Just One Bad Day

Dianne almost jumped out of her skin when there was a soft knock on the back door before it opened. She had been so far off in her own thoughts that she hadn’t even seen the young blonde walk passed the window. Hurriedly she stopped pouring the cup of coffee she had been making, placing the kettle back in its place before reaching over to the knives that sat below the window.

‘Oh, Dianne, I didn’t mean to scare you!’ it was Violet. Dianne stopped reaching for the knives, and instead reached up to cover her heart for a moment. Once her heart had slowed down a little she reached into the air and gave a dismissive wave.
‘It’s okay Vi. I was off in my own little world.’ Violet could tell something wasn’t quite right with the woman, so instead of asking her if her son was home, she pulled up a seat at the kitchen table and asked a different question.
‘Is everything okay? You look awfully distracted.’ Dianne gave a large sigh.

‘Things aren’t going to well, Violet. Things have never gone very well, but they’ve been getting worse.’ Dianne mumbled, as she finished making her coffee before taking a seat beside the young girl. Dianne would have loved to have had her own daughter, but had never dared have another child. Over the years, Dianne had almost adopted Violet as one of her own. The two could have light hearted fun watching corny soap operas or asking opinions on boys or outfits, but there were also times when they could have serious conversations. Dianne still remembered talking to Violet about her own son. Violet had gone through a phase (Dianne acknowledge it as a phase only after it had passed) where she felt she had feelings for Jack. Violet was becoming a young woman, and Dianne knew that she was questioning her relationship with her best friend, wondering if it were more. Together they managed to negotiate those hormonal waters and every once in a while Violet remembers to thank the older woman.

‘Is it Tony?’ Violet asked softly, giving the older woman a soft and caring gaze. Dianne nodded.
‘He just hasn’t been very…well. He has a short temper, unfortunately.’ Dianne didn’t mention the developing bruises on her arms and back. She couldn’t bear to bring them up to anyone.
‘What’s he done, Dianne?’ Violet could tell in her hesitation that he had actually scared her.
‘Come now, never you mind your pretty little head. Tony won’t be far off so let’s not get too distracted by him. What was it that brought you around here, anyways?’
‘Well I came to ask Jack if he would like to go to the formal with me. I’ve tried to think of someone else to go with because I know how much he hates dances, but I just can’t think of anyone I would rather spend the night with.’ Dianne smiled. She knew Jack had skipped his own formal because he didn’t want to be caught dead at a dance, but both women knew that if Violet asked he couldn’t refuse. He would probably complain about it a lot, but he would kill for Violet if it came to it.

‘Honey, I’m sure deep down he would secretly love to take you, he just doesn’t want to openly admit it.’ That was when Dianne remember something she had hidden away a long time ago, ‘come with me.’ The pair went into the hallway and up the stairs. Dianne led the way through to her bedroom, indicating for Violet to take a seat on her bed before she disappeared into the closet. It took a few moments before Dianne emerged again, and in her hands she held a large white box. She walked over and sat down next to Violet.
‘Jack’s grandfather – my father – lived on the other side of the world. When Jack was born he made a huge thing out of being here for his christening, so he flew seven hours and showed up in an outfit none of us would ever forget. After a week he flew back home, and it was years before we saw him again. When we did see him, he was wearing this again. At first it started out as a bit of a joke to us, but every time that Jack saw him he was always wearing it, and Jack loved it. In the last few years of his life, Jack never got to see him. I think that tore the both of them up, and so when it came to the end my father had this sent over exactly how it is now. He wanted Jack to have the one thing that he knew him for. Anyway, I think it would be lovely for him to wear with you when he says yes.’ With that Dianne pulled back the lid to reveal a bright purple dress jacket.

‘Oh my god,’ Violet whispered, as she pulled the suit from the box and laid it down on the bed, ‘it’s beautiful.’ When she had laid it down flat, she took a step back and imagined Jack in it. It definitely looked about the right size, at worst it would be a bit baggy on him, but she didn’t mind.
‘I love it, and I’m sure he will too-’

The back door slammed shut, the force vibrating the whole house. Dianne looked at Violet, the fear in her own eyes reflecting back to her.
‘Tony?’ Dianne gulped, and nodded slowly.
‘Go into Jack’s room. He’s not here, and I’m not sure when he’ll be back, but just wait for him in his room, okay? I’ll go calm Tony down. He’s probably had a few to drink by now.’ Violet nodded, and followed Dianne from the room.
‘Be careful,’ she muttered to Dianne just before she went down the stairs.
‘I will be. Don’t mind me Honey.’ Then they went their separate ways.

Violet made her way down to the last door in the hallway, opening it up and slipping into the darkness. Like any young man Jack had a thing with darkness, and so he almost never drew his curtains. Slowly moving through the room, careful not to stand on anything, Violet reached the bed and crawled over it to open the curtains. The moment she did light flooded in, highlighting the typically messy room. Piles of clothes Jack could never be bothered putting away were dumped near the cupboard, papers and second hand books were scattered around the room, the usual state of a man’s room.

Violet reached down and took off her shoes before lying back on Jack’s bed. She couldn’t help but wonder where he was at the point in time. She knew some of the stuff he got up to, and the thought made her sick to the stomach. She just hoped he was okay. Every so often he would get himself into a world of trouble, coming back broken and bruised, and she hated seeing him like that. She also hated the screams that were coming from the first floor. She had heard it enough before that it didn’t really scare her, but knowing that this was what Jack went to sleep to every night and woke up to every morning. Listening to Dianne try to calm Tony down, listen to his slurs build from insults to cries of frustration, to screams. Something didn’t feel right though. After nearly twenty minutes, Violet couldn’t help but feel that something was different. Usually by now Tony would have either defused entirely or stalked off to go sulk in his room. This time though the shouts kept rising, and Violet couldn’t help but feel Dianne’s pleading was becoming somewhat desperate.

With that thought in mind she slipped from the bed and crept over to the door. From in Jack’s room she could hear their voices, but she couldn’t make out any of the words being said. When she opened the door everything became clearer.
‘Please, don’t do this. Tony just think this through.’
‘I’m done, Dianne. You’ve fucked up my life so much, that there isn’t any point to it all.’
‘Please, Tony, think of Jack. Please-’ Dianne had burst into tears. Violet couldn’t stand back. She pulled the door open wide and rushed down the corridor, almost tripping over the first few steps on the stairs. She followed the sounds of Dianne sobbing quietly.
‘I thought you said Jack wasn’t here.’ Dianne let out a gasp.
‘H-he’s not…’
‘Then whose…’ Violet walked into the lounge room slowly. She was expecting to see Tony standing there with a can in his hand, rigid with anger. It was a scene she had seen enough to be prepared for it but this time it was different.

Tony stood there with not a can in his hand but a carving knife. Violet froze, her eyes widened with terror. She tried to open her mouth and say something, anything, but nothing would come out. Dianne let out another wave of sobs, shaking her head.
‘Sweetheart; r-run.’ Terror ran through Tony’s face.
‘Oh no you fucking don’t-’ Violet watched as he lashed out, the knife driving deep into Dianne’s stomach. She tried to turn, tried to run, but her legs were frozen and she had started shaking. She was going into shock. She watched the deep red liquid trickle out of Dianne’s stomach, she saw Tony turn towards her, she spotted the shotgun in his other hand. The last thing she saw was the floor as she passed out and collapsed to the ground.