Midnight Memories

t h i r t y // o n e

"When exorcising your demons, the fight has only just begun, because how do you destroy a monster... without becoming one?" - Anonymous

"Let us go!" I yelled, yanking on the doorknob with all the strength I had. "Why are you doing this to us?

The man in the driver's seat turned around, his face partially obscured by a Red Sox baseball cap. It was unmistakable, however, that his eyes were a piercing shade of ice blue, framed by unkempt locks of light blonde hair.

Ryder let out a gasp so intense that he started coughing. A look of immense shock took over his face, as if he was seeing someone back from the dead, long after they had become nothing but a whisp of a ghost. "Dad?" He choked out.

"Hello, son. You look well." Said the man, a familiar smirk on his face. "Long time no see."

"You're dead! You're supposed to be dead!" Ryder yelled in disbelief.

Vernon put the car into drive. "What did I always use to tell you, Ryder? Your demons don't dissapear, they merely go into hiding until the worst time possibly. You should have known you'd never be rid of me."

"Stella..." Ryder gave me a pleading look. "I had no idea he was alive, you have to believe me."

"It's true sweet cheeks. The second he thought I was gone, he left me to bleed to death out on the street. Meanwhile, your brother, my true son, was always there to help me. You are a disgrace to the Hartley name."

"A DISGRACE TO THE HARTLEY NAME?!" Ryder yelled. "Your drug addicted, abusive, petty criminal, no good drunken ass is a disgrace to the Hartley name! I left you to die because the world is a much better place without you!"

"You better watch your mouth with me, you little shit." Vernon said in a warning tone. "You and your pretty little friend's lives are in my hands."

"You better let us out of here right now or i'll kill you and bury you in the ground with my own two hands." Ryder growled.

"No, I don't think I will." Vernon laughed. "Ever since you were little you always tried to be the hero. It's time for you to learn they're aint no such thing as heroes, Ryder. There's no such thing as a decent man in an indecent world."

"The world, isn't black and white, dad. There's no such thing as just heroes and villians! I didn't want to be a corrupt monster like you. I wanted to make a life for myself."

In the rearview mirror, I could see Vernon roll his eyes. "You're just like Reina. All these pathetic little dreams."

"Don't you dare speak her name!" Ryder roared.

"She was my wife! The mother of my children!" Vernon screamed back.

"YOU KILLED HER!" I had never seen Ryder so angry.

"You are a delusional, little boy Ryder! You know absolutely nothing, yet you look down on everyone like you're so fucking high and mighty. You're trash, boy! Trash like me, trash like your mother, and you know what rich fucks like your friend here do to people like us? They use us and throw us away, just like trash."

Before I knew what was happening, Ryder had lunged for the steering wheel, pushing his father out of the way. The car began veering off the road as the two of them fought for control, Vernon trying to use his immense size to shake off his son.

"Stella, get down!" Ryder yelled. I ducked down onto the floor throwing my hands over my head, just as the taxi crashed into something, causing the car to flip over.

I screamed bloody murder as showers of glass rained down on me, grabbing onto the seat in front of me for dear life as the car rolled.

Finally, I allowed myself to open my eyes, surveying the hell around me. Ryder was no where to be seen in, although Vernon was bloodied and unconcious in the front seat. I tried in vain to open the upside down car door, which was jammed shut. Wimpering, I grabbed the headrest off the passenger seat and used it to bust all the glass out the window, before squeezing myself through the opening and pushing myself out onto the pavement.