Dark Nights

Joshua's Memories Part 1

" He's back!" Jack gasped in dismay, jumping away from the window and rushing over to his mother. Leaping into her arms along with his brother. Their mother held them close as the door slammed open and shut again. The sound of heavy boots stomping throughout the house before stopping somewhere in the kitchen.

Jackie slowly stood up with a darkened expression, her knee-length dress swaying slightly as she did. Her boys clung to her legs and she ran a hand over each of their heads.

" Come on babies, lets go quickly now." She said quietly. She held them close as she led them through the hallway of the trailer house and quickly out of the front door. It closed louder than they would have liked and they quickly walked down the driveway, passed the run down pick up truck and closer and closer to town.

They lived on the outskirts of town at the start of the forest. The road to there house was very steep and narrow, as were the small rocky hills surrounding it. They would be a little late, but that was alright.

What mattered was they were safe and out of the house, and if Jackie could keep this job and her hidden bank secure for just a few more months, they would be out of this town for good.

- -

The Brothers held each other close as they huddled in their room. Their mother had kept them at practice a little late tonight, and when they got home... dad was not happy about that.

They could hear him shouting at their mother from somewhere else in the house. Their mother crying and begging for mercy as their father continuously kicked her. They could hear the impact that his boot was making against her even from behind the closed door.

Suddenly, with a growl, Jack burst up from his spot and flung open the door. Running out of the room as fast as his ten-year-old legs could take him. Joshua blinked in shock for a moment before stumbling to his feet and running after his brother.

He ran into the kitchen just as Jack ran up to their father who was leaning over their bloodied mother. Jack screamed as he jumped into his father's legs, trying to knock him over. The large man grunted and glared down at Jack, reaching over and plucking the little boy off of the ground by the collar of his jacket.

Their mother screamed at their father to let him go and Joshua kicked into action. He ran over to his father's legs just as Jack had done. This time succeeding in pushing the man over. In shock, the man dropped Jack as he fell onto the floor. Joshua grabbed his brother, dragging him away from the man as their mother grabbed onto them and held them close.

Their father groaned and got back to his feet, looking down at them with evil eyes. Their father was tall and bulky. Which only made him scarier to the ten-year-olds.

" Jack, Josh. You know that this is adult business. You also know what happens when you interrupt mommy and daddy when their talking." The large man hissed down at his boys.

" Shut up! Stop hurting her! She did not do anything!!" Jack screamed at his father and in return got backhanded for it. The little boy slid across the tiled floor and Joshua sprung into action again. Trying to push his father over, but was easily grabbed by his shirt and lifted up off of the ground to meet his father's eyes.

Once again their mother shouted at him and tried to get up. But her leg was now broken, she could only crawl over to his boots. Gripping onto them and begging him not to hurt her sons.

His father breathed out of his nostrils into the little boy's face. His breath smelling of cigarettes and alcohol. Joshua's eyes widened and he brought his little hands up. Gripping onto his father's large ones.

" Josh, I would expect this from your brother, not from you. I've never seen you be so aggressive. I better not see this again or ill knock all of your teeth out and make sure you never sing again you little shit!" His father shouted at him. Throwing him away from where he hit harshly against the wall.

He slid down the wall and was stunned, he could not breathe. Their mother shouted at their father again. Making him enter a fit of rage once more. He grabbed onto her curly hair harshly, dragging her out of the kitchen and toward their bedroom. Her screams started again, and he could not take it anymore.

He got to his feet and ran out of the house. Into the night air and into the woods beyond. He kept running and running and did not stop until the pain in his bruised side made him stop.

He slowed his run to a jog and stopped at the edge of a steep, rocky hill. His breathing was harsh and visible in the cold air underneath the moonlight.

He sat down and brought his knees close. resting his chin on them and wrapping his arms around his legs. He was not alone for long. In almost no time at all, he heard footsteps coming up behind him.

" Josh." Jack started.

" Don't call me that." Joshua seethed through clenched teeth. His mother called him Joshua, his dad called him Josh. His brother walked up and took a seat in the dirt next to him. His legs were hanging over the hill and he had his hands supporting his weight as he leaned back slightly.

The brothers looked at each other and saw the damage. Jack had a black eye and a bleeding nose. Joshua quickly looked away from his brother, not wanting to see him hurt like that.

" If only we were bigger. If only we were taller and bulkier! then we could get rid of him for good!" Jack said.

" But we're not, we're only ten years old," Joshua said pessimistically. Keeping his face buried in his arms. Jack swiveled his head back to look at Josh.

" We have to do something! Every day he hurts us and mom! if we don't do something now then he's going to kill us all!" Jack cried.

" What if we went to the police?" Joshua offered. " What if we found uncle Drew? he's a cop." His brother growled in response.

" So we go to uncle Drew and get dad arrested. Then he stays in jail for a few years then gets let off scot-free. Then what will he do? He'll come right back for mom and us! No... We have to do something a little more permanent." Jack said. Joshua lifted his head and looked over at his brother. Jack was looking up at the moon, his eyes wide with a large Cheshire grin to accompany it.

" I have a plan, Joshua."