The Forest

Chapter Four - 4 Years Earlier

Ben was sitting cross legged in front of the tv watching intently. His eyes widened and his face moved closer as he watched a man build a fire with his own hands on a show about survival. Ben had only been watching for about 15 minutes while his mom ran to the gas station a few blocks down to buy a pack of cigarettes.

Ben heard the handle on the front door turn and start to open. His heart dropped but his feet moved quick. He got up and ran to the tv to turn it off. Unfortunately he wasn't quick enough.

His mother walked through the door with a lit cigarette between her fingers. "Were you just watching tv?" Ben could hear the annoyance in her voice.

Ben didn't say a word. After a few dozen seconds, he shook his head no.

His mother slowly walked over to Ben and bent over so that their faces were at the same level. She put her face close to his. "I don't tolerate lying." She said calmly. Without standing back up, she took a puff of her cigarette and blew in right in his face. He began to cough loudly. "If you ever lie to me again, your punishment will be worse than this." She removes the cigarette from between her fingers by picking it up with her thumb and index finger on the opposite hand. She then grabs ahold of Ben's arm, flips his palm to face the ceiling, and presses the cigarette to the skin on his wrist. Ben cries out in pain, tears streaming down his face. She removes the now put out cigarette.

Ben looks up at her in tears, she almost looks ashamed for what she has done. She says quietly "now go to your room," without looking at Ben. He doesn't look back at her and walks  up to his room quietly in tears.

The next morning Ben comes out of his room and walks down the stairs. Before he reaches the last step, he looks down at his mom. She's slouched over in her chair with her head hanging down. Her hair was a scraggly mess like it hadn't been brushed in weeks. Empty, brown, glass bottles surrounded her on the floor. Her left hand held a half empty bottle and her right hand held up her head with her elbow propped on her knee.

Ben took the last step down the stairs and the floor creaked under his feet. His mother turned her head slowly towards him. "What do you want Benjamin?"

Ben felt nervous. His jaw trembled before he could speak, "Mom?" He cleared his throat.

"Yes, Benjamin, what do you want?" She spoke fast and her voice became angrier.

"Are you okay?" Ben asked, concerned.

"Of course I'm okay! I'm just hungover, you idiot!" She scoffed.

Ben frowned, "Mom?"

"WHAT, BENJAMIN?" She held her head as she screamed.

"I wanted to ask-"

"Wanted to ask me what?" Her tone was unforgiving.

"I wanted to ask.... if I could join the Boy Scouts?" He sounded hopeful.

"Why, so you can get away from me? Ha" she scoffed and took a drink of that half empty bottle.

"No I-" he stopped when she snapped her head in his direction. "I wanted to learn more about the forest and some camping skills. I want to know how to survive in the wilderness Mom."

She took another drink, "and why the hell would you need to know that?"

Ben frowned. "It looks fun."

"Looks fun? And when have you been able to look at someone doing those things? On the tv that you're not allowed to watch? Hmm?" Her eyes were staring deep into his, watching closely to catch him in a lie.

Ben just stood there. Stunned. He opened his mouth to speak and then closed it. Then he opened it again and spoke "all the boys in my class are joining the Boy Scouts,"

"Are you a follower or a leader? Because it sounds to me like you're being a follower and no real man is a follower."

"Mom, please."

"Mom, please." She mocked his voice and took another swig from her bottle. "I don't care if all the boys in your class are doing it, I don't care if it looks really fun," she mocked him again, "I said no and that's all that matters. You're not joining the Boy Scouts and that's the end of that conversation. You want to learn skills? Here." She throws one of her empty bottles at him but he ducks aside quickly in fright and it hits the wall behind him. Glass shattered in his presence and a small shard of glass cut open his left ankle. He looks at her in astonishment. "Clean that up. And clean up your blood it's getting everywhere." He looks down and his ankle and then back at her. She gets up out of her chair and walks up to Ben. She leans close to Ben's face and says quietly, almost in a whisper, "Learn these skills: cleaning and first aid, the best teacher is yourself."