Vice City : The Bud

Chapter 17 - Truth Lies In The Past

Authors Note - please be kind, I'm not a professional writer I do this as a hobby - Leave a vote/comment if you enjoy as every little bit helps

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Chapter17 - The Bud - Truth Lies In The Past

Istill see my past, in waking dreams, in active nightmares. Even nowwith my hands wrapped around her delicate neck. The apartment thatonce stood around me, a scene for this coming act, might as well benothing but the four white walls of a confining cell for all it doesto effect me. She quivers beneath my hold. My mother was weak andafraid. She hanged herself, choking for breath and life fell from heras the leaves do from the trees when autumn arrives. Somethinghappened though. In that last fleeting blink she became free. Awayfrom hate and despair. Escaped from cruelty and malice. No longer wasshe closed off like the lightly wrapped petals of a new bud. Shecould at last bloom in lifeless ecstasy. It's beautiful. Then whycan't you see how what I'm doing for you is a favour, a justiceso few are given the choice to feel. She struggles beneath my grasp.I push tighter on the chain around her neck. You will becomemagnificent, don't fight it. Nodding my face I pull harder stilluntil my fingers ache with the pressure. I lean in close, pressing mylips to her ear.

"Don'tfight it," I whisper over and over as the moon abandons the coverof basking clouds to bathe me in a pool of translucent light.

Gaspingharder and harder her eyes begin to roll back.

"Youwere afraid to love me weren't you ? You don't have to be afraidof anything ever again," I say, kissing her purpling lips as myhands tighten ever more.

"Justlet it go Lil. Let go."

Shetries to mouth something to me but instead her eyes close and amoment later she relaxes at last.

"GoodbyeLilly," I say with a swelling tear.

"Ilove you."

I'mmy youthful self once more, walking home by the song of the twilight.No sounds are to be heard apart from the usual bustle of the city.Help seems so far away from where I am in the suburbs. Yet the policemake it here pretty fast. Thoughts pass of the two young girls. Onein her bed unaware of the turn her life has made. The other scarredforever by the scene in that bedroom. The crimson blood alone ismaddening enough to me. The mere image of it in my head turns my mindto Jeremy, his broken body at the bottom of the stairs, and in turncauses my stomach to summersault in disgust. They'll never be thesame again. My father has changed their whole world. Behind me thecall of sirens yell endlessly. I reach home again but the longing togo inside has since left. Fathers' car sits in the driveway which canonly mean he's still inside. I hope for the sake of hoping thathe's still knocked out where I left him when I had made off. Withignorant luck I pray I can sneak inside, gather my things and leavebefore he's ever to wake up. I push on the door, and it creaks openlike the grand entrances in the gothic horror books that line theshelves of my mother's room. I expect to see him immediately,glaring at me with the belt in hand. Ready and waiting he'd be toexact his revenge. All I see is an empty house. All I hear is theecho of my footsteps as my feet clap along the hard panelled floor.My father isn't one for subtlety. As he was not there as the doorpushed open and as he has yet to scream and chase after me, I cansafely assume he's still unconscious. There's not a light on inthe whole house. It leaves this place in a shadow, that I have toadmit, makes me feel safer. There's comfort in the shadows. To beable to move without being viewed is something I have longed for dayin and day out as my father terrorised us with surprise beatings. Atthe bottom of the stairs I stand upon the spot where Jeremy had lethis last breath fly. The wood here is tainted. Ever so slightlythere's a stain of red soaked into the rough boards. Had I notknown the goings on of this house I would have assumed it was nothingbut the fading growth marks etched into the wood. I say goodbye tohim one last time before I leave this place for good.