He Left With No GoodBye

Eric brushed her hair back with his fingers; the regret he felt deep inside was thick.
Again he felt the urge to get up and leave, this wasn’t supposed to happen to him. Eric is like Bernie, or was like him.
Nomadic, settling down would have been for a fool to him. Now he has a two story house with someone he isn’t married to.
I don’t want to stay in one place he thought.
That day when he was going to the diner he only wanted something to eat to be on his way.
Spilling the hot chocolate on her was accidental, he felt guilty for spilling something on her and bailing.
“That has to be the problem…I feel to guilty.” He saw it, how guilty he always felt when ever she was sad or angry.
She was sad that day you could see it seeping out of her. The air around her smelled of depression.
He thought she was too young to know what depression felt like; he had been living with it his whole life. Only difference was he chose to do something about it, she just let it hang around.
Eric rolled onto his back while Skye remained on her side, scrunched together.
His mother, his father just worthless people to him, Eric’s mother used to beat him and laugh about it, his father would come in just for fun. It would become a game to them who can hit the hardest.
Cigarettes everywhere with burnt marks in the wall.
Eric still remembers the day he hit his father back, a smile placing on his face.
Bernie was there with him, he was able to kick him also.
They felt no victory that day though; hit father came back punching them both, kicking Bernie out while Eric had the taste of his own leather belt.
Why would he want to like anyone after all of that? If his own parents couldn’t like him then who else will? All Eric could see was his father’s body going down in the ground, how happy he felt, he spit on the grave after everyone left. His mother crying.
“Why are you crying for? Because your partner left? He is gone and I’m glad the bastard is dead you should be in that coffin with him.”
“Fuck you Eric. Always been a complainer, we bring you to this world and you complained every second, be lucky you have a roof over your head.”
“Lucky? Lucky that I have shit for a mother now? Go to hell because you didn’t do anything damn circus freak. Lungs should look like a burnt sponge by now.”
She raised her hand at him smacking it across his face. She had enough of his talk.
“Keep talking to me that way and so help me God I will have you so hurt they would have to arrest me.”
She took the back of his neck pushing him all the way to the car.

Skye woke up, she saw that his eyes were open.
“What’s wrong why aren’t you sleeping?”
He shook his head facing her now. He smiled making her smile, he drew her in closer to his bad.
“Just having a rough start going to bed that’s all.” She kissed his chest feeling his body move as he breathed.
She went back to sleep wishing he would join her.

Their drive was a terrible one, she never liked opening the windows as she smoked, said she loved the smell.
His fifteen year old lungs needed the air so he rolled down his window.
“Put it back up.”
“I want to breathe.”
“Don’t care what you want.”
“I can tell but I care about me so I want some damn air.” It was a red light so she took his arm and put the cigarette and pressed it against the back of his arm.
He let out a scream, the burning that sent the fire cascading down his arms.
“Tell me again what you want.” The tears left his eyes, he felt defeated right there. He needed to leave and rid himself of this life. His one life and he had to live it this way.
“I hate you.”
“Breaks my heart really to hear you say that.” She turned the radio on trying to match her voice with the singer.
They had two more miles to go before they reach their house, or his hell. An idea came to his mind. He wanted to be free, even if it meant he had to go another way.
His hand held on to the gear and put it in park as she was driving.
The car immediately stopped causing the car behind her to hit her. He switched the gear when the light turned red. She sped up causing her to go to the middle of the street.
“Let go you piece of –
A car collided with hers. Pushing in on her side of the car, the car spun making their heads bang against the doors.
She was knocked out, blood sliding down her head along with his.
He was able to see the piece run to their car, it was bright outside. His eyes closed off as he smiled knowing he was going to live better.
“Call an ambulance, hurry!”
Sirens were heard two blocks away. The hospital was close to them so getting to them wouldn’t take long. It was the firemen that took the longest, they needed his mothers door open in order to take her out.
The people crowded around the cars hoping someone would live.
He heard beeping and felt sore all around. His head felt as if someone hit him with a brick.
When his eyes opened he saw his nurse, a skinny woman with short spike black hair. Her eyes just a little too wide for his taste.
“Please tell me I died and I made it into heaven.”
“Well if you consider this hospital your heaven then kid you are dead. Other than that you really aren’t. I’ll get the doctor.” As soon as she turned to leave the room his doctor approached him with three policemen.
“Look at that kid here is your doctor.” She left the room leaving the men to talk.
“Hello Eric I’m doctor Schoenfield. These three men would like to ask you some question, but first I will start. How are you feeling?”
“Like I was being thrown around.”
“Anything in particular hurt?”
“I don’t know I haven’t tried to move yet.”
One of the cops came up to him.
“Eric Robards? Can you tell us what happened today?”
“Depends on something though.”
“Like what?”
“Will I get in trouble?” The men looked at each other, wondering how much of an accident it truly was.
“What did you do?”
Eric thought about not telling, he knew there was juvenile hall for him.
“I put her gear into park so the car would stop, when it turned red I put it back into drive knowing her foot would be on the gas.”
“We found a hole on the sleeve of your clothes what happened?”
“She burned me; she beats me and laughs at me, spits at me. What do I need a mother for right? I finally lost my dad, was glad about it still am. Why the fuck I have parents if they don’t know how to be parents so one died on his own and if I was going to stay in this world with her then I drag her down with me.” The tears stung his eyes again. He heard crying outside his door.
“So you decide to try to kill your mother?”
“Me as well you know…she just was in the driver’s seat, who burns their kid and laughs about it? Did your mother do that to you? I bet she didn’t, she probably tucked you into bed or was just happy to see you.” He wiped the tears off his face finally seeing he had a cast on his right arm.
The doctor cleared his throat feeling the intensity of this conversation.
“Then I guess it wouldn’t bother you if I told you your mother died today.” Eric said thank you the tears blocking his vision.
His door opened with a quick burst as a few people came in the room.
He saw his aunt first crying also, she thought he was crying the same as she. Thomas and Bernie were in the room also along with Bernie’s parents.
The cops left the room while the doctor tried to calm down his aunt.
“Eric sweetie I’m sorry they are gone.”
“God Judie wake up please I’m glad they are gone. I hope they rot in hell damn sadist.”
His aunt stopped crying, staring at him disbelief.
After that day everything felt better to him. His aunt couldn’t look at him without seeing her sister so Bernie’s family took him in.

The morning sky was starting to show and Eric remained awake. He body sore from lying in the same position. Skye woke up again.
“Why are you still up?”
He rolled over till he was on top of her; she smiled yawning at the same time. Eric kissed her neck taking in the smell of him self.
“Was just thinking that’s all, let’s go to sleep.”
“Mmm I like the sound of that very much indeed.” He rolled off of her this time his head resting against her chest.