Terrence

Chapter 6: Ending the Cycle

(Present Day)

Thirteen-year old Terrence sat on the wall waiting for his brother to pass by. He had finally learned of the secret route Mac took to avoid him. He'd pay the kid back with interest.

Mac soon rounded a corner. But he looked upset. Upon seeing Terrence he froze.

He looks like he's about to have a seizure. – Terrence

Just then three males turned to same corner.

"Hey kid," one said, "you didn't answer my question."

The other two, young Caucasian adults noticed Terrence.

"Hey kid," they said in recognition of another person who dressed similar to them, "you want a hit?"

"I don't do drugs," Terrence responded.

The three looked at Terrence shocked.

"It's a promise to my dad," Terrence revealed, "otherwise I'd bang the stuff like it's a woman," he added.

After a moment of silence the three burst out laughing.

Mac slowly edged towards his brother.

Terrence slid off the wall and stood in front of Mac.

"Run," Terrence mouthed.

"What?" Mac asked.

"Run," Terrence repeated.

"Hey!" the one who spoke to Mac said, "what do you think you're doing with that kid," he demanded walking forward.

Terrence cracked his knuckles.

"Being a big brother," Terrence said and punched the African American teen in the mouth.

"What the…!" one of the other two shouted.

Terrence looked to see Mac still standing there.

Shit, Terrence thought.

Terrence grabbed the younger Mac and ran.

"Why didn't you run you idiot?" Terrence demanded, "now I have to outrun three pushers!"

"I'm sorry," Mac said tearfully, "I was just walking and he saw my backpack," he explained, "said his name was Black John and he had a job for me."

Mac broke into tears without further explanation.

Terrence stopped. Not far from him stood Wilt and Cocoa. Two imaginary friends from the orphanage where Bloo now stayed.

Terrence threw Mac into Wilt's one long arm.

"Run," Terrence ordered.

Wilt looked to see three males turning a far off corner looking around.

"Just go," Terrence said slowly.

Wilt didn't fully understand what was going on. But the tall lanky friend knew it was bad.

Coco meanwhile stared at Terrence. She knew he was bad news. But couldn't understand why he was protecting Mac.

"They see you, they find him," Terrence explained, "run," he repeated.

Wilt finally understood and ran off with Coco in tow.

Terrence turned around, refusing to look back to see if his brother was okay. He instead crossed the street and pretended to walk without a care.

"Hey!" one of three shouted seeing him.

Terrence ran and grinned when he heard their footsteps. If they followed him to where he was going, he wouldn't need to runaway.

----

(Nightfall at the West Residence)

Mac carefully slipped into the apartment. He was late.

If Mom's home I'm dead. – Mac

"Mom's still at work," Terrence said causing Mac to scream, "she's taking the late shift again."

"Oh," Mac said shaking, "whoa," he said seeing Terrence's face.

"Keep going I had to take this for your stupidity," Terrence spoke.

Mac looked ashamed at his feet. Terrence's face was badly swollen and all he had from the encounter was a near heart attack and a bruised ego.

"You're going to pay me with your allowance," Terrence said suddenly.

"WHAT!" Mac shouted.

"As of next week you're handing me half of it for the next two months," Terrence announced.

Mac's mouth fell to the floor.

Then his eyes darkened.

"No," Mac refused.

"What?" Terrence demanded.

"I said no," Mac responded.

One slap sent Mac spinning across the room.

"You ungrateful little shit!" Terrence exploded, "I take a beating…"

"You never had to!" Mac shouted getting up, "I can take care of myself!"

Terrence froze seeing Mac's tear streaked face. The blood left on the wall from the impact gave Terrence flashbacks.

"Terrence!" Mac shrieked.

"Huh?" Terrence asked, "ew, get off me!" he shouted fling Mac off his chest.

Mac hit hard against the couch.

"You've been standing there crying for over fifteen minutes," Mac revealed.

Terrence touched his face. It was wet.

"Did…was your dad like this?" Mac asked.

Terrence looked at his scared sibling.

"Yeah," Terrence admitted, "he'd apologize sometimes, boy I hated him," he added.

"No you didn't," Mac spoke up, "I heard when you said you didn't take drugs because dad made you promise."

Terrence chuckled.

"I lied about that," Terrence revealed, "our father aside from being a construction worker was also muscle for a drug dealer," he revealed, "Mom told me a few years ago that he kept some documents for the man in that night table we weren't supposed to touch."

"What happened if you touched it?" Mac asked.

"You like asking dumb questions," Terrence responded.

Mac looked at his feet.

"Did he ever talk about me?" Mac asked.

"Dad said you caused Mom to leave him," Terrence said, "which is crap since she ran off because he would've let her lose a second baby," he revealed.

"I have another older sibling?" Mac asked surprised.

"Would've," Terrence told him, "he or she would've been older than me."

"But Mom lost the baby," Mac said softly, "why do you love dad?" he asked, "he sounds horrible," he said.

"Hey," Terrence said harshly, "you respect your father," he ordered.

A terrified Mac nodded.

Terrence sighed.

"Your grandfather," Terrence said, "did things to our father," he continued, "I'm surprised our father turned out how he did," he stated, "his life equals the recipe of a serial killer."

"But he killed our older brother or sister," Mac resonated.

