Sad Reality

• Alysha Taylor, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2014

This is a mere story of reality. A story in which a life comes to an end due to another’s rage. This is the sad reality of life.

It was raining and I was trapped inside my room to avoid the ruckus downstairs. My sister was arguing with my father over cleaning up a mess he’d made and he retaliated as always. Hearing the thud of her body falling to the floor made me cringe slightly, but I didn’t do a thing. I had to make to try with all I had and try to get out as soon as possible and maybe even take my sister out of here. I was the older sibling, the one that’s meant to be the protector but I couldn’t do even that simple task; I just didn’t have the courage.

I take out my book and smile as my mind slowly took me into a world that I wished to call my own. A world where you lived with a family that loved and protected each other and they had little worries until the main plot of the story arrived; when they were torn apart. That wasn’t a story for me; it wasn’t at all fiction. When my father finally snapped the main point of my story happened; my mother’s murder.

Only when I heard a deafening scream was I snapped from my dream world and back to my life. It was a worse scream than usual; far worse. It shook me to the bone. I dropped my book to the floor and sprinted down stairs. I tripped a couple of times but managed to regain my composure. I was slightly panicky when I made my way downstairs but when I reached the bottom after feeling like an eternity had passed my heart almost stopped. Blood, lots of blood. There far too much blood for the person to have survived. She was lying on the ground motionless. He was standing above her body with a broken bottle in his hands. I ran as fast as I could to her side and gasped. Silent tears slid down my face as I looked. The back of her head was cracked open and her skin had already paled. My fear had come to life. I'd lost her

I looked my father in the eyes and glared at him; another life taken by his hands and another life taken from mine. He looked at me with his anger filled eyes. I sprinted outside and into the pouring rain and he ran quickly after me. The forest was my refuge and I made my way quickly to it. The rain was clouding my vision along with my tears. After minutes of running I stopped. I was finished and realised there was nothing remaining here for me. This life was over; nothing was left for me to protect.
I turned my head to my father and smiled sadly; watching him bring the bottle down. I watched my life end. I wasn't sad and I wasn't nervous. He'd taken everything but this was the one thing he could give me. I was finally free.