A Pirate's Life For Me

Back to (Almost) Normal

The screen door opens with a bang, slamming against the side of the wooden house as I bounce inside, arms full to the brim with glass jars full of berries for Momma to make her special jam and pies.

Once inside, I bounce to a stop, eyes widening, smile fading as I see Momma's tears.

The man holding the black thing out at her turns his head and smirks at me, and I shrink back, away from the scars decorating his face. His eyes are black, dead. He laughs, and I can see that he's missing teeth.

"Just the daughter, eh?" He mutters, pulling the object in his hand back and clicking the little lever on the back. He points it at Annie, who shivers away, and Momma steps forward, the thing swinging sharply back to point at her.

"Run, Oliver!" Momma cries out to me, tears falling from her beautiful blue eyes and onto her apron. Her favorite apron.

I can't move.

"For the last time woman, where's Wylie?" The man growls, stepping forward and smacking Momma with the thing in his hand. Annie screams, the man twitching back to glare at her. Momma staggers back to her feet, holding her face.

"L-Leave her alone!" I cry, my baby voice echoing around the cabin, the empty pots in the sink waiting for the jars bundled in my arms.

The man rolls his head back to me, and smiles, the gaps in his teeth blacker than night. "Why, you gonna do something about it, baby boy?"

My face scrunches up at the insult, and I remember every time Daddy had something to say about it.

You can't do anything, little boy.

Tears slip down the curves of my chubby cheeks, and Annie scoffs at me. She's angry. She wants me to do something, but she won't tell me what. What am I supposed to do? What do I do to make him go away?

I drop all of the jars except for the big one, the one full of Momma's favorite blackberries, and and I throw that one at him with all my strength. He wasn't expecting it; it hits him in the stomach and he coughs, stumbling back a bit as my hands come up to pull at the edge of my shirt.

"L-Leave my mommy alone!" I cry out again, louder, the tears making my throat tight again. "Leave Annaliese alone! Go away! Daddy isn't here!"

The man's jaw twitches and his arm swings to me.

My heart stops when I see the barrel.

This thing is called a gun, little boy. This will kill you. If I ever point this at you, you don't have a right to move.

"You little shit," He growls, stands taller and closes one eye partway. I recognize his face. It's the face Daddy always makes before he makes the birds fly out of the trees.

"NO!" Momma screams, and a big bang echoes through my skull. There's a ringing; I can't hear very well. I stand slowly, from where I'd cowered on the floor, but what I see is strange. We never painted the walls red.

"Oliver, go!" Annie yells, and my head snaps to her. She's fighting the older man, kicking and scratching and punching until he drops his gun. She drops fast, scoops it up, makes Daddy's boom face, and squeezes her finger.

This time I don't blink.

"Oliver," Annie growls at me, her hands gripping my shoulders. I can only stare at the red sprinkled over her pink frilly dress. "We have to go. Get out."