Chapter 8

A Chapter by BrynnaW.

"Mom?" my voice was quiet and cautious. She immediately stopped laughing and turned dead serious.

"Yes, honey?"

"Um... How would you respond if I were to join the army alongside Erik?"

She gave a nervous laugh, "You're kidding, right? You want to know how I would respond? Why such a question?"

"I was just wondering..."

"Oh, well, why ask that question if you aren't joining? I'm not going to answer that question because you aren't joining." her eyes were scared.

"Mom? Dad?... I joined the army... The day I was late with the groceries, it was because I was signing up."

My mom laughed hysterically and my dad studied me as if to compare me in uniform.

"Please, you're kidding! You're kidding! Please! Don't say it's true! Don't joke with me! Do you want to hurt me? Please..." my mother was desperate.

"Mom, I leave in three days... By tomorrow, it will only be two. I'm sorry. I overheard uncle talking about the shortage of money. They will get money in a month and that money will help pay for everything. I'm sorry..." I excused myself from the table and tried to leave but my mom latched onto my arm. She cried sadly into my arm. Her shoulders racked violently and her hair covered her red face. I tried to release her fingers but her nails dug farther into my skin.

"Mom! Let go! You're hurting me!"

She did not let go. I tried to pry her fingers up but ended up crying out from pain. Who knew that sadness could be so painful?

"You can't leave! Don't you love me? Don't you love your father! You can't go! I love you! Please!"

The nails buried deeper into my skin. By now, my whole family was trying to get her away from me. Blood trickled down from one of the cuts my mom was making. I fell to my knees and bit my lip. My feet pushed her chair away but the nails continued to dig. My mother couldn't see the pain she was causing me because she was too busy focusing on the pain I had caused her.

"Devin! Stop it!" my father yelled at her but, still, it felt as if it was only my mother and I in the room. He tried to pull her off. Tears streamed down her cheeks and the pain continued to grow. I couldn't even tell if she could hear everyone yelling at her. Something made her even angrier, maybe or maybe me, and her nails dug in further. I cried out . My father knew what he had to do but he was hesitant. I cried out again and begged my mom to stop but there was no recognition in her eyes. My father closed his eyes and slapped my mom hard across her cheek. Almost immediately, she let go. My back hit the wall, I scrambled to my feet, and ran to the other room.

"Honey, I'm so sorry!" My mother cried into her hands.

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