As the Leaves Change in Color

As the Leaves Change in Color
By: AllApologies451994
Chapter I

I woke up in a cold sweat, screaming again. That stupid nightmare must haunt me every single freaking night. And everytime I have it, it keeps getting worse.

As usual, Mikey had to come in and check on me. I felt like such a freaking pansy, having my baby brother have to watch out for me, instead of the other way around. Not that I'm not grateful to have a little brother who cares. He's the only person in my whole damn family who cares about me. And he's stopped me from doing a lot of stupid things. Like the time I tried to jump out my window in an attempt to escape a reality without my Bert.

My Bert. Who was gone forever, never to see me again.

That's the nightmare that keeps haunting me, by the way, in case you're wondering. He seemed so helpless the night he ran away, so... scared. So vulnerable. I had never seen him like that. I know the anger covered up the majority of it. But I knew Bert. He couldn't hide the fear in his eyes. I just wish I knew the whole story, that way I could've helped him. What was so bad that he just had to leave me...?

"Gee? Are you alright? You were screaming again...", Mikey said. You'd think he'd be tired of coming in my room every freaking night at the same time to ask me that, but he never did. He was full of concern. He actually cared. To be honest, it was a nice feeling, to be cared about. But it wasn't the same as the way Bert cared about me....

The thought of Bert made me start sobbing again, like a poor, helpless baby. God, I really couldn't stand myself sometimes.

Mikey came next to me and wrapped his arm around me, though, whispering reassurances that everything was gonna be alright. Yea, I thought bitterly, you can say that. But do you even have a clue what's going on with me right now? Do you even understand? Of course I didn't say anything like that. He was trying to help me, and I knew it. So I kept my mouth shut and just let him try to calm me.

But then, at that moment, there was the worst racket coming from our living room. Mikey sighed, but kept me in his arms. It was nothing really new to us, having to hear that. Our parents yelling, then there was usually a crash, and then it got silent. It usually happened every night, unless they got too drunk and passed out or something. Or when my dad was out partying with a bunch of whores.

Then the yelling got worse than usual, and there was more things being broken, if you can even believe that. I think Mom had gotten onto Dad for sleeping with another woman. I can't exactly tell what the yelling's all about. I'm having my own dilemma, remember?

Apparently, Mikey noticed something that I didn't. I guess I was too busy drowning in self-pity. So he told me to hang on, and that he would be right back. He left, and I waited patiently. And when he didn't come back for so long, I knew something wrong was going on. I mean, something more wrong than usual.

So, I reluctantly picked myself out of bed and went to go see what was taking Mikes so long. On the way there, though, I heard it. I heard the Dad yell, then Mikey yell back. Then I heard a slap. And boy, was I pissed....

I was running down the stairs, and I even tripped on the way down. But I got back up, and ran in there. Mom was passed out, with a bottle next to her head. Looks like Dad was drunk again, beating her with a broken bottle... Then I saw him, my so-called father.

He was drunk, his face super red. He looked like a big ugly beet, ready to explode or something. He was holding Mikey by the collar of his shirt, yelling at him, telling him he was stupid, a disgrace, and a bunch of other horrible things....

And I couldn't take it. He was NOT going to hurt the only person in my life who really cared about me. Mikey was the only one, my only brother. No one would take him away from me, too. Bert had left, and Frank never gave me the time of day. Mikey was all I had....

I ran into my big beef-face of a dad and knocked him over. It was rather easy, even though he was probably 250 pounds larger than me. I never thought I'd say it, but I was glad by now that he was drunk.

And o boy, did I piss him off. He turned his attention from Mikey to me. He called me every name in the world, then shoved me up against the wall. Hard. My head hit the wall and I saw stars. And some green spots. Then he started choking me, banging my head against the wall. I thought I was dying. It put lots of holes in the walls, too. Poor wall. Poor my head.

Mom had woken up and was yelling at him, but he wouldn't stop. Her words sounded so distant, so far away. My vision was blurring, and things were going black. Then he started hitting me, and kicking me. I was begging the Lord I wasn't even sure if I believed in to just kill me, get me away from all this. And then it all stopped.

I don't know why he stopped, but thank God he did. Then the door swung open and was slammed shut, and the car was started up. He was yelling, "I don't need this shit!", driving out at about 90 miles per hour. Good, I thought. Let him drive out there drunk, maybe he'll get himself killed.

My vision was still blurry, and I felt like I was gonna pass out, but I picked myself up. It didn't work, though, and I fell back. But I didn't hit the ground, as I expected. Mikey had caught me before I hit the ground. I smiled at him, and saw the worry in his eyes. Barely. And then I guess I passed out.