Death's Lullaby

Becoming Time

This is how Time became a Power and how his life was when he was human.

Dominic walked home slowly after school. It only took five minutes to get from his house to school, but he would make it ten. Sometimes twenty if he stopped at the gas station to eat something. Dominic hated going home and facing his parents. One yelled and the other hit. The only reason Dominic would go home is because he had to take care of his little sister Macy. Cold air blew through him and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Winter had just settled and snow slowly fluttered to the ground. He walked down the beaten path that was drilled in his brain. Walk down Main street. Turn left on to Friar street. Take a right on Hickory and then walk to the end of the road to the ranch house on the corner. He checked his watch when he arrived home. Seven minutes is the time it took him from the school to get home. He opened the door and shut it quietly behind him. The house smelled like cigarette smoke and alcohol.

"What took you so long?" his mom snapped standing in the entryway to the kitchen.

"Sorry, it won't happen again," he whimpered. His mom gave him a harsh look and he sunk his head low.

"It better not. Go to your room I'm done looking at you," Dominic shuffled to his room and shut the door. He went to lock it but decided against it. Macy would want to come in and she would get upset if his door was locked. He fell on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He was eighteen. A senior in high school and the top of his class. Captain of the baseball team. He was surrounded by friends but none of them knew what he came home too. While his friends went home to a nice house with a loving mother and a caring father. Maybe a sibling or two that would pester them. Not Dominic though. Every day he was greeted by his mother yelling at him for something he never did. Then his dad would come home and yell at him too, but he would treat Dominic like a training dummy. Smacking, kicking, punching. Macy would get the slightest of blows, but Dominic took all of the hits for her. She was too young to be subjected to the pain he endured. Dominic came out of his thoughts when he heard his door open. Macy skipped in and sat on the bed with him.

"Hi Dom," she said in a whisper. He smiled at her and sat up.

"Why are you whispering Macy?" he asks her. Macy looks out in the hall for a few seconds and then back to Dominic.

"I don't want to wake the monster," she says back in a quiet tone. The monster. Also known as their father when he was drunk and angry. He pulled Macy into a hug.

"Don't worry he won't hurt you," he whispered to her.

"He did though. I got a bloody nose today, and my left hand hurts," she told him. He grabbed her left arm and looked at her hand. Sure enough, her left hand was black and blue and a couple of fingers looked mangled. Her nose had dried blood under it too.

"I'm sorry Macy,"

"Why are you sorry? You didn't hurt me,"

He held back a sob. Macy had always been like that. Asking why he was sorry. He never answered the question because he didn't want Macy to see him cry like a baby in front of her. He was sorry because if he had been here she wouldn't have gotten hit or stepped on.

"What's wrong Dom?"

"Nothing. I'm okay Macy I promise,"

She nodded her head and picked at a thread on her sweater. Dominic watched the hall. It was routine now. He knew when his dad would wake up. It should be a few minutes. He looked down at Macy who was still playing with the thread.

"Hey Macy, why don't we play hide and seek. You hide and I'll count to a hundred," he tells her. Her green eyes light up and she smiles.

"Can I have a head start?" she asks.