcage, making it hard to breath, and even harder to navigate myself through the dark hallways. I stalked the walls as I got closer and closer to my parents room. The door was open, but the room was still dark, everything was in slow motion, everything inside me burned as it froze my veins. I could smell it. Blood. Lots of blood. I stepped into my parents room. Unable to speak and barely able to breathe.

My eyes scan the room, everything looked distorted. My head began to spin as I realize what I am looking at.

A ghostly pale face, with small framed shoulders that hung lifelessly. Her hair, long, wavy and black, spilled off the bed as she laid on her back.Her head hung off the bed as her hand was clutching her stomach. I couldn't move, I couldn't talk, I couldn't breathe.

Mom?