Scary Father

Hector Rodriguez is a boy who grew up in a small town on the Mexico-United States border, living with his parents and older sister.

Hector and his sister were ten years apart, which was the perfect age difference for siblings in a family.

The city is called Tijuana. That night, it was quiet and silent; the cold weather made no one come out.

They are reluctant to leave the radiator's warmth and prefer chatting with the family.

A cup of warm, sweet coffee and freshly cooked food is more tempting than leaving the house in this unfriendly temperature.

In this quiet moment, there was the sound of feet stepping on a tree trunk that had fallen on the floor because it was old and brittle.

Krek!

There was a figure of a boy, and behind the whitewashed wall of the house, a shadow appeared, walking slowly and creeping.

Occasionally, he looked back and forth to check his surroundings; he didn't want anyone to find him.

It turned out that Hector was a small boy with a slightly skinny build, above average height for a child his age, hiding from a figure he didn't want to meet.

Hector seemed to be avoiding something with a very frightened face.

Hector's heart beat faster than usual. Hector's breathing was ragged, and he seemed to be panting.

Hector's legs were shaking as he tried to stay standing, hiding his fear by occasionally crouching down and bending over to hide.

Hector's white face looked pale with confusion as if he was thinking.

Occasionally, he would peer over the wall where he was hiding. Hector felt it was the safest place for him to hide.

Confused was all she felt at the moment.

He was silent for a moment, doing nothing as he stayed awake, waiting for something to find him there.

Fear

Hector must have felt an overwhelming sense of fear, for now, he could only hide.

Hector's right hand was holding something, clutching it tightly.

Hector was hiding the object behind his small body.

"Knife?"

Hector was holding a knife, but what for?

It was a long, shiny, sharp object, a kitchen knife that belonged to his mother. But why was he holding it?

It seemed that Hector was going through something very frightening at that moment.

For a child of his age to decide to do something beyond a ten-year-old's comprehension.

"Dust!" A female voice called Hector softly from the darkness, trembling as if she were in the same situation.

"Sssssst!" she repeated, but the whisper was louder this time. "Hector."

Fear, confusion, anxiety, and excitement all mixed in that voice.

Suddenly, Hector was startled and turned to the left to look at the side of the house that was not exposed to the night lights.

Hector's forehead furrowed, and a few lines appeared between his eyebrows as he tried to see who was calling him.

"Hecto, it's me." Hector seemed to recognize the voice; indeed, it was Helena, Hector's older sister, searching for him in the darkness of the night.

"Helena?" called Hector tremblingly, "is that you?" Hector asked.

"Yes, it's me. Come here, Hector!" Helena said in the darkness in a low voice. Come quickly!" she repeated.

As he approached the direction the voice was coming from, Hector slowly moved to the slightly dark side of the house where Helena, his sister's voice, was coming from.

Hector quickly ran over and hugged Helena, relieved to find someone to protect him.

With tears in his eyes, the ten-year-old boy ran into Helena's arms, and they warmed each other in their arms that night.

The night was so cold, the wind so strong that it felt piercing between their bones.

"Helena. I'm scared," Hector whispered with tears in his eyes.

"Calm down Hector calm down, I'm with you don't cry anymore!"

"Yes, I'll calm down, but protect me!" said Hector repeatedly.

"I'll protect you; don't be afraid!" Helena said, trying to comfort her brother.

Hector felt God was with him then, sending Helena when he needed her most.

After that.

Tap!

Tap!

The pounding of footsteps filled Hector and Helena's ears, and the loud sound of boots hit the wooden floor of the house.

The house had wooden floors, typical of the Mexican state of Tijuana countryside.

And then

BREAK!

BREAK!

The house door was opened violently and loudly as if it was being pushed and slammed with great force.

"Huh." Hector and Helena were surprised to hear the door slam.

They looked in the direction of the sound and saw the figure of a man in the darkness.

Tall and big, and his hair was long, as if it had never been combed.

"He's coming!" said Hector, frightened.

"Hurry and hide," whispered Helana.

The figure of the man in the room, which they couldn't quite see because it was to the right of where they were hiding.

The man was leaning against the half-open door and looking out.

The man was Sebastian Rodriguez, the father of Hector and Helena.

A drunk, often abusive and violent towards her mother and them.

He didn't work; he was just a useless unemployed man.

His life was spent drinking, which is not healthy for someone his age.

Sebastian could be a better example for his children.

Maia Rodriguez, Hector, and Helena's mother is forced to work to support them and send them to school.

She works as a waitress in a fast-food restaurant near their home.

She was a wonderful, beautiful, patient mother who greatly loved her family.

Maia endured years of patience with Sebastian, whose only job was to get drunk and abuse her.

In the eyes of Hector and Helena, Maia was very much in love with Sebastian.

The abuse, beatings, and torture Maia endured every day from the man who was supposed to be responsible for her and the children.

Knock!

Knock!

She got out.

Sebastian staggered out of the house, his body slightly bent.

He kept calling out because he knew Hector wasn't in the house.

This afternoon's fight made Adam so angry that he ran out of the house when he saw his parents fighting.

Under the influence of alcohol, Sebastian's temper got the better of him, and he threatened Maia with a kitchen knife.

There was never any peace in the house.

He knew his mother was in danger,

Plak!

Hector struck Sebastian's knife-wielding hand.

He hit him from behind, startling Sebastian.

The knife fell to the floor, out of Sebastian's reach.

His little body looked so fast and strong; the ten-year-old was trying to be a hero to his mum.

Hector ran to the fallen knife, hurried to pick it up and carry it away, then ran out of the house and hid.

"Hector! Hector! Where are you?" A rather long and heavy-sounding voice called to the ten-year-old in a trembling voice.

Sebastian took a sip from the drink in his hand.

Hector's face was sadistic and violent as if he no longer knew what he was doing.

Hector raised his eyebrows, his eyes bulging. His unconsciousness made him stagger; he seemed incapable of standing straight and true.

Occasionally falling, then rising again.

Still searching for Hector.

"Hector!" He kept calling.

"Come out Hector!" Sebastian called, "I know you're there, in the dark, watching me! Hahahaha!"

Sebastian walked out of the house, looking for where Hector was hiding as if he knew Hector wouldn't go far from the house.