A woman is in her living room, hiding under her couch. Footsteps approach her. They stop, with only their feet visible. They leave, and she hears the footsteps descend. She takes a sigh of relief. Suddenly she sees a face looking at her. She screams.
Therapist: It was a long day at the lab. You fell asleep on the couch. Then, you hear your window shatter, so you wake up. You see Dagon holding a gun. You hide under the couch and he finds you.
Therapist: Based on what you’ve told me, this is where things start to get scary.
Avery: Yes, as you might recall from what I’ve been telling you-
Therapist: Based on what you’ve told me, your dream wasn’t a dream, but instead, reality.
Avery: YEAH, IT WAS REALITY! WHAT DO YOU THINK I’M DOING? LYING?
Therapist: I never said you were. It’s hard to believe how the father of your children somehow came back to What did you say? ‘Get back at you?’ Get back at you for what, exactly?
Avery: Well, what do you think? He was an alcoholic, abusive toward the kids, so I took them away from him. At least I tried to take the boys, but he was SO much of a victim he got the boys. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES HE’S HIT THEM? HAVE YOU NOT SEEN THE BRUISES AND SCARS ON THEIR BODIES?
Therapist: Avery, please-
Avery: AND- AND DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I’VE CAUGHT HIM IN THE ACT, AND NO ONE BELIEVED ME, BUT THOSE BOYS EVERY NIGHT BEFORE BED, WERE BEING BEATEN.
Therapist: I can’t imagine the pain that must have put you in, but please, try to keep your voice down-
Avery: KEEP MY VOICE DOWN? DO YOU THINK THAT I’M GOING TO DO ANYTHING YOU SAY? YOU WERE PART OF THE PROBLEM, YOU LET HIM TAKE THE BOYS, AND YOU LET HIM BEAT THEM.
Therapist: Ma’am, please, try to remain calm.
Avery: REMAIN CALM? REMAIN CALM. DO YOU THINK I CARE ABOUT WHO HEARS THIS? THEY SHOULD LISTEN! THOSE NOSEY LITTLE-
Therapist: AVERY, PLEASE KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN.
Avery: YOU CAN’T MAKE ME DO ANYTHING!
Therapist: YOU ARE ACTING CHILDISH! CEASE THIS BEHAVIOR AT ONCE!
Avery: SCREW YOU AND EVERY OTHER THERAPIST IN THIS CRAPHOLE!
Avery storms out of the room with nothing but her rage,
Avery: They don’t understand. He hurt those boys. I had no choice but to take them away from him. He would have gotten away with it. It wasn’t my fault.
Voice: It’s your fault. IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT! AHHAHHAHHAHAHA
Avery: NO, IT’S NOT!
Everyone looks at Avery. She looks around to see Dagon everywhere. She runs out of the building.
Avery: time to get the kids
She arrives at the babysitter’s and knocks on the door.
Babysitter: Oh! Hello Avery! Kids! It’s your mother!
Avery: Thank you so much, Elana. I appreciate it.
Elana: Anytime!
Avery: How were the kids?
Elana: They were just fine. Though, Jasmine did say she saw her father.
Avery: Oh. I can imagine her saying she misses her father but seeing him. That’s impossible.
Elana: Yes, considering the fall, it would be impossible. Oh well, good riddance, right? Who knows what he would have done if he were still alive?
Elana giggles but Avery looks serious.
Avery: Though that is true, please, if you would, don’t talk about him like that in front of the kids.
Elana: As you wish.
Avery: Thank you. I wish I could stay a little longer, but I have to go now.
Elana: Well, have a nice night!
Avery: You as well, Elana.
Avery: Hi, my babies! Did you have fun with Auntie Elana?
Kids all together: Yeah!
Jasmine: Me and Godrick saw Daddy!
Godrick: We did! He was standing in the naptime area!
Avery: Godrick, Jasmine, what was the rule in which we don’t talk about your father? He was a selfish, manipulative, abusive man, and we don’t need that in our lives.
Godrick: I know we don’t talk about him, but it’s true. He was standing there, saying you killed him.
Aiden and Avery both look at each other.
Avery: He fell down the stairs, broke his neck, and died.
Godrick: Whatever you say, Mom.
Avery: We’re going out to eat. Guess where we’re going.
Jasmine: MCDONALDS
Avery: Nope.
Aiden: Jack in the box?
Avery: Nope.
Godrick: Where then?
Avery: The Serrano Buffet!!!!
All the kids together: YAYYYYYYY!!!!
Everyone rushes to the car. Avery closes her eyes and has visions of the murder, and she sees him drowning with the blood of Dagon on her hands. She heard Aiden’s voice faintly until it was so loud she snapped out of her vision.
