Ander's Demons

This is a deep topic and I hope you can identify it. There are 2 or 3 though, so it's slightly easier :D Also, ToD means Time of Death

I laid on my bed that morning. It was 5:30 and I knew that in an hour, hell would begin. Yes Mother. No Mother. Sorry Mother. Her three favorite phrases. I had my own most hated phrases, but there we too many to count. Way too many. My hand rested on my bruised stomach. It’s my own fault that I got this beating though, I forgot dinner. Even though we were the same height, I was stronger. I knew I could beat her if I wanted, but I can’t. I’m too weak because I care. I care about her and love her. I have to, right? She is my mother after all. I may rule the school as the bad boy, but here the only thing I rule is cooking meals for her. I’m a good cook and I know it because I’ve been cooking for her since I was little. You know, I wish I could blame alcohol for this, or drugs. I can’t though because she’s completely sober and lucid. She’s just a brute. She’s never had a drop of alcohol and she’s never done drugs, yet she hates me enough to make make me miserable. She expects me to cook her 5 star dinners and lunches, but not breakfast, she doesn’t eat it. And I’m only allowed one meal per day and I can only take it from my part of the cupboard. She counts to make sure I don’t take extra. So my meals consist of an apple, a granola bar and some water if I’m lucky. I normally eat it for lunch though. I’m also not allowed to decorate my room. No posters, or painted walls. No shelves or mirrors. Nothing.. Just this stupid bed. My mom is a doctor and we're pretty loaded considering she’s the one who developed the cure for cancer. It must be a sin to spend some of that money on me. Oh no! She’ll have to go to confession for buying me a bag of apples for the next 3 weeks! I stiffly laid there until my alarm went off.

“Ander get your a*s down here!” My name didn’t feel right in that monster’s mouth. My father always told me how Ander was a glorious and brave name in greek. Greece was my father’s country. He came to America, hoping for a better future and he met the monster. They fell and love for some reason, I don’t know how her could stand her. They had me and she went crazy and started hurting me. My dad found out and he protected me for a while until he left. One night he was there and the next morn, he was gone. Mother acted as if nothing happened, but she got stricter and made harsher rules for me. One meal, thin blanket, use the small bathroom, and no talking back under ANY circumstances. I slowly sat up and rubbed my eyes. I was dizzy and in pain. “Ander if I have to come up there, you’re in for a world of hurt!” I got up and ran down stairs quickly she was at the bottom, waiting for me, “Sorry Mother.”

She grabbed my hair and pulled my head up, “You worthless piece of s**t! You will be! You didn’t do the dishes last night!”

I looked over to see a soaking pan on the cupboard. I forgot to do the last one. Oh god. She started dragging me to the basement wheree the floor was cement and  not carpet. It was easier to clean the blood off. She threw me down the stairs and I fell all the way down. I landed on my arm and I heard  snap. It hurt like hell, but I refused to cry or make a sound.

She came down, “Now I’m gonna be late for work! God! You’re such a dumbass!” She kicked my ribs and the breath left my lungs. Blood came out of my mouth. SHe kept kicking. I thought o my father annd how he left me. How he freed himself and not me. He left me with this b***h. Why? Why me? She stopped kicking and pulled me up. She punched me twice in my already bruised gut. I fell to the ground. He left me here to free myself. That’s all I could think of as to why he left. He wanted me to be a man. I slowly got up and squared up to me mother. She sneered, “Oh, you finally grew some balls? Big mist�"”

I got her square in the face. She fell on her a*s and I walked triumphantly towards the stairs. I did. I was free and I couldn’t be happier. I was done with all of her rules and her beatings I was done with her crap. I was gonna find my dad and tell him how I finally got his point. I got it. I was halfway up the stairs. I was halfway to freedom. I continued going up until I got the door. I put my hand around the knob and--CRACK!

I tumbled back down the stairs and fell on the floor. The beast was standing above me with a bat in her hand. The b***h hit me on the head with a bat! I Tried to get up, but my head was spinning too much. My mother chuckled, “Not so tough now huh?”

I started fading into this calming darkness and I felt something wet on the back of my head. I chuckled because I knew I was bleeding and dying.

She got mad, “What’s so funny punk? I won! Me!”

“I’ll see you in hell, b***h.”

I chuckled again and coughed up some blood. Closing my eyes and letting myself go, I didn’t even notice her dial 911. I didn’t care though. I was free.

***

Everything is dark. I don’t know where I am now. I try to open up my eyes, but I can’t. I can’t move my arms or legs either. I must be dead. I’m dead right? I hear a door open, but I have no idea where it came from. Oh, I get it. I’m in a coma. I must be if I’m still hearing sounds from the real world.

A man spoke, “You have 15 minutes then we have to go. Your sentencing is today and we didn’t pay the judge a million for you to miss it.”

Silence. So who is he talking to? I felt a warm hand rest on mine and I wanted to pull away, but I couldn’t. No one has ever shown me any kind of affection before so I really don’t know who this is. It’s silent for another 5 minutes then I heard her cry. My mother, the beast.

She said to me, “What have I done? What have I done? You gotta wake up honey. It’s been 4 months. Please.” She cries some more. Since when did she care about me?

“You know I got excited when you first stood up to me. After I had calmed down of course. I know I’m a horrible mom and a horrible person and this probably means nothing to you, but I’m so proud. You finally stood up to your demon. I just wish I wasn't the demon. I’ve made horrible, unforgivable mistakes for the past 17 years, but if you wake up then I will change and I have changed. Almost losing you was a reality check for me. When you come back, I wanna decorate your room with you and buy you video games and some clothes. I wanna cook for you every meal and hug you. I want to let you know how much I love you. And how horrible it'd be if lost you. Heck, I probably already did huh?” There’s more silence.

“I want you to know why. Why I treated you the way I did. You deserve this much. When I first got together with your father, I had stayed the weekend in his college dorm. Well one night, I went out after dark to walk to the store and get some eggs for the next day. On my way there A man pulled me into an alley and he had a knife.” She pauses, “He raped me. I was forced to look into his eyes and his face the entire time. A few days later, I found out I was pregnant, but I told your father it was his. I lied. You’re the product of my rape and you look alot like him. You really do, but it’s not your fault. Every Time I saw you, you reminded me of him and it just made me so mad. I’m so sorry.”

She cries more and the man came back in, “Time to go.”

She sniffled and got up, kissing my forehead. “Soon.” She said and leaves me alone. I like being alone, but something is wrong. I feel myself getting sleepy again and I just wanna fade away, but I haven’t gotten to tell my mother how mad I am. I haven’t told her I forgive her yet. I hear the door open, but it’s hard to hear what the man is saying. I pick up snippets, “Shame…..dead…..ToD….2034, 1:34 pm…..pull the plug.”

I was really dying this time. Oh well.

Author's Note

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[Hayden]

In case you didn't catch it, ToD means time of death