Paper Planes

When Things Fall Apart

Only one person knew the truth. And she seemed to be so far away. I would have given anything to be in my aunt's strong and gentle arms right now. Instead, I sat curled up on the couch, tears blurring my vision and my heart heavy.

Outside the rain was coming down strong. It was almost as if someone was firing tennis balls at the windows. I jumped at the sounds of the thunder and shut my eyes when lightning lit up the sky. Darkness had fallen but my father had not come home yet. This worried me because my father had undergone a change for the worst recently, becoming more reckless as a result. His shoulders were at all times hunched and he was angry, so angry that he lashed out at me over the simplest of things.

He wasn't always like this. Things were good once, picture-perfect even, but that was before. Before things fell apart, before we lost everything, before my mom passed away. She had been plagued with a sickness that I didn't quite understand. Closer to the end, her eyes had lost their sparkle and her face had become hollow. Her death had broken my father into tiny pieces that were too sharp to be put back together.

Closing my eyes, I tried to remember mom. She was a beautiful woman who always lit up the room with her brightness. When I was younger, my mom sang the sweetest lullabies while she rocked me to sleep. But the thing that I loved about her the most was how she brought out the best in father.

I was lost in my thoughts and almost didn't hear the click at the door. There was a time when I rejoiced at that sound and would rush towards the door. Now that click meant something horrible, something twisted and cruel. My heart started to beat rapidly, pounding dangerously against my rib cage. I didn't know what mood father would be in and wanted to stay out of his way. Father trudged into the kitchen. His hair and clothes were wet from the rain but he didn't seem to care. After much consideration, I went into the kitchen and saw father pull out a bottle from the fridge.

As he nursed his drink, he stared down at me. "Do you want something to eat?" he asked. My ears twitched and my mouth watered at my father's question. Then the sharp sound of the phone ringing filled the house and father went to pick it up.

It was a while before he sauntered back into the kitchen, his mouth in an angry scowl and a storm brewing behind his eyes. "Just got fired." Seeing my father distressed, I hesitantly reached out for him. He shoved me away, causing me to lose my balance and fall onto my back. "Get out of my way, Max. I don't want to look at you right now."

I struggled to get back onto my feet, sensing the impending doom, but my struggle was in vain. I would face the wrath of my father once again. When his foot connected with my stomach, the pain spread across my body like wildfire and I cried out for my mom. But I knew very well that she wouldn't come. When it was over, my father went into the living room and collapsed onto the couch, muttering profanities under his breath. I lay curled up on the floor, blood oozing from the wound on my head.

There was a knock at the door, followed by a familiar voice. "Open up! I bought you lasagna." It was my father's sister, Ramona, a tiny and loud woman with a heart of gold. Father opened the door, not bothering to greet Ramona before falling back onto the sofa. Romana studied her brother before placing the lasagna onto the coffee table. She knew there had been a change in her brother, that he was a shadow of the person he had once been, an empty shell of some sort. She turned to leave but then I called out to her. Seeing me on the floor, she fell to her knees and lifted me into her arms.

While wagging my tail I licked her face, tasting strawberries on her cheeks. "You're safe now. I won't let him hurt you," Ramona whispered while burying her face into my fur. She had known the truth for a long time but only now accepted it as the reality.

|| Author's Note ||    

Hey guys. This is a story I recently wrote for a local competition. It's inspired by something I read on Wattpad many years ago.

Have an awesome day. :)