Chapter 16:
It's late.
Fallon has purposely left the body of her beloved father in the same position for her mother to find.
She's sitting in their living room, her eyes glued to the television, her brain is absorbed in her tv programme.
Her mother soon returns home.
She's tipsy, clearly.
Her head sways from side to side as she speaks, but she can still function enough to scream at the discovery of her dead husband.
Fallon stands up making her way to the bedroom upstairs where her father lies.
His eyes are wide open, white as snow.
"Carter!" Her mother yells, rushing over to his deceased body. She lies down next to her late husband, shaking his arms, as she attempts to save his life.
"You can't retrieve someone from the dead, mom. He's gone. That's it"
Fallon's voice is cold, like ice, as she speaks.
That's when her mother notices her daughter's fingers, smeared with blood.
Slowly, she rises from her bent position, her legs suddenly trembling.
"Fallon....what happened?" Her finger raises as she points to her daughter's hands. "What did you do?"
Her voice trails off, her eyes quivering in pain.
Fear. Confusion.
All in one.
She takes a step back.
Fallon takes a step forward.
"I did what I had to do" Her voice is dark. "I did this for us, mother. For our future. Without him"
"Fallon, what are you talking about- you're scaring me!" Her mother takes a second step back. Fallon takes another one forward, mimicking her movement.
"Mom, you need to calm down. Listen to me. He had to go. He wasn't good for us. He was destroying our lives" Fallon explained her voice suddenly sounding soft, innocent.
She tries to touch her mother's arm, her mother instantly moves away, petrified.
"Mom, don't run away from me. Don't you understand? I did what I did to save us from him. He's the bad guy- " Fallon points to the body. "Not me. I'm just doing what's right for our home"
Her mother falls silent, lost for words.
Suddenly, she bursts into tears.
"How could you!" She yells. "How could you just kill your own father? You're a murderer- you're crazy! You literally need help, Fallon! You're not okay! I-
Her mother attempts to run, but Fallon takes hold of her arms, pressuring her to stay.
"Mother, I don't understand" Water falls from Fallon's eyes. Her voice is soft, gentle as she speaks. "I thought I was doing the right thing. I did this for us. Me and you. He had to go. He was causing you pain. Don't you understand?"
"You really are crazy, just like your father always said!" Her mother cries, as she whips her phone from her pocket. "You need psychiatric help!"
"Wait - what are you doing?" Fallon's lips quiver as she speaks. "Why are you saying these things?" She asks her mother.
"Because it's true!" Her mother begins to dial numbers on her phone. "I'm calling the police, because you need help, sweetie"
Fallon starts to weep immensely. She grabs her mother's arm, slapping the phone from her hand.
Smash.
It's pieces scatter across the ground.
"You should be thanking me, not trying to lock me up in prison!" There's a distinctive change in Fallon's voice.
She's angry, now.
"Do you even love me?" She cries, her cheeks wet with tears. "I killed. I took someone's life. All for you, mother. And this is how you repay me?"
"Oh no no, no. Don't bring me into your mess. This is all you, Fallon. You're the murderer, this is all your fault, not mine" Her mother shakes her head, stepping back once again.
The tears continue to burst forth from her mother like water from a dam, spilling down her face.
"You need help, Fallon! You're sick!"
"Don't say these things" She can feel the muscles from her chin trembling like a small child as she glances towards the window as if the harsh light can soothe her.
There is a static in her head, the side effect of the fears and constant depression.
She can hear her own sounds, like a distressed child, raw from the inside.
Catching Fallon off guard, her mother shoves her to the side of the room, trying to escape.
Instantly, fall in begins to chase her towards the front door. She tries to grab her mother's legs but her mother kicks her in the face as she continues to run.
In an attempt to grasp her shoulder, Fallon accidently shoves her mother against the closet wall. Her mother falls to the ground, hitting her head against the glass side table.
Snap.
Her neck is broken.
She's dead.
YOU ARE READING
The Darkness Within
Mystery / ThrillerIt's late. Very late. Sweat oozes from her skin as she strolls through the dark alleyway. She's weird. Unusual. Traumatised by her husband's death, she struggles to ignore his continuous hammering memories that float through her mind. His smile...
