The Sound of Snow

Chapter Twelve: "Falling From the Tree"

     Goto-san's expression went sour and he took a long drawl of his cigarette again, this time puffing it straight into the teen's face before standing tall.

     The Boy's windpipes cinched like someone tied them in knots. Hacking and gagging, the child nearly bent double, eyes pinched closed as the sordid taste of tar scorched his shriveling lungs. At the sound of his gasping came heavy footsteps behind him and a hard smack on his back. Dad shoved an inhaler into his hands and stood between Goto-san and his son.

     The intruder straightened his posture, not in the slightest afraid of Dad's appearance. "Got yourself a loyal lil kid here, don't ya."

     "Get out of my house."

     Goto-san slowly gazed back at the groceries on the counter The Boy hadn't finished unpacking. "Glad to see you're enjoying spending my money."

      "Last I checked," said Dad dangerously, "Buying groceries isn't a crime. But I'm pretty sure breaking and entering is."

      "As is withholding another man's money past the allotted time to pay it back. An ex-cop ought to know that."

      "I told you, Akitake-kun, I'll pay you back as soon as I get the money!"

     "Yeah, ya said that last time, then ya went to gamble some more... then ya said it again, and again and actually I think it's been 'bout half a year since you've been telling me that." purred Goto-san. He stepped closer to the parent as he spoke, unafraid despite the daunting difference in mass ratio between Dad and him. "But when exactly are we gonna stop sayin' and start doing, huh?"

     "I told you." Dad was on the verge of growling, not angry, but like an alpha being challenged. "As soon as I get the money."

     That was like gasoline to the manic greed burning in Goto-san's eyes. In the blink of an eye he had drawn and raised a thick blade up at the other's face. The Boy jumped out of his skin at the sight of the shiny knife. Dad didn't flinch in the slightest.

     "D-Dad...!" The Boy frozen watched the blade hovering less than an inch from his father's throat.

      The intruder sucked air through gritted teeth. "Didn't anyone ever tell ya that ya don't bet what ya can't pay, dumbass?!"

     The Boy threw himself at Goto-san, trying to pull his arm away from his father but to no avail. The men held each other's gazes locked.

     "Dad...??" The Boy choked on the smoke still.

     His father's arm grabbed him and tossed him aside like a paperweight. "Go to your room."

     "Dad, he broke in, we should be calling the cops!"

     Sharply swinging a hand in the air, Dad swatted his fist over Goto-san's wrist, twisting it upward and out. The latter gave a cry, his arm seconds away from being snapped in half. But his trembling fingers refused to relent the blade.

    "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," said Dad. "Your record isn't exactly pristine either. You want me to tell the kid to call the police? I think we both know whose side they'll always take in the end."

     Goto-san's hand wavered a little longer before the knife slowly slipped from his fingers. The Boy rushed forward and snatched it up, gulping another breath from his inhaler. Dad released the intruder who quickly took several steps backwards, the fire in his eyes yearning for revenge nevertheless. A curdled kind of laugh left his mouth deliberately.

     "Yeah, I know." He sneered at Dad. "We've all heard of what ya did to that woman o' yours in court. But I also know ya got some less than pretty rumors going 'round." Here he paused for a pointed glance at The Boy, "Somethin' tells me with the right witness' testimony they might not be so willing to overlook your crimes as they were back then."