Metamorphosis

Early Days Of Rupture

Dylan was eleven when he came home to find his father in bed with another woman. That may not of been the beginning of the end but it sure rocked the boat of the young boy. Being so close to Christmas it destroyed Dylan's views of the magic and love he believed to be involved. Even at such a young age Dylan knew Christmas was not a totally catholic event and  evolved around paganism. He learned that from a book he found in the school library but that was not the point, Dylan's mother loved Christmas - Decorating the house was her favourite and Dylan would always assist with the tree. His father convinced him to keep quiet about what he had walked into, a gentle threat involved and the fear of destroying Christmas for his mother was too much.  It was Christmas eve that year when Dylan's father returned home from the pub after one too many whilst Dylan's mother had spent all day trying to prep the dinner for tomorrow with help from Dylan of course but there was only so much an eleven year old could do.  An uproar soon broke out as Dylan evacuated himself to his bedroom, closing the door as he listened to the chaos unwrap downstairs as his father's drunken rage would be heard in the form of smashing plates and the destruction of the decorations as the faint soft voice of his mother tried to calm the situation with her best interest being Dylan. His mothers voice was that of a flower trying to sing to an erupting volcano - Too soft, not good enough and never going to withstand the agonising rush of lava.

He called his mum and dad the big and little voice. Like the angel and devil that rest on your shoulders. Dylan's father was always trying to man him up in whatever way possible and despised how soft his mother had made him. Brian was far from scared to raise his voice never mind a hand. Once the shouting stopped and the front door slammed closed Dylan knew it was safe again as he tried to ease his breathing before taking a seat at the small table in his room and moving a pawn across the chess board which sat in front of him.

"No Harvey, I'm not going back out there."

Said Dylan, but there was no one else in the room as he turned the chess board around and shuffled a knight into place.

"That does not matter Harvey."

He spoke again to the room around him as he turned the board once more to examine the pieces left.

"Don't be barbaric Harvey and anyway he cheated on mum."

A soft knock on the door startled Dylan who knocked over the board, letting out a sigh as the door opened slowly to reveal his mother.

"You okay sweetie?"

She asked, leaning into the doorway but Dylan just nodded, picking back up the board and carefully putting back the pieces one by one exactly where he remembered them to be as his mother stood watching him for a moment before leaving again, closing the door.  A while later Dylan ventured back downstairs.

"Mum?"

He called before popping his head into the dining room where the Christmas tree was. The tree now on it's side across the floor, lights tangled hanging off it as smashed decorates glistening on the ground as Dylan's stomach sunk. His mother wiping her face before looking over and forcing a smile.

"I knocked it over hun but we can fix it."

Dylan was not foolish even as a boy he knew more than most eleven year old's and this was the doing of his father for whatever reason, perhaps his socks had not been placed in the draw perfectly or an extra line ironed into his trousers by mistake. Who knew, Dylan sure didn't as he watched the lying smile on his mother's face. He knew it was not a real smile by the way only her mouth moved with no joy from her eyes or movement around her brows. Her eyes, that's what Dylan always noticed. The growing sadness in her eyes as everyday became harder to cope with.