Not a Night for Clowning Around

𝕋𝕎𝔼ℕ𝕋𝕐-𝕆ℕ𝔼

JAKE

IT FELT LIKE everything was playing out in slow motion. I knew exactly how this went down, but I was too paralyzed by fear to even blink.

"Where is he?" the gruff voice of my father demanded.

"Eric," my mom tried to reason. "He's just a boy."

"Shut up, Carla. Tell me where the boy is."

"I-I don't know. I came in here looking for him but I couldn't find him."

"Bullshit!" The sound of my father's palm colliding with my mother's cheek reverberated through my entire body.

"Please don't hurt him," my mother begged through her sobs.

"He ruined everything," my father spat. "I hate that little shit."

"He's your son, Eric!"

"Like hell he is." He grabbed my mom by her hair and pushed her away from him. "That boy isn't mine."

"Yes he is. I would never cheat on you."

"You lying whore!"

I winced when I heard another slap.

"I'm gonna kill both of you, I swear I will!"

"Eric, don't harm him, please!"

This was how most nights went down in my house. Dad would get drunk and blame me for all of the financial problems. Mom would defend me and take the hits, and I would hide like a coward. There was nothing I feared more than my dad's wrath. My cowardice was what costed me my childhood, and I couldn't let it happen again. Every other night this happened, I was a helpless child. Now I was more than capable to take him down.

I opened my mouth to yell, but nothing came out. I tried again, but my voice was nowhere to be heard. I then tried to open the door of the wardrobe, but it was locked from the outside. I banged on the door repeatedly, but not a single sound was produced. I was trapped in here and forced to watch this traumatic night all over again.

"Johnson," my dad growled. "Come out right now."

"Leave him alone," my mom begged.

"If you don't come out, then I'll kill your mother!" he bellowed.

"Stop! Take me instead! Don't touch her...please." That was what I wanted to say, but yet again no words left my mouth.

"Time is running out, boy."

My mom tried to get up and run, but my dad grabbed her by the back of her neck, pulling her close to him.

"Eric, don't do this," she tried to reason. "What about our family?"

"I hate that boy, he isn't mine. If you don't confess to what you did, I'll kill him."

"Let Johnson go. Just take me instead."

I banged on the door. "Don't you lay a fucking finger on her!"

I watched in horror as he took a knife out of his pocket and grazed the tip over my mother's neck.

He cackled. "I know you can see me, boy. Come out right now, and I'll leave her alone."

"Johnson, don't!" my mom pleaded, our eyes locking through the little crevice. She shook her head, forbidding me from leaving my hiding place.

"Mom," I whimpered, knowing the remainder of this night verbatim.

"You're dead next, boy," he promised.

My mom's eyes widened, as she realized her sacrifice was for nothing. Without a warning, he plunged the knife into her neck, stabbing her repeatedly.

"No!" I shrieked as I watched her limp body fall to the ground.

As if sadistically planned, the wardrobe door finally broke open. I barged out and ran to my mother. I knelt beside her and squeezed her cold hand.

"Mom, please wake up." My body wracked with every sob. "Don't leave me again. Wake up, mom."

"Oh God." I forgot he was still here. "What have I done?"

It was as if I was invisible because he didn't acknowledge my presence at all. He glanced down at my mom with pure shock all over his face, instantly sobering up. "Carla? Talk to me, please." He fell to the ground in dismay, looking at her dead body disbelievingly.

I wanted to shout at the top of my lungs and tell him how much of a shitty dad he was, but then I remembered what happened next.

"Dad, I already lost one parent, please don't do it." I tried to reach for the knife, but he beat me to it.

He stroked my mother's hair with one hand, and had the knife in the other. "I'm sorry."

I wanted to look away but I couldn't. I watched as he stabbed the knife into his own chest, blood splattering all over me.