The Choice Of Us

Unexpected Clues

LUIS

Flashback

Stepping past the threshold of my childhood home, I force my head to remain trained in front of me despite wanting to turn back to see my mother's beaming face one last time. However, the stubborn part of me didn't want her to see there was a part of me that would miss her and. . . . Chris.

All throughout the time I spent with her, I was dismayed to meet her new beau. At first I despised the union but I couldn't pinpoint the exact moment my hate for him tarnished. May be it was his sweet disposition that reflected a genuine care for my mother and myself that I hardly found in my father that made me begin to like him and even his daughter, Rita.

So much so, it irked me that I was to return home. But she promised me that I'd eventually move in with her permanently in her new home.

"Dad?" I called out tentatively, swallowing down the fear to tread further into the familiar space in search of him.

Only to be met with no response. Perturbed by the silence that seemed endless except for the creaking floorboards I released a sigh of relief once I found my father seated on the couch holding a beer in one hand and his army knife in the other.

"H-Hey dad," I mumbled lowly walking further into the room, keeping my eyes on the ground as a sign of respect and fear. Whenever he drank he was liable to do anything and the cynical laugh that followed caused me to internally slink back.

"Have fun with mom and that nig-"

"No," I cut him off; I didn't particularly like the word coming off his lips anymore after Chris managed to push his way to make me admire him.

Glancing up in his direction, I caught his narrowed green orbs raking over my form as if trying to figure something out before he placed his beer onto the table and stood up. I gulped, doing my best to maintain my breathing when I knew nothing good was going to come out of this moment.

"You're lying to me."

It wasn't a question but I answered him anyway, desperate to avoid any unnecessary altercation," I-I'm not lying."

It's not long before his six foot frame towered over me and I could smell the stench of cigarette smoke that made me sick.

"Then call mom's new lover by his rightful name."

I didn't want to. It wasn't right.

I bit the inside of my cheeks only to have him grab my face roughly," Say it," he spat, bloodshot eyes revealing the animosity brewing in them and on past occasions those darkened orbs would scare me to say anything and obey their every command.

But in that moment I whispered lowly into the universe that defined the truth of how my mind-set had changed from what my father had tried to mould me into and said," No."

"Excuse me- I couldn-"

"I SAID. NO!" I bit back mustering the strength I had and pushed him away. He was shocked, caught off guard by my outburst stumbling back only to quickly recover his balance and lunged for me.

The adrenaline kicked in that manifested from my fear pushing my small frame to run as fast as I could in desperate need of a place to hide from him.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN RUN FROM ME!" he barked and just when I was about to wrap my hand around the doorknob I felt my body being thrown onto the ground before he sat on top of me pinning my arms easily with his hand.