The Dragon: A Tragedy

Father

“Where’s father?” I ask my brother in concern, as he is untying his wrists from his training.

“Out.” He said with a monotone voice. I growled in annoyance,

“Well I know that, but where?” I asked with much more annoyance than before. This time my brother turned to me and said, “none of your concern.”

That was it. I ran at him at full speed tackling him to the ground. We both fell on the pavement with a grunt with me smooshing my brother like a pancake. I then started tickling his weak spot, just below the armpit making him stifle laughs. I swear I saw him cry a little.

“Get-off-of-me,” he said between laughs. I giggled and pushed myself off of him laying on the back next to him. 

“He told me not to tell you.” My brother said with despair, and slight aspiration after our little tickle fest. 

“He’s at the pub isn’t he,” I said with as much composure, but sounded more like anger. I didn’t even have to look at my brother to know I was right. My father hasn’t been doing so well lately, especially with all the political pressure, so he’s taken his troubles to the bottle.

“Artemis, you are going to fetch a maid and tell her to bring hot and cold tubs of water and bring them to our father’s room, ok. And I will drag him home if I have to.” My brother looked at me solemnly because he knew I would drag him home whether he did what I asked or not. 

I walked a few blocks from our villa and saw the pub in few. You could tell it was a pub by the drunkards in front sleeping on the steps. I cautiously walked over them holding my dress up so I didn’t trip, and headed inside. The smell of alcohol filled my nose, and I had to hold my breath so I didn’t pass out from the fumes.

In the corner of the bar area was my father, with his head in his hands, and a bottle next to him. I walked over to him and started to rub soothingly on his back. 

“Elena?” He asked, almost as a whisper. My heart broke when he said this, it was my mother’s name. I’d never met her but from what I heard she would light up a room once she walked in it. 

“No it’s Junia, let’s go home,” I said. He slowly nodded and got up, using my shoulder as support, and I helped him home.