Knocking On Death's Door

Chapter 3

"I'm home!" I call, I push the door open and I flinch as Mom's yelling pierces through the air.

"I'm done with this Jim! All you do is mope around the house and drink, you've missed three weeks of work, the office just called me this morning!" Mom screams, I sneak past the kitchen and sprint upstairs and head for the solace and safety of my room, when I see Lachlan sitting on his bed.

"Hey" I say and walk over to his door, tuning out the screaming match downstairs. Lachlan's eyes look up, he immediately stands and walks over to me, softly closing the door of his room behind him, confusion bubbles inside me but it subsides quickly.

"Where have you been all day?" I ask, Lachlan shrugs.

"I've been out, just seeing the guys."

"I find that answer very vague."

"I ended things with Tara" Lachlan blurts, he rubs his temples and sighs, It's not hard to ignore the fact that he's hurting, a lot.

"Why? You love Tara, you were just saying yesterday how you wanted to ask her to prom!" I say, Lachlan just shrugs again. 

"Yeah, but. . . I don't think it's going to work out."

"You thought it would yestersay."

To my surprise, Lachlan goes silent, it's a rare thing, silencing my brother to the point where he's at a loss for words.

"Just. . . Forget about it, okay? I know you and Mom didn't like her anyways" he replies, he reopens the door to his room and walks back in and closes it behind him, he groans and I hear him flop onto his bed. I walk into my room, shocked and utterly confused, I've never been a big fan of Tara, she was to clingy and held him back from lots of things he wants to achieve. But, he loved her, it's strange that he just broke off the relationship so suddenly. I jump as a beeping sound comes from my phone, I pick it up and open the message, it's from Eli.

Lachlan come home yet?

Yeah, he's back

That's good 

Yeah, but I just found out he dumped Tara. . . 

ARE YOU FOR REAL?! OMGGGG WTHHHHHH!!!!!!

Ikr, it's a very un-Lachlan like thing to do

Yep

I hear a bottle smash against a wall and Mom scream, I jolt up and drop my phone, I tell Eli I need to leave and burst out of my room. My palms are sweating as I rush down the stairs and run around the corner, nearly slipping on the slick, hardwood floorboards.

"That is the last time you snap back at me again, bitch!" Dad slurs, he's angry, really angry. My face goes white and my joints become rigid, Dad's holding Mom against the wall, one hand around her neck, squeezing the air from her lungs. Her face is turning blue and she tries to pry Dad's arm off her throat with no success. Dad becomes more and more frustrated by the second, his grip tightens and I can't bring myself to be the bystander any longer.

"Get the hell off her!" I scream, I run at him and bowl him to the side, he stumbles and falls to the ground, he shouts with agony as he lands on a few broken beer bottle pieces, I pull Mom closer to me and we back away from Dad, slowly and cautiously. She's shaking, her entire body is shuddering under my hands and I can see she's trying desperately not to break out into tears. 

Dad shakily gets to his feet, he stumbles a bit and tries regaining his balance, he eventually regains his balance and his eyes meet mine, they are cold and hateful. I have never, in my life, seen anybody's eyes look so cold, it was like he had ice in his eyes, furiously cold, icy eyes that are glaring directly into my own eyes, it's scary seeing Dad like this. 

"Out of my way, kid" Dad growls, he grips my collar and yanks me towards him, his breath is hot on my neck and his eyes radiate with fury. I bite my lip and try to push him off me, but he's bigger and stronger than I am, so my attempt is unsuccessful. 

"I said, out of my way" his voice deepens and the menace in it is unmistakable, I swallow and glare at him.

"No" I say simply but firmly, he curls his lip, he spins me around and throws me into the ground with such force the breath within my lungs is knocked out of me. I'm left on the floor, gasping and panting, my ears ringing and Mom yelling at Dad to stop, her cries fall on deaf ears. 

"You think you're brave, huh?" Dad asks, leaning over and getting close to my face, I gasp for air and glare at him, fury bright in my eyes. I hear feet pounding into the room and more yelling, Dad is yanked away from me and blood falls from his now split lip, I blink and see Lachlan's figure beside Dad, Dad wipes his bloody lip and inhales angrily, Lachlan's glowering furiously.

"Get out" he says to Dad, Dad looks puzzled, then his confusion turns to anger, he lunges for Lachlan but Lachlan dodges him and hits him again, a groan of pain escapes Dad's lips. 

"I said, get out!" Lachlan yells, pointing to the door, I sit up and watch the scene in front of me. Mom's shaking her head and quivering madly, Dad's face is burning with anger and he's glaring at Lachlan with hate that a father should not have for his son, and Lachlan's just pointing at the door, waiting for Dad to leave. 

"Go" Lachlan's voice is so low with fury that its barely audible, Dad sneers and heads past Lachlan, Lachlan cracks a small grin. 

"No, Jim, Jim please wait" Mom calls after him, she follows him to the door, so do Lachlan and I. 

"Mom, Mom come back inside" I say, reaching the door as Mom watches Dad get in our car and slam the door shut, she ignores me and proceeds to bang on the car windows.

"Mom, he's not worth it" Lachlan says, she refuses to listen to us.

"Jim, Jim honey, please, come back" she says, he pulls out of the driveway and leaves, Mom's standing in the driveway, Lachlan and I both go to her.

"Mom, it's fine, just let him go" I tell her, hoping she'll listen to what I'm trying to say. Instead, she whirls on us, tears in her eyes and anger on her face.

"Lachlan, I don't know what came over you, but you do not hit your father!" Lachlan and I both stare, absolutely dumfounded.

"I was protecting you and Mark from that monster you call a husband" Lachlan argues, pointing to where the car went. 

"He just needs time."

"Are you serious? You're willing to give that monster chance after chance after chance, he just attacked you and Mark, and you still want him in our lives?!"

"Lachlan please, he loves you and Mark."

"That is not love, that is pure hatred, I don't know what that man has manipulated you into thinking but he does not love me or Mark!"

"Lachlan, listen. . ."

"No! I'm done with you insisting we give him more and more chances, I'm done with them!" Lachlan yells, he narrows he eyes at Mom and just walks away, hands in his pockets. 

"Lachlan, wait!" I call, following him for a few seconds, he doesn't stop, or turn back and smile. He just keeps walking, I watch him walk away as sadness builds up inside me, Mom turns to me.

"Get back in the house and go to your room, now!" I nod and run back inside, I climb the stairs and slam the door to my room, I punch my pillow over and over again until it has a fist-shaped dent in it. I lie down and stare at the ceiling, Lachlan's right, Mom gives Dad endless chances to redeem himself, even when she says she's done with his attitude and lack of initiative, she still continues to love the beast she married. 

It doesn't take long for sleep to over take my body and I'm plunged into the dream realm.