Shameless Chapter Twenty Four

I don't remember much from my childhood. Well, let me rephrase that. I don't remember much before the needles and surgeries and neglect and the crying. Mostly blurred realities I can't decipher between what actually happened, or what I simply created in my own mind.

But one thing I do remember, was the day my dad left.

Or died.


I still haven't really figured out which one is what really happened.

               *                *               *
Their muffled screams were the only things I could hear. At age four, I had already perfected the technique of blocking out my parent's arguing. Either by playing with my toys in a very loud, angry way, or singing nursery rhymes at the top of my young lungs. One lullaby, one I never forgot, still haunts my mind at times.

Under skies and above clouds
Sang the whistles and the sounds
Rang the bells of birds sweet song
Past the evildoers wrong
Under skies and above clouds
Sang the children in a round
Watching, waiting
Always saying
When will this life ever end?
When will clots be bloodshed?
Under skies and above clouds
Punctured of the soldiers shouts
Bleeding, singing, sometimes screaming
Past the six trees of the dead
When will this life ever end?

When will this life ever end?

It was that song I sang when the ringing pf popping sounds flooded my ears, followed by the slamming of a door, and the rueful scream of my mothers sobs. I ran out of my bedroom, frightened. Not knowing where to turn, I hid in the closet at the end of the hall, tears streaming down my face. Mommy is okay, Daddy is okay. I'm okay. Just hide, just hide.

Screams tore through the wooden door of the closet, and then... finally....silence.

It could have only been about five minutes, but to me, it had felt like days.

The door gently creaked open and light spilled through, revealing my mother's tearstained cheeks.
"Clara? Its okay now. You can come out." Tentatively, I grabbed my mother's hand, and stood up. "Where's Daddy?" A tear ran down Mommy's face, but she smiled, quiet, "Daddy's gone sweetie. Daddy had to go back."

A sob escaped me and I hugged Mommy's legs, "Why?" She kissed my forehead and took me down the stairs, into the kitchen, "Because, sweetie. But he'll be back. I promise."

I cried for an hour.

Long, horrible sobs that no four-year-old child should ever voice.

Once I calmed down, my mother made me a sandwich, and we cried together.


As she held me, my eyes traveled around the kitchen floor, and landed on the sloppily cleaned tiles, with the faint remains of red liquid.

Blood.

Author's Note

Favorite line? Review please! Thanks for reading!

Reviews

[Horizon K.]

Did mom kill dad? Wow Mom is I is one screwed up lady!

[Anonymous Girl]

Died or left?! So suspenseful!

[Felicity's Eve]

Oooh. Major cliffy O.O

Great job! ^^

[Gretchen Clarke]

Did she kill Clara's father?
Wow, this book is incredible! I was a little put off by the short chapters in the beginning, admittedly, but I'm glad I stuck with it. This is an amazing scifi fantasy novel!
Keep up the great work!

[Emma Marie Taylor]

Thank you so much! lol