Changing Appalachia

3

He couldn't sleep; all Elijah could do was pace his room in the dim light. The energy built up in him was something like a panic attack. He stared out into the side yard, his window faced the woods. He watched the dark wood line, half expecting to see that wolf again. Where there was one, there was bound to be two. Elijah decided he'd take a hunting trip down behind the church and find them as soon as he had a chance.

Jody and Cathy weren't in bed yet, they were watching something on TV in the living room. Micheal had retired to his room too, but that wasn't unusual since it was technically a school night. He heard the TV go silent and the tell-tale sounds of his parents locking up the house and putting glasses in the sink. Elijah was thinking about sneaking out to the kitchen for a snack, his hunger had been constant the past few days. He was listening for the sound of their bedroom door to close. But instead he heard Micheal's door open. Then chaos erupted.

Micheal had a small handheld video game, the kind with only one game on it, battery operated. Elijah had gotten it for him a few weeks ago and warned him to keep it hidden. In the next few moments Elijah completely blacked out. When he came to his senses he was in the front yard, his father was a few feet away with his face bloody, and his uncle Jesse was there. He realized with rising panic that he had attacked his father and he didn't recall it.

There had been that same blue haze to his vision, the same sharp hearing, and an animalistic strength neither of them expected. As luck would have it, Jesse and Jo had been driving home when he saw the fight off to the right of the road and heard Cathy screaming. They had stopped quickly to help get them apart. Now Jesse was holding Elijah back with one arm and Cathy was tending to her husband's wounds while Jo went to see about Micheal.

"You okay, Elijah?" Jesse looked down at his nephew, whose head barely reached his chest. His eyes were calm and gentle, despite the situation. "What happened?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Elijah wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. A faint line of blood was left behind from the couple shots Jody had gotten in. "Just the usual. He went off on Micheal and I sort of-- I don't know what happened. Everything went blue if that makes sense."

"I figured it was about time for it to happen." Jesse said. "Let's go get this straight between you and Jody."

Elijah reluctantly followed his uncle over to the porch. Jody looked up at him over the bloody paper towel pressed to his nose. "You-- I told you do not interfere with me raising your little brother again and-"

"I ain't interferin'. I just stopped you from beating him for no reason." Elijah replied angrily, his hands shook with the effort it took him not to swing on his father again. "There was no reason for that."

"He's defied me twice today and I can see now why." Jody stood from the step, tucking the bloody paper towel in his pocket. "Your spirit is rebellious. You are rebelling against me and my authority, but most of all, God's authority! That girl has ruined you. She's put the seeds of the devil in you, Elijah. I knew this would happen."

Elijah looked at his uncle Jesse with confusion plain on his face. He turned back to his father, "What does Amy have to do with this?"

"I knew the girl was a whore when we met her. Didn't we?" Jody looked at Cathy and she nodded sadly, but refused to look at Elijah. "Now look at what's happened."

"Amy didn't do this," Elijah scoffed. "You did."

"Until you've left that girl and are ready to repent, you are not allowed back in this house. I can't have you poisoning your little brother." Jody announced.

The words hit Elijah hard. He planned to make a break for it when he turned 18. He planned to run and never look back. But somehow the words his father spoke were painful and felt so final. He looked down quickly and then met his father's eyes. He spoke, willing his voice not to waver. "I need my clothes."