To The Grave

Chapter 35. Winona. Day 147.

I sat on the ledge of the building, looking at the beach in front of me. My hands drummed on my thighs to the beat of a song my brother listened to too much. "Well, the night gets old so I'm back again." I mouthed the words

A loud slam grabbed my attention. I looked up, seeing the window wide open. Kennon stood up quickly, rushing over to the ledge of the building. He pulled himself inside, turning to hold his arm out for mine.

"I'm scared." I looked down at the distance between the third floor window to the asphalt below me.

He grabbed my arm, holding near my elbow. "Either you stop being scared or your arm's coming out of the socket."

"I can't do it, Kennon, I'm too scared." I reached my free arm up, trying to lift myself up. He yanked me up, reaching to grab me from under my other arm.

I could feel my shoulder pop, my other elbow extending quickly to lift myself up. Kennon pulled me inside quickly. He pulled his gun from his waistband, rushing down the stairs. I sat down in front of the open window, struggling for air. My arms were sore and burning from the friction. I grabbed my notebook, looking at the papers falling from it. I shoved them back in, standing up and stumbling down the hall to the room my mom and I shared. I pushed the door open, trying to remain quiet.

My mom was half a bottle deep of some strong smelling alcohol. I heard the cap slip from her careless hands, releasing a tired sigh from her lungs. She set the bottle down on the nightstand, laying back in the bed. I made my loud entrance into the room, watching as she slammed her eyes shut, rolling over to avoid me. I set my notebook and mess of papers down on my bed. I laid down on the bed, feeling my head sink into the pillow.

I sat up in my bed, looking at the spacious pink room. Yelling echoed through the heat register. I crawled out of my bed, tugging on the over-sized shirt belonging to one of my brothers, making my way to to the railing overlooking the living room. "-have to bail your ass out of jail at two in the fucking morning because you're running around a park drunker than Amy Winehouse." My dad was shouting at my eldest brother.

"Okay, but like that's just fucked up. Don't go disrespecting Amy." Marty laughed from beside me. Randall stood behind us, rubbing his eyes. He opened them squinting hard to see anything.

Slater turned around, pointing a finger towards us. "That's what I was thinking." He was laughing a very tired laugh.

"Stay out of it Marty." Our mom shouted at him, pointing down the hallway. "Go back to sleep, Winona." She redirected her attention back to Slater, "I honestly can't believe you."

"Look, I said I was sorry. I'll pay you back, but I really just want to go to bed right now, immediately." Slater shouted back.

I woke up, my mom shaking me awake. She was crying, her hands rocking me. I sat up. "I need you to go to Marty's room and take the whiskey he keeps under his pillow."

I looked at her confused, "He doesn't keep anythin-"

"Don't lie for him. It's a small thing of Fireball. Mommy needs you to take it from him. So he doesn't drink it, he's not an adult." She smiled at the end, trying to convince me.

"So you can drink it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

She shook her head, her words being forced through her teeth. "No, no, no sweetie. Marty's 15, he shouldn't have that stuff. Please go, now."

I shook my head, smelling the unpleasant scent on my mom's breath. "Mom, stop."

"Winona, I need you to go get the fucking bottle, he won't let me go near him." Her voice grew louder.

"Maybe because you hate him." I spat the words at her, shaking in my seat.

She moved back, shook by the words. "I don't hate you brother, how dare you think I do."

"You didn't cry when he didn't come home from the run. You didn't cry once at the hospital. You told him he was a mistake, Molly told me about that one. You didn't do anything when that man was going to kill Marty." I stood up, leaving the room. I stormed into the hallway, moving quickly to the stairs.

I pushed the doors open to the lobby, seeing my oldest brother dragging a body towards a larger pile. A few people scrubbed the floor on their hands and knees, pushing bloody water around the lobby. Kennon walked back inside through the loud metal door. He grabbed a small body from the pile of bodies, turning back towards the door.

His eyes caught mine. He spun back around quickly. He silently got someone's attention, nodding his head to me. My eyes could only focus on the small body in his arms. Ferris grabbed my arm, pulling me back inside the stair well.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice sounding distant.

I looked at the blood on his shirt. "Mom was trying to uh- Mom- she was um- How many people died?"

Ferris shook his head, "Winona, what about Mom?"

"She's drunk and trying to steal Marty's alcohol. Is Marty okay?"

He nodded, opening the door. "Just go hang out in our room." I watched him turn back into the lobby, the door closing on the sore sight