We Watched the City Burn

Chapter 8

I get home in the dead of night. A war zone greets me when I unlock the door. Broken bits of glass and chairs strewn across the floor. What the fuck did he do?! The place is a complete mess. Furniture is thrown around, the couch is crooked, a window is smashed. One of the lamps is missing, my bet is that it took a little flight through the broken window. I need to clean this place up before he comes to, but first, I have to find him. 

I head down the hall toward his room, were the path of destructrion continues. The matress if off the bed, the sheets are all over the floor...why does this place smell like vomit? Fucking fuck. I turn, slowly toward the bathroom, and find him there, on the floor. I don't have to get near him to know he's breathing. He's not laying in a puddle of vomit, so I make no move to right him, clean him them put him on the crooked matress. Let him pick himself off the floor this time, I'm going to bed.

My door, strangely, is still closed, everything in my room is in perfect order and untouched.  He tore the entire house to shreds, but didn't come in here...

I didn't have time to pick this apart. I turned on my heels, and got the broom and pan to sweep up the glass. Two hours later, the house is in some semblance of order, and my back is killing me. I put the couch back, put the photos back on the walls. The only real evidence left is the broken window, and his room. I'm not going in there again.

Back in my room, I cross the mirror, seeing myself for the first time in hours. Shit. Dark, had-shaped bruises are clear on my neck. I turn my head in every possible angle, trying to see if they faded in the right light. No such luck. Totally noticable. I yank one of my scarves from the hook and wrap my neck up nice and tight. You can still see tips of it, besides, the scarf just makes it more obvious for some reason.

Tossing the scarf back in my clost, I pulled  a hoodie over my body and yank my pants off. My sheets are cold, but welcoming. My stars glow, happy I made it home safe. He won't come for me tonight. He's passed out, I can sleep soundly. As for school, with these bruises, that's not an option. With a day off ahead of me, I curl up under my quilt and fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

 When I crawl out of bed, it's early afternoon, my father, somehow is recovered enough from last night to go to work. Thank god for small favors. His room is tidy and neat, his bathroom spotless. The rest of the house is prestine and shiny, just as I left it last night. I stretch, groaning, my muscles curse me quietly. 

A quick scan through the kitchen tells me we need food, bad. A day of grocery shopping wouldn't be too bad. But I won't be able to get him booze. That's likely to upset him, but there's nothing I can do about that. I'll just need to wear a suit of armor when he comes home.

Wait...my neck. My hands fly to my neck. I can't go out of the house looking like this. Damn. He'll flip his wagon if he comes home to an empty house. I throw open his liquor cabinet, relieved to find two bottles of wine, and one of vodlka still standing. Those should keep him for a few days, jsut about enough time for the bruises to melt away.

 I go through various cupboards and drawers looking for something to snack on, there isn't much. And, what we do have...well, it's shit. I come to the last drawer on the counter, pull gentley on it, but it doesn't budge. Locked. Why was this locked? What could he have to hide from me? What could he have to hide that was so bad he had to lock it up?

The pictures of her...after she left, they vanished. I couldn't find them anywhere and I never thought to look in the kitchen. That drawer, that's only place they could be. It was a deep drawer, and we didn't have many photos around. He locked the photos away.

He locked her away. Shoved her in a dark place like she didn't ever exist. He was trying to forget her. The booze, everything. It made sense, he was trying to forget her.

I stared at the handle, impossible, it was impossible. He could never forget her, not so long as Iwas around. Unless...unless he planned on getting rid of me too.