The Past III

David walked back home in a very good mood. He loved spending time with Elena, and after going on all the rides with her at the park, he felt delighted. As he was walking down the sidewalk on his way home, he thought, 'Perhaps, tomorrow I should tell Elena to make visiting the park a weekly thing.'

After all, he really enjoyed the rides. And it also helped him keep his mind off of certain things. The closer he got to his home, the fainter the smile on his lips became and the slower he went, until finally, he was walking at a snail's pace, almost as if he didn't wish to reach home.

However, he had to. He took his phone from his pocket and looked at the time on the broken screen. It was already past dinnertime, even though it wasn't like there would be dinner at home anyway. A hint of fear flashed past his eyes as he muttered, "I hope he isn't awake."

About five minutes later, he finally reached his apartment building. He lived in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Brooklyn, so his apartment looked pretty dilapidated from the outside. One could even see homeless people, pimps, and drug dealers loitering on the streets.

He carefully made his way into his building without unnecessarily making eye contact with others. As he climbed the stairs to his apartment, his heart rate began rising and his palms turned sweaty. He prayed to god that his father had fallen asleep.

David fished out his keys and slowly unlocked the door without making much sound. As the door creaked open, his face couldn't help but contort, afraid the sound would attract attention. After waiting a few more moments, he finally shut the door.

As soon as he entered his apartment, a borderline rotten smell drifted into his nostrils along with the stench of booze. He lived in a one-bedroom apartment with his father. He slept on the couch in the living room, while his father had the bedroom all to himself.

To say that the living room was messy would be an understatement. There were clothes, paper wrappers, and empty alcohol bottles, amongst other things, strewn around. In the corner was a recliner facing a small television.

David turned on the lights and his gaze landed on a pile of 'Final Notice' envelopes on the table in the kitchen. And beside the pile of envelopes sat a figure, reeking of booze. When David saw him, he stumbled back in fear. "D-Dad!"

He instinctively raised his hands and put them in front of his face, trying to protect himself. A few seconds passed, yet nothing happened. He slowly opened his fingers and peeked from behind his hands, only to see that his father had passed out at the table.

He lowered his hands and breathed a sigh of relief. He switched off the lights and slowly began walking toward the couch in the living room where he slept. He turned on the flashlight on his phone and tiptoed forward, afraid that he would trip over a piece of trash and wake his father up.

After carefully maneuvering his way through the living room, he finally reached the couch. He gently lay his backpack on the ground, got on top of the couch, and immediately covered himself with the blanket. He prayed that the night would remain peaceful.

A few minutes passed, and just when his eyes started to feel heavy, David heard a creaking sound come from the direction of the kitchen. 'Shit!' he cursed in his heart as his body involuntarily trembled.

He heard the sound of his father grunting, followed by a thud. David believed that his father had probably fallen from his seat at the table or simply stumbled on the floor in his drunken stupor. Whatever the case, he hoped that his father didn't come toward him.

Under the blanket, he curled up into a fetal position as his body continued incessantly trembling in fear. Soon, he heard the sound of footsteps and much to his horror, the footsteps were coming in his direction.

'PLEASE, NO, NO!' David screamed in his mind as the footsteps drew near. He covered his mouth with his hand so as to muffle the sound of his breathing. He was terrified of what would happen should his father realize that he was awake. Nobody would want to experience that hell.

Soon, the sound of footsteps reached just in front of the couch, then all sounds suddenly ceased. David felt his heart beating faster and faster. About a minute passed and he felt as if his father was staring him in the eye through the blanket.

That minute felt like an eternity to David.

A single tear slid down his face as he prayed in his heart for his father to ignore him and go away. Just when he thought that he would have to endure his father's beating again, there was a sound!

It was the sound of footsteps, and they seemed to be receding. Soon, they completely faded as David heard the sound of a door slamming shut. He finally confirmed that this father had entered the bedroom.

His body finally stopped trembling as he breathed a sigh of relief. Unbeknownst to him, his back had been drenched in cold sweat, and only now did he realize it.

A wry smile formed on his lips as tears trickled down his face. 'I wonder how long this'll go on…. I wonder what I did to deserve all of this.' His father had always neglected him and physically abused him whenever he felt like it. Never once had he shown him an ounce of affection.

'Dad… do you really believe I was the one that killed mom?' David's eyes reddened and his lips quivered. He continued silently sobbing, still afraid to make a sound.

A few minutes later, he finally stopped crying and thought back to the time he had spent earlier with Elena. When he thought about her, he couldn't help but smile a little. And when he thought about the kiss, he felt a weird sensation in his heart.

"Elena…" he muttered softly under his breath, his eyes shining with a hint of confusion. He had never felt this way before. For as long as he could remember, he never knew what affection was and couldn't help but wonder, 'Is this… what they call love?'