Sins Of The Mother.

Chapter One- Splinters.

MIRA

I was four when the stalking began, of course I didn’t know there was a term for what was happening but by the time I was shaving the keyholes in the doors to make them easier to see through, it was clear I was not your average kid, juggling secrets and lies with keeping them as safe as I could was a full time job. Fast forward three years and here I am, Mira Peters, seven year old self trained weirdo, and I was good at it. So good that I’m currently slipping into the boxed in panels that frame the seats of our kitchen table into the bay window at the back of the room, quietly but uncomfortably removing the first brick, I’d taken a growth spurt over the summer, outgrowing a few of my preferred viewing spots. 

But I’d find a way to work around it, I’m abysmally tall for my age, not an advantage in my business and I’d quickly learned that I had to be able to change and adapt, physically and mentally. The movies I wasn’t there to see haunted me, if there's one thing this weirdo can’t stand, it’s an unfinished collection, especially when they promised to be the all time greats. I could have set up cameras and audio if I wasn’t stunted by my age but even if I wasn’t, the thought of spying on them like he did made me gag, hand covering my mouth, I squeezed my eyes shut until the feeling passed. It’s different when I’m here because I can pretend I’m part of the main story instead of being the creepy side plot,

In no time, I was pushing the last brick out onto the living room floor, my movements obscured on their side of the wall by the huge antique sideboard up against the wall beside the fireplace. Tonight their movie was Home Alone, but my movies always starred the same two people. Pulling Ty, my stuffed wolf, under my head, I got comfortable, ignoring the splinters. Aden was curled up into mum's side on the couch, her hand absentmindedly playing with his hair, a blanket over them both. They were happy tonight, laughing at Kevin booby trapping his house. As if on cue, a thud of feet above them made them flinch, mum reached for the remote and turned the volume down then held a finger to her lips. My brother gathered their snacks and drinks quietly, hiding them from view.

Gritting my teeth, I didn’t linger, leaving the bricks where they lay. I rolled out onto my knees under the table, swiftly replacing the panel. Jumping up I slid across the polished floor, swiping an apple from the fruit bowl mid slide with practised ease. By the time dad reached the bottom of the stairs I was sitting on the counter, reading and biting into the juicy green fruit. I looked up and grinned at him, automatically marking my page of the book as he spoke. “There you are Sweetpea, feel like going on an adventure?” He said but his ear was cocked towards the living room, sniffing the air deeply, he grinned at me, pausing one last time before he tossed me my coat. 

I dived off the countertop, my apple hitting the bin as I caught my coat. Bowing at dads applause I ran to get my boots, we needed to leave quickly before their night turned into the movies only one of us enjoyed. Mum and Aden living their lives was sacred, my obsession, my movies, even the horrors… especially the horrors. I wished them goodnight like I do every night, telling them I love them in my mind where nobody ever heard it. There wouldn’t be any goodbyes if I could help it, knowing mum was holding her breath and my brother close, praying that her husband would leave quickly and without any drama.

Not a sound came from behind the door, the tv had been paused and I could imagine my mum's pinched, pale face as she waited to find out which direction her evening would take. The difference between the love my mum freely shows Aden compared to the pain and sorrow in her eyes when she looks at me is tragically laughable, but it’s not her fault. She’s human while my dad is a different beast altogether, our home divided by the invisible walls my dad has erected. Predator on one side and prey on the other. Mum could protect Aden as long as the two of them didn't get in his way or she put herself in the line of fire, fighting back just long enough for her son to escape upstairs. I, on the other hand, was born with the one thing my big brother didn't have: The werewolf gene. So it's my honour to be daddy's only child, well, the only child that matters in his eyes. Grabbing his hand I pulled him towards the door, sighing with relief when he allowed me to drag him out of the house, they’d be okay for a while
now.