Brotherly Love

Chapter 3 Promises

©JRF2016

Dad had left for a few days and until Merle got out it was just me and Daryl. The three of us were sitting on the couch when the front door swung open and dad came stumbling in. "Merle," he yelled, "Where the hell you at boy!" The boys jumped up. He was drunk and they knew he'd be looking for a fight. "Daryl," Merle yelled, "Take Rox upstairs!" We could still hear the ruckus downstairs and they were going at it hard. After about an hour we heard the front door slam. "I couldn't tell if that was pops leaving or Merle," Daryl said, "Could you?" I shook my head at him. "Well," Daryl said, "Let's wait a little longer before we head out there."

Daryl was sliding in the door as she was waking up. "Pops is passed out and Merle's gone, again." It was just me and Daryl again. "Are you going out again?" I asked fearing that I would be left alone with dad again. "Yeah," Daryl said, "I gotta go." I looked up at him with saddened eyes, "I can go with you, can't I Dee?" He shrugged his shoulders, "We'll probably have to wait til pops is gone or out," Daryl said, "I don't know."

When the weekend got here Merle still hadn't come back home and dad took himself to the bar. "Grab yer stuff," Daryl told me, "We're goin' while we got the chance. I ain't leavin' you here by yourself." I smiled up at him, dropped what I was doing and grabbed my bag and my bow. I was headed toward the door where Daryl was waiting when I felt a hand grab my arm. "Where the hell do you think your goin' girl," dad said sneering at me. "I'm goin' out with Dee," I told him. "Like hell," he responded back to me while walking toward Daryl, "I told you she ain't goin' out there boy!" He swung his fist at Daryl and he fell back onto the floor. "Dee," I screamed running to him when I felt a sting across my face and fell to the floor too. Blood was pouring out of my nose. Daryl looked shock, as far as he knew this was the first time dad had ever hit me. When him and Merle were gone and it was just me left this was a regular occurance. Dad needed someone to beat on and with the boys gone it was me. "Come on," Daryl yelled. Dad pulled his revolver from his belt and pointed it at Daryl, "I told you to get the hell out, she ain't leavin'." Daryl reached out for me but dad fired a shot and the bullet whizzed by Daryl's ear. "I'll be back for you, Rox," Daryl yelled back over his shoulder, "I promise."

I kept a bag hidden and ready to go when Daryl came back. Dee always kept his promises and he promised he would come back. My birthday was tomorrow, he had to be waiting for my birthday. I waited all day with no sign of Dee. I went to the kitchen to fix something to eat and dad was there. Drunk and angry as usual. "There you are," he said as he walked up to me and grabbed me by the hair and threw me into the counter, "Why ain't this mess cleaned up?" Every dish that I had washed and put away was now pulled out and thrown all over the counter. "I cleaned this up once," I started but I was cut off. "You callin' me a liar?" He screamed at me. He raised his fist but I dodged it and he just missed me. "Come here, you little brat," he screamed at her again. I ran around him quickly and to my room as he stumbled after me. I locked the door behind me when I got inside my room. I was leaning against the door catching my breath when it rattled behind me with the pounding of his fists. I ran to the bed where my bag and bow were stashed and threw them over my shoulder. She whispered, as if he could hear, "Sorry Dee, I can't wait any longer." She climbed out the window just as he broke through the door. He stumbled over to the window and hollered out to her, "Don't bother comin' back! You're dead to me!"

No problem, she wasn't planning on coming back to this house with him in it.