Prelude - Cause And Effect

My mother once told me, “Life is the stars in the sky " many options are open, and as time passes by, some paths may disappear and suddenly appear before you.” She said that, as time goes on, the balance becomes uneven, and more and more paths will suddenly vanish leaving you with just a few choices to pick. Eventually, you are left with just two options " one for the sky and the other an unknown place.

After she died, my paths became more rugged and treacherous. One wrong step and I would fall into a deep hole, stuck for eternity. At that time, it was a pleasant thought.

You see, prior to her death my father was a hard working man on the brink of a huge promotion. He was to be made Head of the rising company he helped create. Just before the big day, the accident happened. And on the very same day he began to change. No longer a family man, he became engrossed in his work, working day and night and never pausing to rest.

The lack of needed rest began to cloud his mind. It started with irritation and carried onto heavy smoking and finally drinking. There were many times when he would come home past midnight, scotch heavy on his breath, stumbling and tripping on his way to the couch, unable to see through bloodshot eyes. He would be knocked out until noon the next day, when he would wake up disoriented and accompanied by a (well deserved) pounding migraine. 

One day as I was walking back home from school, I heard a girl screaming. Something in me snapped and I found myself racing down the sidewalk, tossing my bag into the deserted street. The trip home may have been less than five minutes, but in that moment, it felt like the sun had already set as darkness began to creep up on me. I briefly hesitated at the door, staring at the worn knob like it might come alive at any moment, before finally turning it and walking inside. 

Loud thumps were coming from the kitchen, accompanied by crashing objects and heart-wrenching wails. Just before I rounded the corner, I heard a loud SNAP. She screamed a long unearthly wail - of unimaginable pain and fear. And that's when I knew. I had to stop him in any way I could, even if it meant taking a life.

I had to save her.

Author's Note

This is the new prologue. I think it could still use some editing, but I am mostly happy with it. I apologize for the cliff hanger, but I thought it was the best way to end it for now. What do you think?

Reviews

[Rocki-san]

I really like the word choice and flow of it. I thought that it was mysterious and a great way to start a story and hook people in.
Great job :D