When We Fall

Chapter 2

                                                                                     A p r i l

Henry Halred

As he walked home from school, a few of his pals behind him, Henry was lost deep in thought, staring at the ground. He had blocked everything out around him so all he heard was the muffled voices of the boys goofing around. 

The closer he got to home, the more he wanted to turn back around. Sometimes, Henry felt like he couldn't even call it home. Sure, he had lived in it his whole life, but the home was supposed to be where you were loved and taken care of - and that was clearly not what went on inside his house. His father had been a drunkard since before he could remember. He had so many women inside the house all the time that Henry could barely keep track of their faces. He didn't even know his mother. Well, he knew of her. His father always cursed her name, he said she left them for another man nearly eleven years ago, when Henry was an infant. Truthfully, Henry couldn't imagine how his mother could be worse than his father. Sometimes he just wanted to run away. 

"Henry, did you hear me?" Robert Larson, the thirteen-year-old of the group called to him from behind. Henry came back into the world and turned around. 

"Pardon?"

"We were asking if you were going to the hog race next Saturday." Gus Moor chimed in. Henry thought for a second before answering. He had been to a few races before, but that was only if his father was passed out drunk. If he ever asked his father to go somewhere and do something fun, he would almost always simply reply with 'you have chores'. Henry didn't know his future held, not while he lived with his father. 

"I don't know, I'll probably be doing chores." He blankly responded. The boys groaned at his words. Gus slapped his back and walked with him. 

"You're always doing chores. Come do something fun for once!" He hooted, kicking a rock as he talked. Henry sighed. If only they understood. Not many people knew of Henry's predicament, all besides one of his closer friend, Silas Archer. Silas was a very loyal, kind friend to Henry. Most of his friends were nice, but none of them were as amazing as Silas. Silas had once come inside Henry's house and seen him being pushed around by his drunken father. Henry reluctantly explained everything about his father to Silas, and Silas hadn't told anyone. Henry would have been ashamed if anyone found out. 

Silas was also in the group of boys, and he heard what was going on. He walked next to Gus. 

"It's fine if Henry has chores he's gotta do them. We can all go together." With that, the boys forgot all about the conversation and started talking of other subjects. Henry flashed a quick smile at Silas, who smiled back. Truth be told, Silas would have loved for everyone to know about Henry's secret, that way they could take him away from his abusive father. But he was afraid Henry would never talk to him again after that. 

Eventually, they approached the fork in the road where Henry had to split up and walk the rest of his way to his house. He said goodbye to his friends. 

"See you tomorrow, mud-pie!" Robert teased, making a weird face at Henry as he walked a sperate path. 'Mud-pie' was a nickname they had started calling him when he got covered in mud a few years before. He looked like a giant blob of mud because of his brown eyes and hair that matched the dirt. 

Henry left his friends and began the long walk home. The path home seemed more dead and ugly than any other path through the woods. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it looked like the mood of the trees and plants changed drastically into a dark one. He passed the old abandoned cabin that sat just a mile or so from his home. It looked very homey for a house that hadn't been lived in for ten years. No one knows why, but it just became vacant one day and no one had claimed it since. 

Soon enough he approached the two-floored, white farmhouse which he called his own... well he and his father's own. The chickens outside were instantly startled by Henry's appearance and ran into their coop. A work table covered in unused building tools and an well-kept garden sat outside the back porch. Henry would usually go around the back to avoid seeing his father, but sometimes he was unlucky. He crept around, ducked under the windows and walked over the front porch. The area seemed to be clear. He slowly opened the back door and went inside with caution. Empty. He might have gone out for drinks, he thought. But he checked the big father clock in the corner of the room. It was one-o-clock, and his father never went out for drinks until at least after three. He must be asleep. 

Henry wasted no time in setting down his books and getting to work on the dishes, which had built up to be a massive pile while he was gone at school. He put on one of the aprons that sat in the pantry and pumped the water into the sink. Just as he began to scrub a wine-stained cup he heard loud footsteps coming down the stairs. He froze. 

"Henry, that you?" A sleepy voice called down. Henry turned around to see his half-drunken father stumbling down the stairs. 

"Yes. I'm doing my cho-"

"No, no I said to feed the chickens when you got back, boy!" His father shouted, causing Henry to tense up. He quickly took off the apron around his neck. 

"Right. Sorry." He muttered, backing away from the sink. His father grunted. 

"I can't hear you!"

"I'm sorry!" Henry said louder. His father was silent for a moment as if lost in his words, but he quickly came back and glared at his son. He approached him slowly, hovering a foot over him. The idea of running before he could try anything came to Henry's mind. But he stood still. 

"I have... a-a..."His voice slurred from his drunkenness. There was a pause. "An offer." Henry was silent for a moment because he was utterly confused. An offer? What was this? He had never gotten something like this from his father before. He gulped. 

"O-okay..." Was all he got out. He didn't see it coming before his father slapped him across the face in his drunk state. Henry's face jerked to the side and he closed his eyes shut tight. The searing pain stung his left cheek, and he tried not to make any sound. All he wanted to do was run, maybe cry, but he never did. He was too afraid he'd make it worse. 

"DON'T M-MUMBE AGAIN." His father yelled directly into his face, spit flying out while he did. Henry nodded quickly, trying not to test his father's temper again. His father stepped away and wiped off his mouth, and Henry looked back at him. He could already feel his cheek bruising. "Now, the offer..." He started again, slowly. "The Marlows want to have us over for d-dinner tomorrow..." He still slurred his words. "They are going to make you an offer, boy, and you're gonna accept it." Henry's eyes widened. Were they going to take him in? The thought of that excited him greatly. The Marlows were nice people, well, one of them had a very bad temper, but anything was better than this house. Maybe his father wanted him gone? But... why? Who would clean the house? 

"What offer?" His voice shook. Suddenly, he was afraid. The look in his father's eye was stern and harsh. He wanted to run again. 

"Marriage, my boy." 

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This was a filler chapter, btw. I'll be writing more soon!