Trail Of Smoke

Trail Of Smoke [2]

I shudder when I hear the soft tinkle of shattering glass downstairs. From my bedroom, it sounds like a wind chime.

I am sitting at my desk, finishing off my English essay at midnight. Father found out that Ava lost her job at the pizzeria and hasn't found another yet and is giving her hell for it. Every time she screams, resolve hardens my heart and I make it from my desk to the stairwell. But the sight that greets my eyes there reduces me to a quivering mess. Like a coward, I turn my back to my sister and seek refuge in my room. This has happened three times this night.

Suddenly, I hear pounding on the stairs, and the screams grow louder. I creep towards the door, like a thief in my own house, and watch the unfolding scene.

He is drunk and his eyes are red with rage. Ava is a mess— her hair is wild and her mascara runs down her cheeks like a black river. She has an ugly bruise on her temple. He lashes out at her with the belt, its buckle glittering in the dim light. It arcs in the air like a threatening snake and comes crashing down on her back.

But there is no reprieve for her, because the belt falls on her again after a split second, exactly where it fell before. She lets out an animalistic howl and grabs an empty flower vase from the bureau next to her, hoping to defend herself using it.

However, he is too quick for her. He punches the side of her head and the vase clatters out of her hand. His leg hits her in the stomach, and she falls down. The demon we call our father starts punching and kicking her violently. Her screams fill the air. The agony they hold could pierce through the hardest of hearts. However, Father is not moved. He hits her again.

My heart constricts in my throat and an inexplicable pain and frustration at standing still fills me. I turn to the window in my room, and contemplate sticking my head out and calling the neighbors for help.

A little voice in my head shakes with derisive laughter and reminds me that people are too scared to do anything about it. I am sure they hear our screams, but I've never seen anyone coming over to check on us or even enquire after us in the morning. People are passive and indifferent; that frustrates me beyond words. They could hear a dying man's last screams, and all that they'd care about would be their blasted family dinner.

His roar of frustration pierces through the air and I see the blood gushing out of Ava's mouth. Something snaps inside me. There is a sudden burst in the fire inside me and it is gloriously raging away.

I cannot keep quiet anymore. Flashes of his belt lashing out at me and the stinging pain that follows it fill my mind's eye. I can stand that sort of abuse, but Ava— darling, delicate Ava-- cannot. I drag myself from the floor and grab my golf club from the bag that sits right beside my closet. Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I slowly open the door and emerge at the stairwell.

I am momentarily stunned by the ferocious figure of our father. He wears the role of a harmless scientist well enough during the day, but at night, the murderous fury that burns in his eyes and the ease with which he handles the belt unveil the despicable monster that he really is. Not a lot of people have nightmares about their fathers.

But Ava and I do.

His back is facing me, but Ava can see that I'm here now. However, she is in too much of pain to notice. She cuts a pitiful figure in front of my father. She scrambles to escape as he pulls her up by the neck. His knuckles are white with tension and Ava's breaths are labored rasps. I am rooted to my position.

Will he murder his own daughter?

A sudden rush of desperation propels me towards my father as I crash into him. Ava falls down as he is thrown off balance. Before he can recover, I bring the golf club crashing down on his skull. He lets out a shrill shriek of pain and thrashes violently. The fire in me translates into rage as I strike him again. My animalistic instincts take over, and I bring the club down on his skull repeatedly until all I can see is red, red and red.