An Artist Colors

Chapter 4

"I have bad news, your daughter has been diagnosed with terminal cancer" Collin stands there in shock, Charlie's parents burst into tears, Charlie stands there in shock with tears rolling down her face. Collin doesn't know what to do, to comfort Charlie or to join her and be in shock crying as well. "We have some treatment we can perform to help her live the longest she can. The longest she has is six months but that's if she and her body accept the treatment in the first place." Six months left. Why did this have to happen to her? Why couldn't have it happen to me?

"Collin I know what you are thinking and I don't what to do the treatment. I don't want to do the treatment because I want to live my life without having to be in and out of hospitals all the time. I want to be free and not have to go through pain. Before you argue with me I'll take the treatment for you and Matthew but you have to promise not to tell Matthew I have cancer. If you tell him I won't take the treatment do you understand?" What am I supposed to say? Say yes, let her live longer and not tell Matthew his best friend is dying or say no, tell Matthew and let her kill herself by letting it consume her?

"Fine, I won't tell Matthew. The second you stop taking treatment even though you can still take it then I will tell Matthew got it?" Collin says with a stern voice to let Charlie know that he is actually serious.

Charlie nods, "Thank you for understanding, happy birthday Collin." Charlie says with a half smile and hugs Collin. Charlie felt a huge guilt for ruining his birthday with bad news but was glad to have him by her side.

Time passes, Collin is in his room with tears rolling down his face but no expression is really shown. He remembers the good times and misses them, he remembers his father and despises him. He remembers his mom, knitting and singing his favorite song but he also remembers his mom's funeral. Remembering all of the words said by the horrible person he once called father. He remembers his mom yelling for help while his father choked and beat her to death. He tried to help but he stabbed him and almost killed him too. He wished that they would have been able to prove his dad killed her but there was no proof. He remembers the day his dad died, beginning to sob just remembering what he wanted to do.

Flashback
"Get over here boy!" his father screamed from downstairs. Collin runs to his closet upstairs and does his best to keep it closed tight. He tries to even his breath but his heart is racing with so much fear, scared that he will be found.

"Where are you, boy!? I will find you, and when I do you will do what you were meant to do." Collin was hyperventilating, wishing and hoping that he would give up and leave him alone. He hears him close, too close for his liking and gets into the closet the furthest he can away from the door. He shakes, just wishing that he will leave and never find him but he knows he will eventually.

"Collin, I can hear you breathing. I can smell your scent in here. You can't hide from me, you can't hide from me no matter how hard you try" Collin was just praying, even though he had a few doubts about God being real he didn't care for that matter, not anymore. He was just hoping that by some miracle he would be heated and his father would leave. He was just hoping that maybe someone would come to his rescue but it was too late. Collin had thought he had left and gotten up. He opened the door to take a peek to make sure it was safe but to his luck it wasn't. His father was right in front of the closet. He tried to close the door but he was too weak, his father pulled him out of the closet sending him falling on the floor.

"Please, please leave me alone. Please no, Ethan please don't hurt me, father please no, get away from me!" His father punches his face and kicks his stomach. "Please stop, I beg of you, if you still have a heart in there then please stop." Ethan picks him up to his feet and shoves him, Collin trying to keep balance but falls anyways on his own bed. Ethan grabs his arms and ties him up to the bed. Collin keeps kicking and squirming but it's no use, Ethan had no intention of letting him go anytime soon.