Cinderella in the Cameras

Chapter 18- Crashing Down

Chapter 18

The swirling winds and quaking thunder masked the amount of shaking i was doing right now. Why did my loved ones seem to always get hurt? Is it me? This is the whole reason I never wanted to get close to him. I should have listened to myself, been more stubborn, and this wouldn’t be happening. This wouldn’t be as grueling on my heart. 

Duke expected River’s next move and knocked the gun out of his hand. River looked angry, but mostly shocked. This was the last thing he was expecting. One second we were having a moment of joy in chaos, but now the joy has been replaced with extreme fear. 

“This can be easy, or very hard. Give me my love without a fight and no one gets hurt.” He screamed sternly over the wind. I was slowly shaking more and more in my soaking wet plaid shorts and old t-shirt. I liked the terms so for the good of my loved ones I took a step. Even though He was close, I prolonged my steps to the doom that is Duke.

Nennet finally unfroze from shock and did as expected, made a scene. “Listen here buddy, you already made her life messy enough no need to kidnap her. Are you trying to spend your life in jail? Let the girl go, she didn’t do anything.”

He swiveled the gun in her direction. “Shut your mouth, oldie. She is denying her love for me and needs to come to a realization that her lover-boy here is a nobody who will cheat just like her father did.”

That his me hard. I stopped walking and my face contorted in pain. I had never spoken about my fathers affair to anyone besides Brook. My mom however, always gossiped about it to get sympathy. River differentiated the tears streaming down my face from the salty rain drops plummeting form the sky.

“Shut the hell up! You don’t know anything because you never even bothered to get to know Ella. You know her stage name, and the publicity she gets, not the real girl off of the cameras. Do you know what her favorite bands are? Do you know her childhood dogs name? Have you been the one to go on an ice cream run when she’s sad, or even put up with her weird fear of bugs? No, that was me who’s been through all of that with her and you who caused the pain she is experiencing.” He bellowed his thoughts through the storm and with each word more anger showed on Duke’s face. Duke veered the gun from Nennet’s head to Duke’s a terrifying bang echoed through the clearing and I screamed. The bullet swerved with the wind and struck his right shoulder with the force to make him collapse into the muddy grass.

 Duke clutched my arm and pain shot through down it with his force, but nothing compared to the pain in my heart. I could barely catch a breath in-between sobs and screams. Nennet ran over to River with a motherly worry and fear plastered between her wrinkles. I tripped and stumbled while Duke pulled me towards his truck because I couldn’t peel my eyes off the River’s unconscious state. Duke practically threw me in the passenger seat. When he ran around to tug on his door I kept pulling at the handle. The door was child locked, so I sat in a puddle of misery and heart-ache as Duke revved the engine and raced away from the crime scene. 

I guess I must have done something right, something that the world needed to thank me for. I never believed in karma until that moment; the moment when the red-pickup swerved off the muddy road right into a tall pine tree. I basked and took delight in the in the blackness that hugged my racing conscious. 

The blackness slowly became blurry and bright. Shapes and colors formed and I was in my old house. I made out the chipped paint and glow in the dark stars on my ceiling. I kicked the pink covers off of my small legs. I heard a large shattering noise downstairs and some screaming. I sat up quickly and my eyes started to gather water.

Another loud bang sounded and the screaming intensified. I whimpered and hugged my knees to my chest. The fleece of the my pajama pants was soft against my face. I was curious about what they were fighting about this time. I stood up and blindly tip-toed across the wooden floor. I pulled back one curtain to see it was pitch black outside. I let the purple fabric glide past my fingers and slide back into place. They’ve never fought this loudly this late. A fear starts to bloom in the pits of my stomach. I open the door and thank god it doesn’t squeak. We had just been able to buy this big new house. 

As I tip-toe into the hallway my vision becomes blurrier with tears. I dodge the parts the floor that squeak and sit on the top step. The screaming continues and I peek down through the railing. 

“I told you before, you can’t do this! You have a daughter, and a wife! You have responsibilities you can’t run off and come back drunk in middle of the night.” My mom screamed with tears streaming down her face. 

“Marie, come on! You know I love you! I just needed to have some fun, this life makes me so stressed!” He pleaded with a raised voice. He grabbed for her hand but she snatched it away and shook her head furiously.

“Stop pleading, stop it! When I married you it was never like this! This love, it’s completely destroyed us! Just, please, please get your shit together. You have daughter who needs you. Just stop doing this!” She pleaded too, but with more anger than wanting. 

My dad dropped the pleading act and punched a nearby vase that decorated the front hall they were standing in. It crashed to the ground with a crash. I screeched but it was lost in the commotion. My dad held his fist and cursed at the crimson stream pouring out. My mom jumped back and sobbed frantically. I noticed a pile of dull brown glass in pieces to their right, and closer to to the door my dads boots had been randomly thrown off. 

“Stop. This isn’t you! Please.” My mom screamed, her voice cracking constantly from her cries. 

“Don’t yell at me! I’m the one who pays for your stupid house and clothes. I bet you tell that little brat upstairs lies about me, just like you do with your friends!” He screamed without mercy at my vulnerable mother. He raised and shook his bloody fist, with every strong movement of his lips another red teardrop fell onto the pretty white tile. He stomped clumsily to the door and slammed it with a boom behind him. My mother fell to her knees and held her face in her hands. She landed on a few spare pieces of glass and it cut her sun kissed, smooth legs. She sat helpless on the white tile, in a colorful puddle of blood, beer and tears; some of it hers and some of it belonging to her worst enemy and true love. 

From the top of the stairs I witnessed to hearts become farther apart, and it tore away at mine. That was the first time of many in my life when I would feel that stinging, searing, tearing, stabbing in my heart. The kind that leaves intimidating scarring. TI was yet another reason I turned a cheek to love.