Chapter 15
- Your last chance -
Looking down at myself to see if I had been shot in all the madness, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were no bullet holes.
Then I looked up to see if anyone else had been shot.
Rick.
He had a bullet go through his head and was killed instantly.
My mom now had control over the gun. Gripping it tight with her shaking hands, she pointed it at my father, and motioned him to move by jerking it to the side. "Get down," her voice cracked. "Get on the ground Anthony, don't think I won't hesitate to pull this," she threatened, her voice still shaking and I didn’t think she was really going to be able to do this but she was my only hope.
My dad slowly dropped to his knees and then the gun was pointed back at me. My arms shot up in surrender not thinking she would really shoot her only flesh and blood. "Kaden, get on the ground."
Obeying her orders, I, too, dropped to my knees. She stood in front of us, pointing the loaded pistol back and forth from my chest to my fathers.
"Amanda, don't be stupid," my dad said with a slight raise in his voice.
My mom's tear filled eyes looked back at me and she shook her head. Taking the barrel she put it inside her mouth towards the roof and closed her eyes tightly.
"Mom! No! You can't! Don't leave me here with him!" I jumped up begging her not to pull the trigger. "Mom! This is your chance! Show me that you care! Show me that you want to stop my pain!" I pleaded.
I had caught her attention and that was all I needed. "Don't... shoot." I said calming my tone.
Just then my father tackled me, pinning me to the ground by my shoulders. He began to strangle me with his own bare hands.
Staring up at him, the anger in his eyes the hate, all of this was just desperate to end my life...
Gasping for breath that was not coming through my closed airways, I saw my mother quickly yank the pistol from out of her mouth and she aimed it at my father’s back.
Three more loud shots ripped through the silence and his grip loosened, falling to his death beside me. I quickly inhaled life back into my body and just stared at my dead father. My mother still had the gun aimed for him shaking worse than before. More tears escaped her eyes and she collapsed to the ground.
When I could finally get my thoughts together, I crawled over to my mother who was sobbing uncontrollably. She had just shot her husband. He was dead now and she was alone. She had no one.
I hooked her under the chin like Echo had done to me many a time before and I looked into her cold eyes. She looked hurt, scared, beaten, and bruised. Both her enemy and her lover were gone now. She didn't have to worry about being beaten for forgetting to buy beer, but she also didn't have anyone to hold her when she was sad or to kiss her when she felt worthless.
"Mom..." I whispered. I felt it was appropriate to share with her how much I loved and appreciated her so I took her in my arms and let her tears sock my shirt.
"Mom, I love you. I always have, I know that you're hurting; I know what it's like to love someone you hate. I know," I was at a loss of words but I felt I needed to continue. "Thank you," I breathed deeply rubbing her back softly.
"I know he's gone now. But that just means me and you don't have to live in fear anymore. But you also have to live alone. But... mom I know you'll find someone... that treats you like you deserve to be treated... you'll find someone like Echo. Someone that... is always there. Someone that cares about you as a person. You'll find someone that you love, that you won't have to hate. Where you will be able to speak freely and not worry about being hit. Your enemy is dead and he can't hurt us anymore. He can't hurt you... But with that, he can't love you. I know it's hard but... it will only get easier with time. You will find someone because it's never too late for a happy ending."
"Kaden..." her voice was still shaking and she had calmed down only enough to speak. "I love you, I do. I know you might not believe that, and I don’t blame you. But I was scared. I was scared that if I gotten between you two that he would hurt me too. That was so selfish of me I know, but I loved him too. I'm so sorry Kaden" she said once more before bursting back out into hysterical sobs.
I was just waiting for someone to come running out of the trees wondering what all the commotion was about. I knew there were houses scattered around these parts and someone would have had to hear the gun shots and call the police.
Sure enough a cop car with flashing lights pulled around the bend of the road after a little while. My mom and I just sat there against the back left wheel of the truck and waited for the officer to look over the scene. Her arms were still wrapped firmly around me as she cried.
One of the two officers saw us and bent down next to us while the other called for more officers. “You okay son?” She asked examining my blood soaked shirt
"Yeah... I'm okay, you could say that." I replied distantly.
"Can I get your name please?" she questioned me pulling a small notebook from her back pocket.
"Kaden... Albrecht"
I was so lost in my thoughts, it was as if the whole situation was just now registering for me. I honestly had no idea how I felt about all this.
My father was dead, my enemy, and my biggest fear was gone and couldn't touch me ever again.
But then again my father was dead.
Was I supposed to cry?
No, I had shed enough tears for him already.
Another officer that had already been talking with my mom came over to me placing a hand on my shoulder "Kaden, I'll take you home. Your mom will be coming downtown will us to answer a few questions."
We were led to the backseat of one of the cars. Silent tears still leaked from my mother’s eyes as we drove back into town.
I was dropped off at Echo's house and my mom pulled me into a tight hug just before I left. "Kaden... I love you" she whispered softly into my ear before releasing me.
"I love you too, mom." I smiled back as she placed a soft kiss on my temple like she would do when I was younger.
I stepped out of the police car when we got to Echo’s house and I was only praying that I could just go to sleep.
Making my way up the frosted grass the crushed under my feet, I slowly opened the door. But before I even had a chance to step in the door Echo had me in her embrace and was
"Oh my god, where the hell did you go?! You had me so scared!” She yelled corrupting my eardrums. “You wouldn’t answer your phone, you didn’t tell me you were leaving? You’re covered in blood? What the… What’s going on?" She was talking in a calmer tone now but she still sounded flustered.
"Can we just... go to bed?" I asked. I was tired and just needed to get my thought together about how I felt.
"No," She said pecking my cheek with a smile. "But... you are gonna tell me where you were and whatever happened to you."
"I’ll tell you later tomorrow or something I just need some time to think about everything." I sighed as she pulled me into her room.
After having my life dangled in front of me I just wanted to hold her and let her know that I loved her, I hadn’t realized how much until just now but I really did need her.
Watching as my mom lost her husband made it all click for me; life is a fragile thing, and with one simple curl of your finger or one bottle of pills, it can all be taken from you. Everything, just gone.
The past is history, the future a mystery, but today is a gift and that is why it’s called the present.
But what if this was only a dream.
And when I wake it would happen all over again, only this time things would go as planned, and I would be the one getting shot…?