Status: complete
Kill Me With Words
Marcus
Everyone stared at the broken glass laying on the floor between Marcus and Beth's father. And eerie silence fell over the room and the only sound to be heard was the rain pelting against the windows in the kitchen, the wind howling outside, and a slight roar of thunder as it approached.
"I'm sorry." Marcus finally spoke again, softly.
Beth's dad looked at him and shook his head. "It's okay, son. It'll be okay. "
Marcus was pent up in his room, covering his ears with his hands and trying to ignore the fact that his parents were fighting, again. Marcus's mom was telling his dad that she was having another baby.
"Another fucking kid?!" He could hear his dad screaming.
"What do you want me to do, John? You're the one who refuses to wear condoms and then gets surprised when I end up pregnant?" His mother argued.
"That's what the stupid pill is for!" John shouted.
Marcus's mother rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. There was no way she was going to get her boyfriend to understand how the female anatomy worked. "Well, we're having another child, whether you like it or not. I'm not giving this child up. Besides, don't you think it would be good for Marcus to have a brother or sister around?"
"Fuck that." John spat. "You know what would be good for that kid? To toughen up. That piece of shit is a worthless excuse for a boy. He needs to learn not to be such a fucking baby."
"He's six years old, for gawd's sake!" Marcus's mother protested in her thick Jersey accent.
"I don't care how old he is, Marianne. He's not going to get anywhere in life if he doesn't assert his dominance like a true man."
They continued to argue for another half hour and all Marcus could do was sit in his room and pretend they weren't just down the hall talking about him and his future brother. Or, well, he hoped it would be a brother.
The door to his room swung open and he saw his dad standing in the doorway. He stomped his way into Marcus's room in his torn up boots. He sat down on the bed next to his son and took in his sweet, innocent face.
"You gotta toughen up, boy." He forcefully patted his son on the cheek a couple times before standing and exiting the room.
Marcus watched his father leave and despite what a terrible person he was, Marcus wanted to be just like his dad. His dad was cool, and tough. No one wanted to mess with him and Marcus wanted to be just like that.
Months passed and his mother's belly grew and grew as well as the bruises on her arms, legs and sometimes face. Marcus's father was so angry at the child growing inside of her that he began to beat the poor woman in an attempt to kill it himself.
"Daddy?" Marcus tugged on the pant leg of his father's jeans. "Why are you hitting mommy?" He asked, his sweet, small voice sent a shooting pain of guilt through his father's heart.
"She was being bad." His father answered, ignoring the swelling emotions in his chest. "I'm just making sure she knows she was being bad, just like I let you know when you're being bad."
In a way, Marcus understood what his father was saying. But what could his mother have possibly done that was so bad? Marcus always thought his mother was only full of good. She couldn't possibly do anything bad.
When his younger sister finally arrived, Marcus's father left them for good. Marcus was left thinking it was his turn to make sure his mom and sister had someone to protect them. After all, that's what his dad had taught him since day one.
Marcus looked at Beth's dad and for the first time in his life, reached to him and held him in a long hug. Marcus's dad never hugged him. His mom was always too busy with her job and taking care of his sister to notice him. And Emily was the only other person he had ever touched in a romantic and endearing way in his life.
"I'm sorry." Marcus finally spoke again, softly.
Beth's dad looked at him and shook his head. "It's okay, son. It'll be okay. "
Marcus was pent up in his room, covering his ears with his hands and trying to ignore the fact that his parents were fighting, again. Marcus's mom was telling his dad that she was having another baby.
"Another fucking kid?!" He could hear his dad screaming.
"What do you want me to do, John? You're the one who refuses to wear condoms and then gets surprised when I end up pregnant?" His mother argued.
"That's what the stupid pill is for!" John shouted.
Marcus's mother rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. There was no way she was going to get her boyfriend to understand how the female anatomy worked. "Well, we're having another child, whether you like it or not. I'm not giving this child up. Besides, don't you think it would be good for Marcus to have a brother or sister around?"
"Fuck that." John spat. "You know what would be good for that kid? To toughen up. That piece of shit is a worthless excuse for a boy. He needs to learn not to be such a fucking baby."
"He's six years old, for gawd's sake!" Marcus's mother protested in her thick Jersey accent.
"I don't care how old he is, Marianne. He's not going to get anywhere in life if he doesn't assert his dominance like a true man."
They continued to argue for another half hour and all Marcus could do was sit in his room and pretend they weren't just down the hall talking about him and his future brother. Or, well, he hoped it would be a brother.
The door to his room swung open and he saw his dad standing in the doorway. He stomped his way into Marcus's room in his torn up boots. He sat down on the bed next to his son and took in his sweet, innocent face.
"You gotta toughen up, boy." He forcefully patted his son on the cheek a couple times before standing and exiting the room.
Marcus watched his father leave and despite what a terrible person he was, Marcus wanted to be just like his dad. His dad was cool, and tough. No one wanted to mess with him and Marcus wanted to be just like that.
Months passed and his mother's belly grew and grew as well as the bruises on her arms, legs and sometimes face. Marcus's father was so angry at the child growing inside of her that he began to beat the poor woman in an attempt to kill it himself.
"Daddy?" Marcus tugged on the pant leg of his father's jeans. "Why are you hitting mommy?" He asked, his sweet, small voice sent a shooting pain of guilt through his father's heart.
"She was being bad." His father answered, ignoring the swelling emotions in his chest. "I'm just making sure she knows she was being bad, just like I let you know when you're being bad."
In a way, Marcus understood what his father was saying. But what could his mother have possibly done that was so bad? Marcus always thought his mother was only full of good. She couldn't possibly do anything bad.
When his younger sister finally arrived, Marcus's father left them for good. Marcus was left thinking it was his turn to make sure his mom and sister had someone to protect them. After all, that's what his dad had taught him since day one.
Marcus looked at Beth's dad and for the first time in his life, reached to him and held him in a long hug. Marcus's dad never hugged him. His mom was always too busy with her job and taking care of his sister to notice him. And Emily was the only other person he had ever touched in a romantic and endearing way in his life.