non fantasy short story- for once!!!!
PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 6:32 pm
Broken Frame
Seth walked up to the white picket fence, hair plastered against his face. The laces of his sneakers soaked up the rainwater. Home. Why do I have to come home?
Seth pulled the gate open with a creak, the screws threatening to fall. The stones on the walkway cracked announcing his arrival. The door screeched open. He walked in and quietly put his bag on the floor.
“Seth es thawt you,” his father’s voice beckoned from the living room.
“Yeah dad. It’s me,” he ran his hand through his hair. Unfortunately.
“Well cum en and talk to ya old man,” his voice sang.
Seth sighed. “At least he seems to be in a good mood,” he whispered under his breath.
He carefully walked in the alcohol-permeated room. The wall with the rose covered wallpaper revealed strips of old paint where it began to peel. Bottles of scotch littered the chair where his father sat in all his glory.
Muscles bulged out of the gray t-shirt. Tossing back a shot, he motioned for Seth to sit on the couch next to him. The veins on his forehead bulged out of watery eyes.
“Uh…that’s ok, dad. I’m going to go soon,” Seth shifted his feet and glanced down.
“Where ya goin’ to?” his father’s voice slurred through the room.
“Well…I’m going to the library. I have an exam tomorrow.”
Maybe today will be different. Unlikely, but maybe.
“Oh, yesh. The great doctor,” his father spat the words out as if he just swallowed a stale shot. He gave a bow, knocking the scotch of the side table. His father didn’t notice.
“Ya goin to be betta then ya old man, right?” Seth looked up.
“You think you can be betta than me? Your mom thought so too and look where it got her. She left us,” he pointed to a broken frame of his mother. One of the few pictures where she looked happy. Seth glared at his father.
“Do you wanna be like her?” his father pointed towards the picture again.
“Yeah, she got out,” Seth spat under his breath.
“What was that boy? You talking back?” his father placed his hand on the armchair and braced himself to stand. Seth took a step back, chills raising through his spine. Great. I had to open my big mouth.
“Ya think ya can talk back to me like ya muther did? Shey thawt she was betta then me to!” his father stepped forward.
“My mother is more of a man then you will ever be!” Looks like another fun filled evening.
“What? Oh, ya gonna git it naw boy!” His father lunged. Seth moved aside and puched his nose. Blood spurted out of the crushed cartilage as his father fell back. He gripped a scotch bottle, jumped up and lunged again. Seth dodged the first punch but the bottle connected with his head, sending him into darkness.
A light beam flashed into his eyes. Sian blinked it back. “He’s coming to.”
He felt blood cascading down his face. Pain screamed through his skull.
“Son, son can you hear me?” A voic. A man’s voice.
“Yes.” The incessant light blocked his vision.
“Your neighbor called 911. Do you know where you are?” He felt hands grip his eyelids and pull them back, making the light more of a nuisance.
“No clue.”
“Possible concussion. Blood 120/180. Pulse 160.”
“Where am I?”
“Baltimore city hospital. Your father said some kids beat you up.”
Seth’s eyes began to focus past the blood, he saw a young man peering over him.
The man frowned, flipping the chart in his hands, “According to your chart, this is a common occurrence. Fourth time this month.”
“Thawt’s right. Kids hurt my boy,” his father’s bloody nose came into view, “then they went after me.”
Seth laughed, “Right dad, right. Some punk kids beat up a grown man and former marine. You must have served your country proudly.”
“Why you little-,” his father lunged for his throat. The young man strained to hold him back.
“Get him outta here!” More hands appeared, struggling to pull his father away.
“Hey! Watcha doin’. Leggo! Seth! Seth!” his father’s frantic pleas resonated of the wall and faded.
“Now what really happened?” the man glanced at him.
Seth smiled. You aren’t going to get away with it this time, dad. I’m not afraid of you anymore.
Seth walked up to the white picket fence, hair plastered against his face. The laces of his sneakers soaked up the rainwater. Home. Why do I have to come home?
Seth pulled the gate open with a creak, the screws threatening to fall. The stones on the walkway cracked announcing his arrival. The door screeched open. He walked in and quietly put his bag on the floor.
“Seth es thawt you,” his father’s voice beckoned from the living room.
“Yeah dad. It’s me,” he ran his hand through his hair. Unfortunately.
“Well cum en and talk to ya old man,” his voice sang.
Seth sighed. “At least he seems to be in a good mood,” he whispered under his breath.
He carefully walked in the alcohol-permeated room. The wall with the rose covered wallpaper revealed strips of old paint where it began to peel. Bottles of scotch littered the chair where his father sat in all his glory.
Muscles bulged out of the gray t-shirt. Tossing back a shot, he motioned for Seth to sit on the couch next to him. The veins on his forehead bulged out of watery eyes.
“Uh…that’s ok, dad. I’m going to go soon,” Seth shifted his feet and glanced down.
“Where ya goin’ to?” his father’s voice slurred through the room.
“Well…I’m going to the library. I have an exam tomorrow.”
Maybe today will be different. Unlikely, but maybe.
“Oh, yesh. The great doctor,” his father spat the words out as if he just swallowed a stale shot. He gave a bow, knocking the scotch of the side table. His father didn’t notice.
“Ya goin to be betta then ya old man, right?” Seth looked up.
“You think you can be betta than me? Your mom thought so too and look where it got her. She left us,” he pointed to a broken frame of his mother. One of the few pictures where she looked happy. Seth glared at his father.
“Do you wanna be like her?” his father pointed towards the picture again.
“Yeah, she got out,” Seth spat under his breath.
“What was that boy? You talking back?” his father placed his hand on the armchair and braced himself to stand. Seth took a step back, chills raising through his spine. Great. I had to open my big mouth.
“Ya think ya can talk back to me like ya muther did? Shey thawt she was betta then me to!” his father stepped forward.
“My mother is more of a man then you will ever be!” Looks like another fun filled evening.
“What? Oh, ya gonna git it naw boy!” His father lunged. Seth moved aside and puched his nose. Blood spurted out of the crushed cartilage as his father fell back. He gripped a scotch bottle, jumped up and lunged again. Seth dodged the first punch but the bottle connected with his head, sending him into darkness.
A light beam flashed into his eyes. Sian blinked it back. “He’s coming to.”
He felt blood cascading down his face. Pain screamed through his skull.
“Son, son can you hear me?” A voic. A man’s voice.
“Yes.” The incessant light blocked his vision.
“Your neighbor called 911. Do you know where you are?” He felt hands grip his eyelids and pull them back, making the light more of a nuisance.
“No clue.”
“Possible concussion. Blood 120/180. Pulse 160.”
“Where am I?”
“Baltimore city hospital. Your father said some kids beat you up.”
Seth’s eyes began to focus past the blood, he saw a young man peering over him.
The man frowned, flipping the chart in his hands, “According to your chart, this is a common occurrence. Fourth time this month.”
“Thawt’s right. Kids hurt my boy,” his father’s bloody nose came into view, “then they went after me.”
Seth laughed, “Right dad, right. Some punk kids beat up a grown man and former marine. You must have served your country proudly.”
“Why you little-,” his father lunged for his throat. The young man strained to hold him back.
“Get him outta here!” More hands appeared, struggling to pull his father away.
“Hey! Watcha doin’. Leggo! Seth! Seth!” his father’s frantic pleas resonated of the wall and faded.
“Now what really happened?” the man glanced at him.
Seth smiled. You aren’t going to get away with it this time, dad. I’m not afraid of you anymore.
good work, that's some serious stuff in there!!,
and my title as captain obvious should revoked) 
