Status: This is going to be the darkest thing I've written...
Parasitic
Introduction
My mother stood in the doorway with tears running down her face as they hauled my father off in a police car. She was nursing a hideous black eye and quickly turned away as the police pulled away from the curb.
I held my younger sister, Audrey, as she sobbed into my arms. At seven years old, she shed tears over the monster we called Father. I rubbed her shoulder and kissed her blonde head and whispered comforting words.
My mother, Charlotte, sat on the couch and wrapped her arms around a pillow as my older brother placed ice over her left eye. She pulled out a cigarette and puffed away for a few moments.
We all knew what was coming next.
She was going to bail him out as soon as she got the call.
I narrowed my eyes and stood up abruptly.
“Why do you put up with this?” I yelled at her.
“Because I love him, Eleanor,” she responded calmly.
“Love? Love?” I screamed and Audrey began to cry harder, “How is that love?”
Mom took a deep breath and reached out for me. I stepped closer and she answered, “You’re thirteen, sweetheart. You don’t know about love.”
“I know enough,” I huffed.
“Your father and I need each other. We feed off of each other’s feelings. If he’s angry, I become angry. If he’s sad, I become sad. And if he’s happy, I become happy…” she paused, “we have the strongest love out there. It’s… parasitic.”
I held my younger sister, Audrey, as she sobbed into my arms. At seven years old, she shed tears over the monster we called Father. I rubbed her shoulder and kissed her blonde head and whispered comforting words.
My mother, Charlotte, sat on the couch and wrapped her arms around a pillow as my older brother placed ice over her left eye. She pulled out a cigarette and puffed away for a few moments.
We all knew what was coming next.
She was going to bail him out as soon as she got the call.
I narrowed my eyes and stood up abruptly.
“Why do you put up with this?” I yelled at her.
“Because I love him, Eleanor,” she responded calmly.
“Love? Love?” I screamed and Audrey began to cry harder, “How is that love?”
Mom took a deep breath and reached out for me. I stepped closer and she answered, “You’re thirteen, sweetheart. You don’t know about love.”
“I know enough,” I huffed.
“Your father and I need each other. We feed off of each other’s feelings. If he’s angry, I become angry. If he’s sad, I become sad. And if he’s happy, I become happy…” she paused, “we have the strongest love out there. It’s… parasitic.”