Challenge The Proud

Two Doors Slam Shut, Another One Opens

"I decided to murder my brother after dinner, since it was his turn to do the dishes." - Challenge No.21

 WHITE HAIR. Long, shiny, straight, beautiful white hair. I looked in the mirror with a sigh. Black and curly would have to do for now. Mom and dad wouldn't approve of me dying my hair.

I went downstairs.The dinning room was the brightest room in the house. Surely mom would see my new outfit and painted black nails and ask me to change.I was certain that there would be a scene as I would refuse to put on something else and clean up my nails. What eleven year old wears black nail polish? I did - I decided with pride.

"Finally. I could use your help, dear," declared mom in a melodic tone as I entered the kitchen.

Right. It was my turn to help mom set the table.

I walked slowly to the cupboard, in the kitchen, parading my short, black straight-cut dress and knee-high dark socks - they had a green tint. Mom barely looked at me. She was checking her phone, tap-tapping with her fingers on the screen from time to time. Busy with texts.

When I entered the dinning room, I found my brother sitting at the table, playing on his phone.

"What the heck happened to you, sis?" he said eyeing me with a dumb expression on his face.

"What do you mean? I simply got dressed for dinner," I replied, sliding a plate in front of him.

"Right. Going for the Wednesday Addams look?" he spoke with contempt and then grinned at me, like I was supposed to know who he was referring to.

"Go stick a pen in your eye, Sam," I tried to say as calmly as possible and turned my back to him.

"Getting weirder by the day, sis!" he yelled from the dinning room.

As if he was the normal one.

I set the cutlery and brought in the bread and salad, remaining silent. I could hear him snickering just to upset me.

Dad came in and took his seat at the end of the table. His large hand rubbed my head and ruffled my hair - did I look like a dog to him?

Mom came with the food. Roast and mash potatoes.

I wasn't particularly hungry that evening so I mostly played with my food. Mom always tried to lose weight, so she filled her plate with salad and occasionally stole small nuggets of meat and mashed potatoes from the serving dishes, like that didn't count or something. Sam ate in silence, glancing at his phone screen from time to time. Since he had started his Sophomore year, my brother's social life had been blooming. I, on the other hand, had no friends. I had just started Junior High School and didn't know anybody in my class. It wasn't for lack of trying.

"I joined a poetry club. I don't think I'm any good at it, but anyway," I started and glanced at my parents.

Dad nodded with a small smile. His mouth was full. He usually had a big appetite.

"That's nice,dear," said mom without actually looking at me.

I was drumming my fingers. My black nail polish really stood out on the white tablecloth.

"I bet you suck,"Sam said after a moment of silence, "I've read your diary, I should know."

"What?!" I exclaimed terrified by the possibility of my brother actually getting his hands on my diary.

"Oh, please Santa. Can I get superpowers this Christmas? I promise to only use them for good," he mocked my entry from last year's Christmas.

My cheeks were aflame.

"I'll kill you,you jerk!"

"Language," dad mumbled with his mouth full.

"But dad! Sam went through my stuff!"

"Sam, don't go through Annie's things without permission." Dad got up from the table - his phone was vibrating. "Sorry, I need to take this, hun,"he mumbled and kissed my mom's forehead before he left the room answering his phone. Mom watched him go and remained staring at the door.

"So I have to ask. What's your superpower? Playing dress up?" Sam made fun of me.

I decided to murder my brother after dinner, since it was his turn to do the dishes.

Mom and dad were definitely fighting. I snuck out of my room and stood in the dark, at the top of the stairs.

"Why are you doing this to me again, Jake?" mom cried.

Dad said something I couldn't understand.

"Bastard!" Mom slammed a door shut - probably the kitchen.

She smoked there when she was angry and she did sound pretty angry.

I caught a glimpse of dad as he left the house, loudly shutting the front door as if to mirror mom's earlier gesture.

Running into my room, I hid under the covers. I fell into a light sleep, jumping startled by the sound of doors slamming shut around me. In the middle of the night I woke up, realizing that the sounds came from outside where a big storm raged, booming across the skies. Thunders had always scared me. So I sat in the middle of my bed, hugging my legs and muffling the sounds of my sobbing.

The door slowly opened and I saw a tall, dark silhouette standing there. For a moment I thought it was dad.

"Annie?" I recognized my brother's hushed tone.

"Yeah?"

"You crying like a scared little kitten?"

I threw my pillow at him. It hit the wall near the doorway and he snickered, "You throw like a girl."

"Leave me alone,"I whined.

But he didn't leave me alone. He entered my room and approached the bed pointing at the floor as he said, "I'll just sit there until you can fall asleep, alright?"

The skies flashed bright for a moment and then came the thunder. I yelped pulling the cover over me and laid on my side with my back to the window. Sam sat on the floor beside my bed.

My hand looked for his in the dark and when I found it, I clung on like my life depended on it.

I fell asleep at some point because I didn't remember much after that. I dreamed of an old, screeching door, opening, and once I stepped over the threshold, I finally felt safe. When I woke up in the morning, Sam was gone.

"Hurry up and eat, Morticia. The school bus is comin' any moment now," he greeted me at breakfast.

I was wearing a black shirt and a pair of jeans. My nails were still black. Who were these people that he kept comparing me to?

"Morticia?" I asked frustrated.

"Geez!" He rolled his eyes at me and left the kitchen.

Sam was still being a jerk so I resumed planning his murder. But first I had to go to school.

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