Open Secrets✔️

XI

Danny and I finish eating in silence. We grab our bags and start walking. Danny is being really silent now and I was feeling a little uneasy.

"Danny." There was no response, "Danny." I say again. It was almost like he was in such a deep thought, that he wasn't aware of reality.

"Oh, what?"

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know Chad." We keep walking in silence. Something was definitely wrong with him. Up until now, he was very talkative. I couldn't take it anymore.

"DANNY! WHAT'S WRONG?"

"Chad, If you ask me that one more time, I'm going to get mad. Just please, Be quiet for a minute." He continued walking a few feet in front of me. I couldn't understand why he was being like this. Maybe he was thinking about killing Dad. Maybe he was thinking about Mom. I couldn't stand not being able to read his mind. It was time. I needed to know.

"Danny." I said sternly, as I stopped walking. Finally, he stopped and turned around.

"What, Chad? I told you that I didn't know where we were going. I don't know where we are going to end up, or what's going to happen. I don't know what Mom's going to do, or the police. Ok, I'm sorry. I don't have all the answers for you." He seemed visibly frustrated, but spoke with a dispirit, worried, yet calming voice. I stayed silent for a few moments until I mentally calmed myself down.

"No. You do have the answers. You have all the answers." I started to cry.

"Chad. I don't know what you are talking about."

"YES YOU DO. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIE TO ME DANNY. NOT ANYMORE!"

"Chad, If this is about Dad-"

"OF COURSE, IT'S ABOUT DAD! IT'S BEEN ABOUT DAD THIS ENTIRE TIME. I KEPT ASKING QUESTIONS, BUT YOU JUST KEPT AVOIDING ME!"

"Chad... listen to me, ok. I know it seems like I am keeping things from you; and your right. You do have a right to know what happened to Dad." He started crying, "But I'm sorry. If I tell you what happened, you won't be able to handle it." I was shaking my head at him and crying.

"I remember." I look towards the ground. I glance back up at Danny. He had a concerned and worried look on his face. He slowly walked a little closer to me.

"Remember what?"

"I remember my dreams. I told you that I kept forgetting but I was lying. I learned from the best right." I look towards the ground again. I was balling, "They were about Dad, Danny." I glance back at him, "They were about how he died."

"Chad, those are just dreams."

"They were real, Danny. These dreams were like memories. Real memories." Danny walks closer to me, trying to give me a hug, but I step back, "You and Mom had told me Dad died, but you didn't say how or why. Then I heard you guys talking in the kitchen. You were talking about a doctor and that I wouldn't remember. I know who killed Dad, Danny."

Danny's face became concerned. "I'm sorry-"

"It was you wasn't it?" Danny's face quickly changed to confusion.

"Me? What are you talking about?"

"It's ok, Danny. There's no need to lie anymore. I know you and Mom thought I couldn't handle knowing what happened, but honestly, I couldn't handle not knowing. I kept lying about my dreams because I wanted to hear it from you. I wanted to hear you admit to it. That's why we ran away right? We were afraid of Mom, yes but, You wanted to protect me from the truth. This whole experience helped me remember it all on my own. The only thing I couldn't remember is why. Why did you kill Dad, Danny."

He stayed silent for a few moments, almost in shock. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Chad. We shouldn't have kept it from you. But you are right. We ran away because I wanted to protect you from Mom and the truth. I'm sure you remember when Mom wasn't like that. After Dad died, Alcohol was like her medicine. She used it to get rid of the pain. The only problem was that it got out of hand, and it turned her into a monster."

"How did Dad die?"

"He was stabbed."

"You stabbed him. Why?"

"That's where your wrong, Chad. I didn't kill Dad."

"Danny...You don't need to lie anymore. I know now. It all makes sense now. It's ok. I've accepted it."

"I'm not lying, Chad. I know it must all make sense to you."

"WHO KILLED DAD?!"

"YOU!" He started crying. "YOU KILLED DAD, CHAD! YOU STABBED HIM IN THE CHEST WHEN YOU WERE 6 YEARS OLD. It was an accident. You guys were wrestling around and you were pretending you had swords. Dad was holding the broom and you were holding the mop. You dropped the mop and Dad knocked you down. He kept saying 'SURRENDER'. You didn't want to lose so you grabbed the knife that fell on the floor and stabbed him. We did everything we could and the doctors couldn't save him. We wiped your finger prints off and put his hand on it. We claimed it was suicide." 

I stayed quiet, almost in shock. He had to be lying. There was no way I killed Dad.

"Your lying. How dare you try and blame me."

"Chad, Listen to me-"

"NO! I DIDN'T KILL DAD, YOU DID!" I started to runaway. I thought for sure that he would catch me. I somehow felt like he might hurt me. Although, he had never tried to hurt me then or now, I felt like now that the truth was out, that he wouldn't want the whole to know his secret.

"CHAD! CHAD! " I didn't respond to him, and just kept running towards Summerset as fast as I could. I felt like I had been running for days, but I didn't want to stop. I kept looking back and Danny was right behind me the entire time. I kept telling myself that all I needed to do is find 1 person to help me.

I finally made it into town and thankfully there were people everywhere. I ran up to the first person I seen. It was a very pretty women. Maybe early 30's. I ran up to her and hugged her as tightly as I could.

"PLEASE HELP ME. MY BROTHER KILLED MY DAD AND WE RAN AWAY. TAKE ME BACK HOME. PLEASE." Suddenly, Danny runs up to us, trying to pull me away from her.

"I'm sorry. My brother is mistaken. He has some mental problems. We are just on a walk right now and he is probably just having an episode." Danny spoke calmly as if everything he said was true. It really made me wonder where he learned to lie so well.

"NO PLEASE HE IS THE LIAR! DON'T LET HIM TAKE ME. HE IS GOING TO KILL ME!"

"Ok. Calm down. Let me walk you guys home, ok."

"No. That's not necessary, thank you."

"Oh, It's not a problem, really. I was just going home anyway. Which way do you live." I stopped hugging her, but there was no way I was going to let her hand go. Danny stood in front of us, shook. He didn't know what to say. There was no way out of this situation.