The alarm clock's green lighted numbers showed 1:46. I shook my head and got out of bed. I opened my door and stepped out onto the cold artificial wood floor. I heard laughing downstairs, and then, a crash. It was silent and then more laughing. It sounded like there were more people than usual. When did he get home? Had I fallen asleep waiting? Who were these people?
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and slowly slid down the slippery hallway with my new fur slippers. I turned at the stairs and took each step carefully, one foot at a time. When I got to the bottom I peeked around the corner. Shadows, laughter, and a few crashes that made my skin crawl, as usual.
I walked around the corner and through the kitchen with heavy footsteps, trying to seem much bigger and more powerful than I really possibly am.
I stepped into the small, plain, living room where I found my dad, two men, and three woman that I weren't familiar with. The men, though, were perfectly familiar to me. My dad had run into them on a buisness trip last summer where he had gotten fired. From that time in Las Vegas they had all stuck together, going out almost every night. I never knew what was coming except the laughter, crashes, the often shadows, and voices of three or four people at a time.
I had raised my voice many times before in the past and everyone had obayed me, leaving at once. Though, no one ever seemed disappointed because they were all wasted, which was normal. But this time when I raised my voice no one moved but my dad. He stood up and laughed. "What do you want, J-Jade?" he stuttered.
I crossed my arms and in a stirn, serious voice I replied "I just told you what I want, now tell your friends to leave."
My dad shook a bottle at me and smiled. "Why so tight and stiff all the time, darling? Let loose and feel good." He cracked up and fell back onto the couch.
"Listen, Dad. I don't want trouble, ok? Tell your friends to leave right now!" I tried keeping my voice and a calm tone. My dad stood up again and walked over to me. He laughed and looked me in the eyes. His eyes were unsteady and filled with blank and pure confusion.
"And you know what? I said relax. Have a few drinks," he hiccuped and continued, "You're young, lighten up!" He slammed a warm bottle of beer into my stomach. The hit knocked me off balance a little and then I caught myself and took the bottle.
"That's a girl," he smiled. I set the bottle down and his face went blank.
"No," I said, my voice trembling.
"Ok, just one b-beer. That's all. N-no more, ok? J-just have one." He was stuttering again.
"No!" I shouted. My dad stuck up his fist to my face.
"N-now, n-now, I'm your father and you're my d-daughter," he began laughing slightly, "That m-means I'm in charge here so I say take a drink and let loose." He tapped my nose and began laughing hard.
"No! I said no! Listen, for now I'm in charge! Tell your friends to go home or I'll call the police." I shouted at him hard. He gave me a furious look. He curled his hand into a fist again and gave me an unforgiving hit.
"Now take it!" he threw the bottle hard and angry at me. It shattered on my head. I fell to the floor and my head landed hard. A slight cracking sound was heard in a moment of pure silence around me. I slowly raised my shaking hand and put it to my head. My hand suddently felt wet and cold. Blood.
I had laid there for the rest of the night, hearing impressed laughter all around. I don't know how much blood I had lost or how long I had been in the hospital but when I woke up my dad stood to the right of my bedside. I squinted. He said he was sorry but I didn't care or bother to listen.
Later that night I was driven home by my grandparents. At first they were afraid to let me be by myself, but I assured them several times that everything was going to be fine and that I was thinking clearly again.
I walked into the living room and looked at the floor closely. The blood stains had been attemptedly taken out. I shook my head and walked to the kitchen, finding a neatly folded letter on the counter. I opened it gently and inside it read:
Dear Jade,
I know I've put you through a lot after your mother had passed and last night I didn't know what I was doing. I tried getting the blood stains out of the carpet as well as I could, and I'm sure you can get the rest out. I don't want to hurt you more and I thought it over, and even if this does hurt more than anything, I'm leaving you by yourself. You're better without me and I'm sure you'll get along nicely alone.
Just remember that no matter what happens to our relationship as father and daughter, I'll love you forever.
-Dad
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and slowly slid down the slippery hallway with my new fur slippers. I turned at the stairs and took each step carefully, one foot at a time. When I got to the bottom I peeked around the corner. Shadows, laughter, and a few crashes that made my skin crawl, as usual.
I walked around the corner and through the kitchen with heavy footsteps, trying to seem much bigger and more powerful than I really possibly am.
I stepped into the small, plain, living room where I found my dad, two men, and three woman that I weren't familiar with. The men, though, were perfectly familiar to me. My dad had run into them on a buisness trip last summer where he had gotten fired. From that time in Las Vegas they had all stuck together, going out almost every night. I never knew what was coming except the laughter, crashes, the often shadows, and voices of three or four people at a time.
I had raised my voice many times before in the past and everyone had obayed me, leaving at once. Though, no one ever seemed disappointed because they were all wasted, which was normal. But this time when I raised my voice no one moved but my dad. He stood up and laughed. "What do you want, J-Jade?" he stuttered.
I crossed my arms and in a stirn, serious voice I replied "I just told you what I want, now tell your friends to leave."
My dad shook a bottle at me and smiled. "Why so tight and stiff all the time, darling? Let loose and feel good." He cracked up and fell back onto the couch.
"Listen, Dad. I don't want trouble, ok? Tell your friends to leave right now!" I tried keeping my voice and a calm tone. My dad stood up again and walked over to me. He laughed and looked me in the eyes. His eyes were unsteady and filled with blank and pure confusion.
"And you know what? I said relax. Have a few drinks," he hiccuped and continued, "You're young, lighten up!" He slammed a warm bottle of beer into my stomach. The hit knocked me off balance a little and then I caught myself and took the bottle.
"That's a girl," he smiled. I set the bottle down and his face went blank.
"No," I said, my voice trembling.
"Ok, just one b-beer. That's all. N-no more, ok? J-just have one." He was stuttering again.
"No!" I shouted. My dad stuck up his fist to my face.
"N-now, n-now, I'm your father and you're my d-daughter," he began laughing slightly, "That m-means I'm in charge here so I say take a drink and let loose." He tapped my nose and began laughing hard.
"No! I said no! Listen, for now I'm in charge! Tell your friends to go home or I'll call the police." I shouted at him hard. He gave me a furious look. He curled his hand into a fist again and gave me an unforgiving hit.
"Now take it!" he threw the bottle hard and angry at me. It shattered on my head. I fell to the floor and my head landed hard. A slight cracking sound was heard in a moment of pure silence around me. I slowly raised my shaking hand and put it to my head. My hand suddently felt wet and cold. Blood.
I had laid there for the rest of the night, hearing impressed laughter all around. I don't know how much blood I had lost or how long I had been in the hospital but when I woke up my dad stood to the right of my bedside. I squinted. He said he was sorry but I didn't care or bother to listen.
Later that night I was driven home by my grandparents. At first they were afraid to let me be by myself, but I assured them several times that everything was going to be fine and that I was thinking clearly again.
I walked into the living room and looked at the floor closely. The blood stains had been attemptedly taken out. I shook my head and walked to the kitchen, finding a neatly folded letter on the counter. I opened it gently and inside it read:
Dear Jade,
I know I've put you through a lot after your mother had passed and last night I didn't know what I was doing. I tried getting the blood stains out of the carpet as well as I could, and I'm sure you can get the rest out. I don't want to hurt you more and I thought it over, and even if this does hurt more than anything, I'm leaving you by yourself. You're better without me and I'm sure you'll get along nicely alone.
Just remember that no matter what happens to our relationship as father and daughter, I'll love you forever.
-Dad
magic-esi
Joe B.
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