"Well he didn't kill me," Terrence snapped, "he had good in him, I know it!" he shouted.

Mac scrounged up even smaller.

"Mom isn't innocent either," Terrence said, "she didn't fight most of it."

"She was scared," Mac said tearfully, "she must've been."

"Imagine me," Terrence said angrily.

Mac sniffled.

"Just forget it," Terrence told Mac, "mom learned and takes better care of you."

"Do you think Dad learned?" Mac asked.

To run. He's been on the run for years and hasn't sent as much as a post card. Boy I hate…no I don't. – Terrence

"I don't know," Terrence lied, "but he sure loved the house we used to live in," he recalled, "everything there was his, he didn't have to beg charity from anybody."

"Maybe that's the problem," Mac mused, "he didn't have to or want to ask anyone for anything."

"Maybe when he asked he was considered weak," Terrence suggested, "he always told me to stand straight, get educated, be a man, stand on your own two feet, earn everything you own," he listed.

"Sounds like a good list," Mac noted.

"It was," Terrence agreed, "but his way of enforcing it…"

Mac nodded understanding.

"It's funny," Terrence said grinning, "I've never acknowledged him as your father 'til today."

"Yeah," Mac nodded.

"But just as well," Terrence said, "I'll never say this twice," he announced, "but Mom's the better parent," he confessed, "with you," he added.

"What about before?" Mac asked.

"Mom's a great mother," Terrence told Mac, "it's just…the first time around was hectic," he stated, "things were hard but much smoother with you."

"Do you miss Dad?" Mac asked.

Terrence sat back remembering himself as the kid wanting nothing more than to play ball with his Dad.

"Yeah," Terrence admitted a lump in his throat.

Mac leaned into Terrence's side.

"You know that it will be back to normal tomorrow?" Terrence asked him, "this moment won't last."

"When will the cycle end?" Mac asked.

Terrence looked at him confused.

Mac sighed.

"When will we stop abusing each other, others?" Mac asked.

"The world uses people Mac," Terrence said simply.

"But we don't have to," Mac protested, "it starts with us."

"Hmm," Terrence said.

"If we fight the cycle we can end it," Mac said.

"It's not that simple," Terrence said suddenly.

"What?" Mac asked.

"If it were those psycho people wouldn't make so much money," Terrence stated.

"You mean psychiatrists," Mac connected.

Terrence gave Mac a wedgie.

"That's for being smart," Terrence said as Mac rubbed his aching butt, "but yeah, those people make loads hearing our problems."

Mac glared.

"I hope you have a fist to go with that glare," Terrence said holding up one of his.

Mac moved back fearfully.

Terrence burst out laughing.

"Don't worry bro," Terrence said, "you have the night off," he said, "but tomorrow," he said pointing at Mac, "you get it back with interest."

"Can it be the day after tomorrow?" Mac asked.

Terrence looked at him seriously.

"You can have my allowance for an extra two weeks," Mac offered.

Terrence's eyes grew small.

"Please," Mac begged now on his knees.

"If you sit on your ass yes," Terrence responded, "I hate seeing people beg," he revealed.

Probably has something to do with what Dad taught him. – Mac

"Do you think his Dad was like that?" Mac asked sitting down.

"I'll tell you this," Terrence said, "if Mom dies and he comes for us, I'm committing suicide," he said shocking Mac, "and that's if I can't run."

"What happens to me?" Mac squeaked.

"Hide out with Bloo at Fosters, commit a crime and go to prison, do anything not to live with that man," Terrence said firmly.

"Why?" Mac asked scared.

"He's a murderer," Terrence revealed.

"WHAT!" Mac screamed.

"He killed…dad's imaginary friend," Terrence revealed.

Mac ran to the bathroom and threw up.

Terrence felt his own stomach go queasy but forced it down. He couldn't be weak. Not even during a moment of being more open with his brother.

Mac came back looking green.

"Dad had imagined a two foot bonsai tree at age four," Mac said, "it died shortly after our dad turned seven."

"Why did grandfather kill it?" Mac asked sitting at Terrence's feet.

"I guess because Dad was showing love and affection to it and his dad always saw those things as weak," Terrence told Mac, "worst of all that guy told me he drowned it because it became as useful as Old Yeller and you know what happened to that dog."

"It became…it lost…what?" Mac responded.

"I guess he felt Dad needed to move on," Terrence said, "personally I think that's a bunch of crap and he just wanted to kill it," he added.

"Why?" Mac asked tearfully.

"I don't know!" Terrence shouted, "I just know imaginary friends give you weaknesses."

"Red isn't weak," Mac spoke up.

"He turned around and kicked my ass," Terrence countered, "he became an enemy I'm weak against."

Mac looked at his feet.

"You think imaginary friends make you weak?" Mac asked.

"Yes," Terrence told him.

"Then I feel sorry you," Mac said heading towards his room, "I know you love me," he said turning to Terrence, "I guess I always did deep down," he continued, "but thank you for affirming it today," he told Terrence, "even if everything goes back tomorrow," he said sadly, "I'll never forget today," he finished and went to bed.

Terrence watched his brother walk away.

After wiping a few tears from his eyes, he went to grab a soda.

"Stupid brother with his stupid nice words…" Terrence muttered.

Story Completed

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