Love Conquers All

Chapter 17

"It happened about and hour and a half after you left," he began.

"Mom and I had just finished having dinner. And dad went out to get something- I can't remember what it was-  but he wasn't home to eat with us. And mom told me to get ready for bed after we ate and um-," he stopped to think.

Then continued, "I showered and when I got out I heard yelling downstairs and thinking that mom and dad where fighting, I just went up to the attic..."

"But when I was up there I heard gun shots a-and..." he stopped and started crying.

Flashback to that night.

Narrator's POV

"Go get ready for bed," Melody said to Caleb.

They had just finished their dinner.

Caleb got up and put his plate in the sink.

"You're washing those dishes tomorrow," Melody ordered.

"Uuugghh, why can't Lizzie do it. She's older," Caleb complained.

"Yes but she didn't eat dinner with us so she didn't dirty the dishes did she?" she asked.

He threw his head back in defeat, "FINE! I'll do it. But I won't like it," he yelled walking away from his mother. And she rolled her eyes at his childishness.

He went to the bathroom to take a shower. He took off his clothes and entered the tub, letting the warm water fall on his skin. He washed his body and his hair, paying extra attention to his hair. As it was his favorite thing about himself.

When he was done he turned off the water then dried and wrapped himself in his towel. He combed his hair and brushed his teeth then headed out of the bathroom. He heard yelling downstairs and thought his parents had gotten into another argument. He went up to his "hang out" room in the attic. That's where he goes when he wants an escape from everything. He had all his video games and movies there. Computers and televisions. Yes computerS and televisionS plural. Supposedly he felt the need to have more than one for his video games. And since he really doesn't do or ask for much his parents agreed.

He turned on his TV and was about to play Fortnite when he heard gun shots. Actual gun shots. He froze in place. After about five minutes he heard another that snapped him out of his trance.

He ran down to the second floor then the first and when he made it he saw a man holding his mother at gun point.

Not knowing what else to do he yelled at the man.

"Hey!"

The man turned around and pointed the gun at Caleb.

"Stay out of this boy. If you stay out of it I'll let you live," he said in a deep raspy voice.

"Ok listen. You can have anything you want in the house. Anything at all. Just let my mom go," he said. His body was trembling. He tried as best as he could to conceal his fear while talking.

The man looked at Caleb. Then around the room as if thinking.

Then just as he was about to let Melody go, Frank walked in, and upon seeing what was happening he raced toward Melody and the man started shooting at him throwing Melody to the side in the process, but every time he shot he missed. But as Frank got closer to the man Caleb saw the man's chances of actually wounding his father increase and he did the unthinkable.