Second Chances

Love And Lies

The table was completely silent. The only noisy eater being the three year old toddler unable to suppress her giggles as her bolognaise sauce drips from her spoon onto the small pile of spaghetti. The boy opposite to her was doing nothing, his plate full and untouched. His gaze emotionless and without the beautiful light of youth. He seemed beyond his years, unlike a six year old boy. The two adults at either side of the oak dining table, a thirty six year old woman and a forty year old man who had happened to land themselves within a nice amount of riches due to inheritance from dead relatives. They had made a rule that no one were to speak during prayer or after prayer, so not at all during dinner. The air had been extremely heavy during these dinners and the appetite would usually disappear. I looked toward the boy, sadness creasing its way onto my face. It would be another ten years till the boy would leave this place, till he didn't have to live with the stares of disappointment. Well, until he was nineteen years old. Then he'd be thrown in front of these people, with that once cute toddler staring in glee towards the misfortune she had caused. I glared at the small imp, tempted to slam its small head on top of her spoon. Imagining the slice of its edge going into the gelatine like eye gave me a satisfied feeling, and made me so ever more tempted to go though with it. I took a step. It would be easy, wouldn't it? Only a baby after all... "What are you doing, Mr. Bennet?" I stopped and looked behind me to see Arduous, his skeletal frame as disturbing as ever. I suddenly realised what I was doing and, like I just woke up, blinked and rubbed my eyes. What the f**k is wrong with me...? "Nothing." I said, quickly. Arduous stared at me, his eyes seeing my evil fantasy. At least that's how it felt. He walked towards me with three long strides, dipping with each one then bouncing up as his foot landed on the floor. If he wasn't so scary looking it'd be comical. "Shall we move along?" He pointed forward toward the stairs, so we moved toward them. They draped in a lovely velvet red carpet. Each step was met with a slight shake of the house, I put my hand on the banister to balance myself and noticed that some of the white paint was peeling off and being replaced by a new layer. Like it was aging. I reached the top of the stairs to see three different bedrooms and two bathrooms on either side. I looked to the bedroom on my left and saw it as my own. Although I don't remember the keep out sign being on unless me and my girlfriend were... Oh, I thought, That's what's going on. I put my ear to the door, hearing slight moans and heavy breathing. What? I was curious. I smile and I turn away. "Are you not going to go inside?" Arduous says, looking down at me quizzically. I shake my head and point to the sign. "Says keep out." I turn to go to my sisters room and enter through the painted pink door. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, writing in a strangely dull diary within a strangely dull bedroom. The only bright colour being on her door. I looked over her shoulder and felt my curiosity grow with each word I read. I look up at Arduous and wave him over. I point at the entry on the previous page and start to read a loud. "Randall is a nice boy. He is quite interesting, unlike everyone else around me. Mom and Pa are boring and original. My class mates are all stupid. Especially that boy that keeps talking to me. I think his name was Simon. Or Simone. I prefer Randy. I wish Randy would be with me more than that girl he has in his room." I shake my head in disbelief. I looked down at my sisters smiling face, the familiar sick glint within her eye. Originally I had thought she was looking at me like I was a pet that she loved to see put down. Now I see what she meant. Now I see what she saw me as. I step back away from her and feel, despite myself, pity for her. She saw me as hers, and hers alone. She wanted to make sure no one would take me. So no one would want me, apart from her. I left and pinched the bridge of my nose and groaned loudly. "She was f*****g mad." I leave the house quickly, mom and dad arguing over faith and money problems. I sigh and look back at Arduous. "Why am I here? Why aren't I anywhere else? Why aren't I being punished?" Arduous stares at me, a blank expression permanently engraved into his form. "You are being punished. You are going through your life to know that you were a naturally bad person placed within a bad environment. You are being taught that you, as a human, are born from sin." I feel my face flush in anger, and I take a couple steps toward him. "f**k you. f**k you and whoever you f*****g serve. I'm done with you and your bull shit."I turn to leave. A part of me thought he'd stop me. I honestly thought he'd do some magic s**t. Instead, he let me walk away. He stared into my back, and let me go. As I kept walking, I hadn't noticed the subtle changes. A bit more rust on the fence to my left. Some of the buildings tend to repeat like Deja vu. People seem to look more scared and agitated, nervous. Confused. Now that I think of it, there were no people till then.