SILENCE

Chapter One

Glass smashing. Loud banging. A high-pitched scream.

Ace' eyes flew open. His heartbeat, thundering inside his ear. Adrenaline rushing through his veins.

"Let her go" Kayla cried. Ace was on his feet, his legs racing towards Kayla' voice.

"This was you" Darius roared in a deep murderous tone.

Rushing through the front door, Ace found Darius seething with anger. His hand firmly gripped around Beth' throat. Kayla cried, her face covered in tears, sobbing "Please Darius, just stop". Before Ace even knew what he was doing, he had his arms wrapped around Darius' waist lifting him into the air and turning him doing a full 180. Beth was dragged during the motion however Darius lost his grip and Ace was able to position himself between the two before setting Darius back down on his feet. As soon as his feet hit the floor Darius launched himself towards Beth only to be knocked back by Ace. "Calm down bro, what are you doing?" Ace had no idea what had happened or what had got his brother so fired up. In the corner of his right eye he could see his little brother and sister huddled under the kitchen table, shaking with fear. "She did this, she did this to me" Darius yelled over his brother' shoulder eyes spitting daggers in Beth' direction. Beth still picking herself up off the floor, struggling to regain her breath placed a hand over her heart, the other on Ace' back. "Your brother' a lost little boy, always has been, always will be". Darius swung, Beth stepped back Ace shoved his brother forward. Beth laughed her face now taking the form of a smirk. "Go Mum, go away" Ace yelled over his shoulder his eyes never leaving his brother. Kayla stood to the back, frozen in place. She did her best to keep her distance from all the commotion, her hand covering her belly protectively. "Come on bro, come outside with me" Ace stepped forward putting an arm around his brother' shoulders encouraging him to walk with him. "It was all her, she did it" Darius yelled his chest heaving with rage, he watched through slit eyes as their mother retreated down the hallway and slipped through the bedroom door.

As Ace and Darius made their way through the back door leading out on to the balcony. Darius took a seat on the outdoor furniture and began rolling himself up a cigarette. "Want one?" Darius asked, Ace grabbed the packet of cigarettes from his brother' hand and began rolling himself a cigarette too. It took a good thirty minutes of yelling, shoving and damn near fighting until Darius finally calmed down. Kayla had been hesitant to make a move in fear of being caught in the cross-fire but found a gap to move when Darius tried making his way around Ace but subsequently tripped and fell on his own feet, landing on his face. Kayla ran towards Ace' little brother and sister quickly grabbing them out from under the table and scurrying them down to the bedroom. 

"What's going on with you, brother?" Ace asked, Darius stared up in to the star filled sky, deep in thought, no response. Ace frowned, his brother has never been the quiet type nor the type to shut down and not let someone hear all his woes dating back to the beginning of time. Tired of the night's events he settled into a comfortable silence alongside his brother. He, his mother and brother Darius as well as a few girls Darius had invited over had spent the night drinking and partying. Their family was known on their street for two things, mid-week late night party's with loud rap music you could hear all the way down the road and fighting. Most party's depending on the number of those invited usually if not always ended with a fight. Ace had been in the center of many of these well-known fights, however none of which had been his fights to begin with. They had always been his big brother Darius' fights. 

Darius always found a way to stir up some trouble. No matter where they went. Shaking his head Ace tapped Darius "Remember Brandy's birthday?" They both began laughing thinking back to that night. Their cousin Wes had invited both brothers over to his place to celebrate his girlfriend Brandy's 21st birthday. With an almost 200 people guest list, the front and back yard was filled with beautiful tall blondes who excelled in wearing clothing two sizes too small and overly eager pubescent young men, who'd all quickly dive off a cliff if it resulted in a half a chance of any girl even throwing a smile in their direction. As the night had gone on Wes noticed his girlfriend had disappeared, not a single one of her friends knew exactly where she had wandered off to. Frantically running up and downstairs of their home Wes called her name to no avail. Twenty minutes later Ace spotted Brandy in the back yard appearing out from behind a tree, her hair a mess, missing both her heels, tugging at the hem of her white cocktail dress. She ran, making her way towards Wes, just as she did Ace noticed something shining on the back of her back. Wes embraced Brandy into his arms, as he did, he pulled a shiny used condom off her back. All hell broke loose. Ace stared in the direction of the tree where he had seen Brandy make her way out of just in time to see his brother Darius slip out towards the front yard and down the driveway. "Did you ever tell Wes?" Ace asked, "Tell him what? That I did his girl or that I slipped that condom on her back while she was fixing her hair?" Darius responded with a grin. Ace shook his head. 

Silence took over between the two yet again. A cool breeze made its way through the trees, causing a light cascade in the wind while the moon shone high up in the sky. This is home, this is my family, never a dull day around this lot, Ace thought smiling to himself.

"One of these days Ace" Darius spoke. "What do you mean?" Ace asked.

"Our mother, one of these days .... I'll make her pay".