~The Beginning Of The End~

Carlos woke up this morning with a sinking feeling of misplacement and hurt. He had drunk himself to a blinding stupor last night and so the morning became a hazy mess. He struggled to keep his eyes open and struggled for them to remain that way. It was torture but it was better than for his father to walk in on him in that degrading state. He didn't want to be with the man under the same roof.

He gazed at what was now a shadow of his handsome self in the reflection. There are visible eyebags that could house a box of ice cube in them and dark circles around them. His cheeks had sunken in like a man without food and water for months. It was as a result of strictly eating junk foods or nothing at all as he often preferred to eat out or remain indoors until his father stepped out.

After he had scrubbed off anything that could implicate him in case he bumped into the grumpy man on the way, he dug into his closet to retrieve from his truckload of clothes, one which he held very dear to his heart because of the memory it held. It was a green hoodie with the name of his late mom and her birth date written boldly on the back.

He contemplated whether or not to wear it but went with putting it on when he saw how fast time was flying. If he spent any more time deciding on irrelevant things, he could get in trouble. He grabbed his bag from the foot of the bed and his car keys off his reading desk. Phone in hand, he started with unlocking the numerous bolts which he had installed on his door. They kept him safe from being the object of violence and ridicule whenever his father came home reeking of expensive alcohol. They shielded him when no one else was able to.

The door clicked open at the last bolt. He sized up and down the corridor for the sight of black hair similar to his. Seeing no one in view, he crept out. Immediately, he bolted downstairs to his car with the hoodie draped over his head. As he got to his car, someone stopped him in his tracks. It was Jovita, his father's wife.

"What?" He snapped impatiently.

She stretched her hand forward and in her dainty fingers were a cup of drugs for his panic attack seizures. "You dropped these."

He looked at her curiously before taking it out of her hand with a small murmur of appreciation. "Wait!" He called before she stepped back into the house.

"Is there anything else you need me to do?" She inquired.

The question was not out of a sense of duty like a mother would ask. It was as a result of the fear his father had instilled in her. She wasn't happy with the marriage but the money kept her locked in and bought her silence. That wasn't the case now and Carlos knew it. She wanted out. Of course who wouldn't? Even he did too.

"Can't you go back to your family? My dad's a monster. You are going to end up dead before anyone realizes it. Save yourself now while you can." Carlos found himself advising.

She looked down at her fingers. "I can't go back, Carlos. Due to greed, I left my loving family for here and now look where it got me. In the hands of a merciless man. I'm tired of it but I can't leave. The shame--"

"Do you think you have anymore shame left? Everything was striped away the moment you stepped foot into our house. You can still leave while it's possible to. If you want, you can go in and take your things. Leave before he gets back." He pressed further. He was anxious for a life that wasn't even his. When did that start?

She shook her head. "He will find me and then finish me off." Tears slowly formed in her eyes.

"Go back to your old family for help. If you can, meet the cops or an organization for women's right and all of that shit, you'll be safe with them." He paused, tasting his next words in his mouth. They were like gall but he proceeded with them all the same. "Nicolas might be tough but he's sure to take you back. He's got the most squishy heart ever so that wouldn't be an issue for him."

Finally she nodded but he wasn't sure maybe it was to disperse their meeting or she was really going to do as advised. Either way, it was to his gain. Afterall, he had risked five extra minutes when he should have been on his way to school.

He inclined his head and watched as she walked with a slight limp back inside the house. He was forced to shake his head in pity for the woman. Igniting the engine of his car, he reversed out of the parking lot and out of the gate.

As he drove, he raised the hoodie to his lips and kissed it. It was the only memory he had left of his mother and it often kept him sane from anxiety attacks each time it struck and the cloth was within his reach. As he got to a crossroad, his phone dinged in its console. He reached out, immediately turning it off. Whatever was being posted or whoever posted was none of his business.

He continued the drive in complete silence, enjoying the delicious feel of the wind in his hair and licking around his face. All seemed fine until the moment he stepped out of his car. Various eyes bored into his body at the same time. He tried to put up a nonchalant attitude about it but the stares were overwhelming and intimidating too. A few months ago, he wouldn't have bothered about the looks but after being so much used to solitude for a while, the looks threatened to drown him in guilt from nowhere.

"He really is the murderer." Someone said in a hush.

Carlos almost stumbled in shock as he walked up the stairs. "What murder did I commit?" He murmured to himself.

The hallway was no better when he walked in. Every head turned as though they had been awaiting his arrival for the party to officially kickstart. Various whispers went up and phones started recording. He tried to prevent pictures from being taken but no one cared. He started retreating back to his car. At that moment, nowhere seemed safer than his own home. Monster dad or not.

He turned back to walk out as the volume of the voices increased behind him. They followed right on his trail.

"This is more than enough proof of his guilt. Why else is he running away with his tail between his legs like a toothless dog?"

"I totally agree with you on this one. The Carlos we know never backs out from trouble despise what it is about."

The words were all the same but spoken in diverse ways. It pointed out that he was guilty of something he had no idea of. But what could it be?

Carlos retraced his steps back to the parking lot where he pressed a green button on his car's remote. He reached out to pull the door open when a hand from nowhere slammed it shut. In anger, he folded his fist to throw a heavy punch when his brain registered the navy blue color of the police uniform.

He whirled around in shock as his heart began an over laboured rhythm. Heat poured into his palms like they were set over a pot of boiling broth.

One of the officers stepped up to him. "Mr Carlos Alejandro, right? Were you heading somewhere? Isn't it supposed to be a school morning?"

Carlos nodded, swallowing the heavy lump which had lodged itself in his throat and nodded. On the hem of the green hoodie, he wiped his clammy hands. "Yes, I'm Carlos and I just wanted to take something out of my car."

The officer continued. "We would like you to come with us to the station for some questioning and after you can come back here. We have questions we think only you can give accurate answers to."

The beat of his heart spiked up several times over. He was dead meat if his father found out he was accosted by the police with accusations he was not involved in. His only option was to bail out of there.

And bail he would.

~~~{•}~~~

Another OMG chapter
It's happening guys...and the book is slowly concluding
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Leave a vote if this was your best chapter yet
~~Chignature~~