Merryweather

Two

The sun sank lower in the sky and darkness was quickly wrapping its fingers around Penelope like a shroud.

She made herself stand and walk home. Her mother would be livid no doubt. Of course she wouldn't find out soon anyway so she had nothing to worry about, but she would one day though, and then there would be hell to pay.

Lost in her thoughts, her feet carried her down the familiar path of her home. She was a little startled when she found herself standing in front of the place she'd had so many memories, good and bad, but the latter more recently. The windows were dark her mother wasn't home.

She suddenly remembered a day ago how she got the bruise now sitting obnoxiously on the right side of her face. Her mother had come home drunk, nothing new there, she was never not intoxicated anymore, and got into a fit throwing things, then hitting Penelope before she passed out from the liquor, pissed as a cunt.

Penelope tried to recall the last time her mother wasn't miserable and was actually a mother to her, but could not quite grasp the image, her mother always had a problem with alcohol, but she wasn't abusive, it all started when they both lost her father to that fatal car accident. But grief made a monster out of her mother and there was nothing she could do about it.

Penelope walked to the front door and took the spare key from behind an empty flowerpot unlocking it. She shut the door once she was in and kicked off her boots, strolling to the refrigerator, she pulled it open, nothing but stale bread and a bit of cheese, the sight of the cheese turned her stomach, she hated it.

Deciding she wasn't to hungry after all, she closed the refrigerator and shuffled off to her room. It was small but clean, the cream painted walls were peeling in some places, an aging desk was squeezed into a corner with books stacked neatly on either side, and a small closet stood close to the desk revealing a scanty assortment of clothes.

She drew closer to her bed and collapsed on it exhausted, but she couldn't sleep, she stared up at the ceiling for a long time until she heard the front door open then close with a muffled bang.

Her eyes snapped shut she didn't - couldn't deal with her mother right now, Penelope listened as she stumbled around the drawing room drunk again, she hoped her mother didn't make a beeline for her room. She let out a sigh of relief when her footsteps faded and eventually dozed off.