Regret

8. And Your Future.

"Mom... I'm scared."

Mom I'm scared; three words, but only one real meaning.

Those three words mean that person needs the only human he knows truly loves him for him and any mistakes he makes along the way. Hoping she brings with her all her love and advice to make the situation seem less dire and more exciting; if such a thing could ever be achieved.

But with the scared boy, the response isn't the same as one should get. Instead of being soothing and nice, it's a little mean and a little sarcastic, only breaking the boy down a little more.

"What did they say?"

The question that haunts the receiver of the words, and the speaker.

They didn't make a move to answer, and his mom sighing into the phone after she practically screamed the question only made the boy's heart clench in worry.

"What did they say?"

The repeated question that really makes the reality of the situation fall on his chest.

With the simple question, a million reasons can be told. Each not only harming the people in the conversation, but the rest of the family and the person who isn't even here to help. The answer here is vital, it's what everyone focuses on for their next lifespan. Ultimately creating a new bloodline that will hopefully continue forever, and or, creating a person to carry on with the family name.

A heavy moment of silence was passed between them.

"She's pregnant."

By this point, any confidence that the boy did have has left his body, making him angle his eyes down from the phone to look at his brown shoes.

He couldn't let his mom know he's embarrassed, that would only start up another round of questions that nobody wanted to answer or ask.

Another lengthy silence.

"What are you going to do; what am I going to do?"

One person was mad.

One person was sad.

And one person was behind bars.

"I-I... don't know."

A thousand words could explain how he wanted to go back to that night, the night that changed his life, and do things differently; how he didn't like peeing in a toilet bowl five feet away from his bed, his roommate watching from the bottom bunk in his own orange jumpsuit; how he didn't enjoy getting beat-up every time someone found out what he did to get into the place that locks people behind bars.

But only one word will do:
Regret.