Aiden.: MOM!
Avery: Yes, dear?
Aiden: Are we going to go now?
Avery: Yes, we can leave now.
Godrick: Are you ok, Mom?
Avery: Yes, I’m fine. Thank you, Godrick.
Jasmine: When are we going to leave?
Avery: Right now, hon.
They arrive at the restaurant, and Avery gets the kids out of the car. They enter the restaurant, ask for a table, and sit down.
Avery: You kids know what you want?
Jasmine: I want a taco!
Godrick: I’m not hungry.
Aiden: Same.
Godrick: No one asked you, favorite.
Aiden: I’m not her favorite.
Godrick: Why are you two so close, then?
Aiden: You’re acting like Dad. You want to keep Mom for yourself.
Godrcik quickly stands up. His eyes burned with rage.
Godrick: DON’T EVER CALL ME THAT PIECE OF CRAP EVER AGAIN.
Aiden: Alright, DAD.
Godrick runs out of the restaurant with tears in his eyes as Aiden laughs.
Avery: AIDEN, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! YOU KNOW HOW MUCH HE HATES YOUR DAD! TAKE JASMINE AND GO TO THE CAR NOW!
Aiden scoffs and takes Jasmine to the car. Avery runs after Godrick. She finds him hiding next to one of the pillars keeping up the building.
Godrick: Why does he hate me? All I want is to have a brother that loves me.
Avery: He does love you.
Godrick: No, he doesn’t. He calls me Dad after he knows how much I hate him.
Avery: Well, he’s a teenager. They don’t think before they speak. Even if they do, they don’t care because what they say doesn’t hurt them. He says that again, and I’ll show him how it feels.
Godrick: Thank you, Mom.
They walk to the car and drive home.
Avery: Aiden, you should be ashamed of yourself. If anything, you’re the one acting like your father.
Aiden rolls his eyes.
They arrive home, and Aiden gets an early bedtime. The rest stay up and watch a movie. After the movie, they go to bed, and after a few minutes, she hears Adien scream. She runs to his room to check if he’s alright. She barged into the room to see Aiden being strangled by an unseen force. She immediately grabs a baseball bat and starts swinging at whatever is holding him up. He eventually falls and breathes again.
Avery: AIDEN, WHAT HAPPENED?
Aiden: I- I- I don’t know. I just felt cold hands grabbing my throat. They felt like dads.
Avery suddenly gasped as she saw the silhouette of Dagon.
Avery: W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? WE-WE KILLED YOU.
Dagon: That is the very reason I’m here.
Jasmine walks into the room and seems excited to see her father.
Jasmine: Daddy!
Dagon looks at Jasmine. He looked back at Avery with a twisted smile, then rushed to Jasmine. He grabbed Jasmine and raised her above the house. Then, as he looked down at his smiling daughter, he dropped her from miles above the ground. As soon as he let go, Jasmine let out an ear-piercing scream. Avery looked up in horror as she saw her daughter freefalling.
Avery: YOU MONSTER!
Dagon: let’s see how you like having your daughter taken from you.
Avery knew what he wanted. She turned around to Godrick.
Avery: I killed your father.
Godrick’s eyes widened as his mother uttered the last word. He put his hand over his mouth and started to cry.
Godrick: why...? Why would you kill him?
Avery: I did it to protect you. If he weren’t such an abusive individual he would still be alive. He did it to himself.
Dagon smiled with satisfaction and then caught Jasmine. He put her down next to Avery. She rushed to Jasmine and hugged her, and cried. Jasmine stood with what can only be described as pure fear. Godrick was still sobbing at the thought of his mother being a murderer. Avery looked up in rage at Dagon, but he was gone.
Godrick: Why...? Why would you kill him...? he was our father. He may not have been the best one, but he was ours.
Avery: I already explained it. He was abusive, and he needed to die.
Godrick: I would have understood if you told me what you did and not lied to me.
Avery: I did it so he would never hurt you or your brother and sister ever again.
Godrick: You mean nothing to me anymore.
Avery: GODRICK THATCHER DON’T SAY THAT TO ME I’M YOUR MOTHER!!
Godrick: YOUR NO MOTHER OF MINE!
Avery: GO TO YOUR ROOM NOW!
Avery looks at her other kids and starts crying. Jasmine looks at her mother in tears but says nothing. Aiden stared at his mother with guilt. Godrick sits in his room and all of a sudden his eyes turned smokey-grey. Neon-red flames are surrounding them.
Godrick: Oh no, not again.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Wow, just wow