Shadow

Chapter 6

Mark couldn't sleep because of the dream that repeated over and over, making him believe he had done it the more he thought about it.

I didn't do it, I didn't do it, I didn't do it, Mark kept thinking to himself, trying calm himself down as the nightmare never left his mind since he woke up. I didn't do it, I didn't do it, I didn't—

Soft knocking on Mark's door interrupted his thoughts.

Not wanting to talk to anyone, including his siblings, Mark put his blanket over his head and stayed silent. He was sick and tired of being accused of his sister's death and being seen as a 'problem child'.

"So why don't you kill them?" The shadow asked, it's voice filled with a hint of excitement.

You never catch a break, do you? Mark thought and sighed.

"Actually—" It was about to speak again but was unknowingly cut off for an unknown reason.

It it gone? Mark wondered, confused from it's sudden disappearance. Gone for good?

"Mark?" His father's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What?" Mark grumbled.

"I wanted to talk to you for a bit," His father answered, sounding strangely sad.

"So why don't you barge into my room, like you always do?" Mark said, growling out the last part.

His father didn't say anything back, only opened the door and walked in with a concerned expression. "Are you okay?" He asked, sitting down on Mark's bed.

Mark furrowed his brows, highly confused with how his father was acting so...caring. It made him feel very uncomfortable and tense, so he backed up a bit.

"Why would you care?" Mark asked with a cold tone.

"Because I—" His father was about to answer, but something made him stop himself and look at Mark with disappointment.

"Because you..." Mark trailed off, looking at his father questioningly.

"Because I hate you!" His father got up and tightly wrapped his hands around Mark's throat, chocking him.

"D-Dad!" Mark tried to speak but his father kept tightening his hands more around his throat, making him unable to breath.

Suddenly, Mark's father pushed him to his bedroom's grey carpet and kicked him in the stomach. Mark cried out and tried to get up, but his father kicked him again and again like his enemies did to him that day.

"Stop it—" Mark tried to speak but was cut off by the kick in the jaw, which brought only more pain and anger onto him.

"Never, you child murderer!" His father screamed at Mark and then stormed out of his room like he always did.

"I didn't fucken kill Jessie!" Mark yelled, spitting out his broken tooth.

Mark's mother suddenly appeared, pointing at him with a shaking hand. "Get off the damn carpet right now, you disgusting excuse of a son!" His mother yelled. "I vacuumed today and I don't want to do it again because of the awful being you are!"

"Shut up!" Mark screamed at her, feeling his temper rise as he clenched his hands tightly.

Once his mother left the room after glaring at each other a moment, Mark quickly looked for the shadow to see if it was still where he had last seen it. Seeing that it wasn't, he got up and looked up and down with his eyes untill they rested upon the shadow.