Sell Your Soul Under the Lights

Slamming the door, Joseph quickly grabbed all his clothes that he could find and stuffed them into the grey duffle bag, not caring if they matched or not. Once he was finished the door had opened and in came his depressed mother. She was never like that actually, before the accident she was one of the most happiest people in the world.

Ignoring his mother’s sad eyes burning into the back of his skull; he packed the last remaining thing and walked straight passed his mother or technically the woman who had birthed him. When he had gotten down the stairs he turned his head slightly to see his younger brother Nicholas perched on the couch with a saddened expression on his tender face.

“You are leaving?” His voice sounded so innocent but also concerned. Joseph’s features were hard, his lips formed a tight line but he just nodded.

“Where you going?” Joseph sighed at his younger brother Nick and shrugged.

“Joseph!” Denise called running down the stairs. “Where do you think your leaving to!? You’re not going anywhere!”

“I’m almost twenty-one years old for fucking sakes! You can’t keep telling me what to do! Mom I’m sorry that your eldest son and my older brother is dead but it’s not my fault!” Denise walked up to her son and slapped him square in the cheek while tears were flooding down her eyes and onto the wood flooring.

“How dare you say that to me!” Joseph rubbed his stinging cheek, his jaw clenched harder than before.

“I’m leaving and there’s nothing you can do about it!” he looked sourly at the woman in front of him then turned. “goodbye bro.” Nicholas waved back at his brother and sadly watched him exit the front door.

Closing the doorway Joseph sighed in content and relief; he was finally free from his personal hell and loving the feel.

___

Joseph had been driving for what seemed like an eternity but smiled when he had finally seen it. Welcome to Las Vegas. The city of sins. His eyes brightened instantly.

Suddenly his cell phone rang causing him to twitch. Slowly he sat up a little and slid the device out of his back pocket.

“Hello?” His voice was calm. The time was late night early morning.

“Hey where are you right now?” Nicholas whispered on the other side of the phone.

“Somewhere, anywhere, Antarctica for all I care.” The two brothers laughed in sync. “I can’t tell you just yet.” Joseph’s tone changed from comical to serious in that split second.

“Why not?” He could visualize his younger brother’s face filled with confusion and distain.

“Because I don’t even know what I’m going to do or where I’m going to stay.”

“You’re going to stay somewhere? What about your family?” Joseph could hear his brother’s voice shake.

“In my perspective I have no family; besides you and Frankie.” Stay strong. Joseph thought to himself.

“Well okay then. No matter what mom says none of it was your fault.” Joseph sighed loudly. “I know Nick I know. Well I’m still on the road so I’ll talk to you later.” Nick mumbled a goodbye and the two hung up their phones.

“I guess this is where I’m going to be for a while.” Joseph smiled a bittersweet grin and accelerated on the pedal not looking back on anything or anyone.