Corbin

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Running, running, running, trees whizzing past on either side, Corbin sprint through the trees. Ally is at the edge of the trees, a silhouette against the eerie sun. His father is there too, waving, shouting for him.

“Hurry, you can make it! You’re almost to the edge!” Once he made it to the edge he knew he would be safe. He heard the footsteps and growling behind him, which only made him run faster. A glance back revealed a coyote bearing a strong resemblance to Uncle Mitch. Corbin flew as fast as his feet could carry him, so close, but yet so far from, safety. No matter how hard he ran, he never seemed to gain any distance. The footsteps and snarls behind him grew louder. He glanced behind once more. Shit! The creature was gaining on him! He began to sprint harder, but a root jumped out, hitting his ankles and bringing him to the ground. Corbin turned and tried to scramble away, but he was too late. Mitch leaped toward Corbin, releasing a fierce mechanical sounding growl. The beast opened his mighty jaws and…

Corbin sat up mid scream. He scanned the room quickly. All was quiet, all was dark, the clock on the wall ticked rhythmically, the moonlight streamed through flowing curtains, and all of his belongings were as they should be. He threw off his blankets, and laid back down, letting the cool breeze calm him. He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, then looked wearily at the clock on his nightstand. 3:15 a.m., an hour earlier than usual.

It had been 3 months exactly since New Year’s Eve, the night his Uncle raped and beat him. Every night since he had been awakened by a variation of the same dream. Sometimes it was a forest, sometimes, he was nude, and sometimes his mother was at the edge just staring mindlessly, but the outcome was always the same. Almost every night he would wake up in the same manner, exactly at 4:15, this was one of his rare nights. It wasn’t surprising, the day before had been more shitty than even the usual hell it was. The cops had stopped looking for Mitch that day, giving up all hope. His mother was shipped off to a mental hospital somewhere across the city to try to release her from trance cause by “severe psychological trauma.” At least that’s what her shrink said. Ally was out of town all week which only made things worse.

Forcing himself out of bed, he pulled on an old t-shirt, gym shorts, and the closest thing to running shoes he owned. The freezing air cooled his still flushed face as he quietly left the house for a run. It was darker than in normally was on his morning runs, but the darker it was the better. The nothingness helped Corbin to settle his mind. Corbin headed through the silent park, around the murky pond, then headed back to his house up Mason street. It was just about 5 miles, enough to help Corbin go back to sleep for another hour or so. Around 4 am he came in view of his house again. The sight of it stopped him dead in his tracks. A car sat out front, a police cruiser with its lights off. Two officers walked slowly up to his front door. In the hand of the officer closest to him hung a sparking pink scarf. His heart raced as he sprinted up to the front door right as his father opened it. By the time he got there, all his father could do was look away in silence and slip Corbin the scarf.

“What happened?” he yelled, “what the hell happened to Ally!” Nobody spoke, they just looked away. “Is no one going to tell me where the fuck my girlfriend is! Dad, please, where is she! Please – please…” falling to his knees, he let the tears roll, clinging to his father helplessly. 

“There was a wreck last night. Ally… Ally is dead son. I… I’m so sorry.” Corbin fell to the ground in hysterics. Now, he truly had been stripped of everything. The cops eventually left once Corbin had calmed down.

Corbin sat in his room for days on end. He did not eat. He did not eat. All he wanted to do was die that night, now he even thought that took too much effort. Eyes filling with tears, he felt the silky object that he had given to Ally last winter. The scent of her hit him, and as he lifted it to his face a small silver object fell to the ground – his class ring, the promise of forever. Slowly his picked it up and clenched his fist around it. Now matter how hard he squeezed or how much he cried, nothing was going to change. Helplessly, he paced around the room, then came face to face with the family portrait hidden behind his dresser – the portrait his parents hid to keep him from snapping – the one picture that contained non other than his mother and her brother: Uncle Mitch Lancaster.

That was the first night Corbin had destroyed anything -- and it wouldn't be the last.