Broken Chapter 4:

Author's note: WARNING! This chapter is kind of gruesome!

"Vaughn… sweetie, it's time to get up."

I opened my eyes and saw Mom smiling brightly. "Ugh… I don't want to go to school today."

Mom just laughed and opened the blinds, letting the sunlight flood into my bedroom.

"You don't want to miss your first day of school do you? Well, get dressed, your father and I will be downstairs waiting for you. I made porridge, your favorite!"

I jumped right of bed and got dressed as quickly as possible. I ran downstairs to the sweet smell of Mom's cooking. I didn't notice at the time, but there was a very strange silence between my mother and father. Being a first grader, I ignored it and ate my breakfast happily.

"Now, be careful Vaughn. Don't let the other children pick on you. Here's your lunch. The bus should be out there any minute."

I grabbed the paper bag lunch Mom made me and kissed her goodbye on the cheek. My dad walked over to me and rustled my hair.

"Good luck son. After school, maybe we can play some ball."

I smiled brightly at my father. "I can't wait! See you guys later!"

The bus had dropped me off at home at 3:00 as always and as I was walking towards the front door, my father stormed outside. He walked right past me and got into his truck. I ran to the car before he could leave; I noticed he was no longer wearing his wedding ring.

"Dad, where are you going?"

My father ignored me and started the car… I knew he could hear me, so why wouldn't he answer? "Dad, what's going on?"
He looked at me and I could see tears forming in the corner of his eyes. My father never cried…. What made him start today?

"Goodbye Vaughn. I love you."

I gave my dad a confused look. "Goodbye? Dad, where are you going?"

Dad clenched his hands on the steering wheel and pulled out of the drive way. I had no idea what was going on, so I tried my best to follow the car. "Dad, please wait! Please don't go!"

I yelled this over an over again until the old pick up truck was far from view. I ran back to the house, tears rolling down my face. "Mom, its Dad, h-he left!"

I looked at Mom, who was hunched over on the kitchen table and sobbing. What was going on? Everything seemed to be just fine this morning? What happened?

"Mom… why are you crying?"

Mom also ignored me and she continued to cry. I tugged on her sleeve, only then she looked up at me.

"G-Go away Vaughn… Go to your room," She hissed.

"M-Mom what did I do?"

Mom got up from the chair and glared at me. "GO AWAY!"

I flinched. Mom… never yelled like that.

Mom then fell to the ground as she continued to weep. Over and over again she told me how much she hated me. I clenched my fists, not being able to take it anymore and ran upstairs.

I remember that day clearly; I can still feel the hatred in Mother's eyes when she told me to go away. At the time, I didn't think things could get any worse. Little did I know it was only the beginning.

…broken...

I woke up in the basement… at least that's where I thought I was. Why was I here-?

I tried to get up, immediately regretting the very moment I did. Pain shot through my entire body; pain I had never experienced before. I yelled out in agony and began to shake. I laid back down on the cold, cement floor and touched my head. There was dried up blood across my forehead and a large gash. Before I knew it, my vision became blurry and I passed out again.

I opened my eyes, feeling a little better than before. My whole body was still aching all over. I managed to get up and find a damp rag to put over my head. I then heard the door open; the hallway light illuminating the dark basement.

"Are you awake," a shaky voice mumbled. I then saw my mother.

Mother slowly walked up to me, holding a kitchen knife. I tried my best to back away… only being stopped by the horrible feeling that was controlling my body at the moment.

She began to laugh. "I'm finally going to end this! I'm going to make you pay for everything you've done Gray!"

Gray? That was my father's first name. Why would she call me that?

"M-Mom it's me, Vaughn! I'm not Dad! P-Please stop this!"

I saw something in Mother's eyes that would haunt me for the rest of my life. It was something indescribable…. Something that wasn't normal…

"Look what you've done to this family Gray! I can never forgive you! You did this! YOU are the reason for everything that went wrong!"

I gathered up my strength and tried to hold my mom back. I placed my hand on her shoulders and gazed into her eyes; searching for any hint of sanity left in those tired, bloodshot, hazel eyes that used to belong to my caring mom.

"Please mom! I'm begging you to stop this! Please… I'm not Dad, I love you! I want you to get better… I want things to go back to the way they used to!"

Mother looked down and a single tear fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry, it's too late. It can never be the same again," She whispered.

She then slowly shoved the knife into my stomach; I could almost feel my life begin to slip away….

"I'm so sorry…. I can't stop hating you. Never."

Blood gushed out of my abdomen and trickled down my shirt. Mother then yanked the knife out and watched me fall to the ground, coughing up blood as well. A pool of red formed around me as my vision became blurry all over again.

The only thing I could see was Mother crying and falling to the floor next to me. I could feel her gently stroking my hair as well.

"It will all be over soon Gray. Soon we'll be together in paradise!"

Mother then placed the knife by her own stomach and stabbed her self over and over again. She cried out in pain each time.

"M-M-Mom….. n-no…. don't!"

My mom soon collapsed next to me, rapidly bleeding to death.

I began to cry even though it made everything feel so much worse. "W-Why?... M-Mom….. why did….. you do this?"

She smiled. "T-To be….. with you a-again, Gray. I want to go to a place where we can forget. And love eachother once more."

Mom reached out for my hand, and even though she believed I was Dad, not her son, and caused every single bruise, tear, all this pain, I let her hold my hand. It was the last time I could ever feel something like this.

"I-I love…. you…. Gray…"

"I….. love…. you ….. too Mom."

Memories of my short eight years here began to come to my mind. Soon, Mother's hand grew cold and I was once again falling asleep. But this time I wasn't expecting to wake up.

…...b.r.o.k.e.n...

"I'm playing tag, come on, you're it!"

"Is that what friends do?"

"Yeah….. that's what friends do."

"I'm glad we met, Vaughn."

It was only a few hours ago I was at this beautiful lake with Chelsea. Why did it seem like it was so long ago? I'm sorry Chelsea. I can't hold on any more. I hope you can find a new friend to play tag with.

I smiled when I felt death approaching. Finally, I don't have to worry about how to cover up the next black eye, figure out my next story to cover Mom, bullies, and going hungry. I felt at ease… peaceful. The only thing that lingered was the thought of losing my very first friend.

I did get to say goodbye. Didn't I?

Everything became black and I felt I was no longer apart of this world. I felt like the wind itself.

Then blinding white lights flashed; the sound of people yelling, and rushing was everywhere. And the pain and sadness came back.

I was alive once again.