A mere week had passed since that cataclysmic afternoon when Sarah had hurried home from school, innocently pressing passed a dusty dark car that she had not recognised in the narrow driveway. What she had witnessed inside that day she did not recognise at the time. But the couple’s reaction had been enough information for Sarah to realise that what they were doing was wrong, so very wrong. Therefore she conceded what the man had been doing to her for so long must be even worse. He had made her promise to tell no one, but he did not fear for he knew just as well as she did that she had no-one to tell.
It was winter, a bitter cold night, in late August of 1992. The clear sky was blemished by a single dark cloud whose shadow beamed down over the lonesome Andrews’ family cabin. Inside this fragile abode lived once an innocent young girl but whom now, at the tender age of 14, was making the decision to end a life. Sarah was filled with hatred, she felt betrayed, confused, like the man didn’t love her. Even though this man had showed her the most tormented and twisted love for years, it was only now that the unconditional love she had felt for him was gone, and in its place the void was quickly filled with hate.
That night Sarah prepared the man’s meal as she did every evening, for as long as she could remember, but tonight was different, tonight the white substance, a drug she had stolen from the mans truck that was used to exterminate rodents, tonight would extinguish another vermin’s life. It had been carefully and indistinctly mixed in with the mashed potato.
“Where’s yours” the man grunted emotionlessly without making eye contact.
“I had it when I got home”
“Oh”
“Could you grab us a beer then?”
As Sarah retrieved the cold bottle from the fridge she could hear the man in the other room greedily devouring his meal. She pressed the cold bottle to her pounding temple; she could feel her blood cursing through her veins in time to the fast beat. Sarah caught a glimpse of herself in the dark glass, above the sink, her eyes looked cold and full of hate, she felt the pang of guilt.
“Sarah” a painful groan came from the other room the man laboured painfully she obeyed for the final time and entered the room cautiously. The man looked pale and for once not in control. His evil eyes looked tormented and bloodshot as his mouth frothed and his body dry retched the acidic content of his stomach. Sarah stood poised and silent with her fingers tightly grasped around the pestle ready to bring it down on the back of his head as she watched the man take his final gasp.
The clock ticked loudly on the mantel as Sarah stood staring, satisfied that she had found a solution for her problems, but deep within regret and remorse had already begun to eat away at her judgement. She bent down and placed the back of her hand against his cheek and smirked. She slowly looked up and panned the room; everything was just as it was except now she was all alone. And then before she could control herself she was sobbing uncontrollably. Tears flowed freely as her body shook with relief. She had taken matters into her own hands and now stood over the body of the one that she had long since called Dad.
