Stop A Bullet - Chapter Four

Stop A Bullet1

Chapter Four2

“N-nothing,” Tanya lied walking over to the sink. She tipping the Crimson, down the sink Releasing her stress.3

“Well that was a waste,” I said instantly trying to sooth the mood. The anticipation was now surrounding the air, thick like smoke.4

Trey was not convinced one bit as he stood his ground. his hands still by his side although they were edging forwards. His tight fist gripping the edge of his shirt. he almost looked like I had just a few minutes ago, and that frightened me. I knew how aggressive he could be, and would be, once my mothers secret was out.5

“Don't lie to me Tanya. Do not lie,” he growled motioning forward into the lounge room. His eyes darting around the room to where my mother's brief case lay unlocked. Her papers scattered all over the lounge room floor. 6

His eyes widened, pupils dilating. The veins in his arms bulged firmly against his untouched skin. 7

“What is this,?” he said asked screwing up his face. His impression, like he had just sucked a lemon. His face turning a brute red as Tanya's had during our heated argument only minutes ago.8

I watched him. I was edgy as my heart rate increasing again. 9

“She dropped her briefcase,” I lied quickly in my mother defense. 10

I could see it in his body, not his face. 11

The questions must have been swirling around in his mind. So many of them. Pondering all the possibilities that lay hidden behind my lie. It was enough to give me a headache, but I was not worried at all about getting a headache. I was to busy maneuvering myself away from the kitchen and into the lounge room. I was already on all fours gathering Tanya's papers. Ready for the showdown to begin.12

“Tanya, do not play with my patience. Answer me now. What is all this shit doing on my lounge room floor, and what the fuck where you two arguing about?”13

I raised my head looking up to face Tanya's petrified eyes. She stood still. her face hidden behind her hair. Her fingers lacing the edge of the glass. Her fingers coated in the Crimson mess.14

“You might as well just tell him,” I whispered, trying hard not to get involved as the words jut rolled of my tongue. 15

I wanted this over and done with. The fighting, the arguments all of it. It was nearing Three A.M now and I already felt like I had ran marathon, Fifty times there and back.”16

“Be quiet Taint. I will do the talking,” Tanya said softly, calmly, looking at Trey as he walked through the lounge room, kicking the pile of papers I had just piled high. 17

What a waste of time I thought to myself. 18


I immediately gathered the papers into a pile again, though I did not dare complain. I was not stupid enough to complain in Trey's furious position. 1519

“No, let him talk its not as if you will be talking anywhere in the near future. You are a pathetic bitch,” he spat, twirling his body around to face me. His rippled abs heaving as he breathed heavy. his nostrils inflamed with fury. 20

I could tell he was trying desperately hard to keep his voice down. His slightly unhinged emotions stable, but so far it did not seem to be doing him any justice. he looked purple in the face, and his body was no secret from sweat.21

“No. let the boy talk,”Trey said. His eyes looking darkly into mine, silver and sharp like daggers ready to penetrate my skin.22

I stopped piling Tanya's papers. Looking up at both of their eyes upon mine.23

It was now or never. I could do the talking. Maybe cut Tanya some slack, but I was not getting involved any deeper in this mess than I already was. Trey already had Tanya's head ready to serve on a platter. The last thing I needed to go to school with was a black eye.24

“Tanya- Mum,” I paused. The words ready to spew from my mouth.25

“Tanya lost her job.”26

Trey's body did not loosen. His anger did not dull. 27

His hands were gripped the bench as if he was about to loose his footing any second. Ready to fall flat on his face. The only thing that changed in his face was the burning desire to hit someone. Not that it changed all that much. It increased as he gritted his teeth. His eyebrows burrowed deep. Hiding his steel cold eyes as he turn his body slowly to face my mothers.28

The room went silent. The deathly sound hollow in the room full of anxiety. 29

A few minutes in passing was enough to drive me insane. I had done her dirty work and she sure as hell could do the rest. It was over. I knew it. There was no love in either of their eyes only fury: confusion and a need for questions to be answered, and answered fast.30

“That is what we were arguing about,” I said said bluntly. A solemn feeling of dread washing over me quickly. 31

“That is all I know,” I lied again. I looked at Tanya whose face had turned an awful ghostly shade of White. 32

There was not much more I could say without being dragged into the conversation any more than I already had been, and yet as my eyes were locked in hers I could not for the life of me move.33

34

I was frozen- dead to the spot, and no amount of coaxing from my conscience would allow my body to move from my statue like presence. 35

A few minutes more passed. 36

My heart beat not slowing in tempo. Now more than ever I could hear the internal thumping cruel melody, of my heart in my ears distant yet loud ,then the ringing. Much like a bell being rung in a high tower. It was the mostly sickly sound I had ever heard in my life. It was worse than Maggie's mournful pleading and screaming. 37

It was the moments before Trey spoke his first words, that I knew I would remember them for the remainder of my life. That horrific sound that had my stomach lurching for the bathroom. My body was stiff and rigid. My blood pulsing through my body like a rushing angry river awaiting a deadly waterfalls drop.38

“Is that true?” Trey asked sharply, bluntly. The anger dulling. Replaced with despair.39

Tanya nodded.40

Her fingers wrapped around the glass like it was her only means of support. The tears gushing from her eyes. She did not hold them back, did not even try. She just let them fall smothering her clown like face. painting a clear picture of regret and sorrow. For loss: guilt and panic. For what was to become of her attempt at hiding her secret from Trey.41

“How? Why? When,”Trey splattered. He grabbed a nearby stool dragging it to the bench. Placing it down, beckoning Tanya to be seated.42

For the first time in the many years I had lived with Trey I saw something in his eyes:
Something different. Something internal. something sacred. Something that all humans should of possessed. Yet I had never once seen it: heard it, lived it in his presence.43

For the first time in so many years. I saw compassion in his eyes. Trey was human after all. 44

Something different, something internal, something sacred, something that all humans should of possessed; yet I had never once seen it, heard it, lived it in his presence. For the first time in so many years, I saw compassion in his eyes: Trey was human after all.45

Trey did not speak, he just pulled up another stool in font of Tanya and placed his hands on her lap.46

His body sunk, his shoulder humped over as he placed his finger on her cheek to wipe away the tears that seemed to look like they were never going to stop.47

“Lets start with how,” he said calmly, a twinge of the normal Trey still lingering in his voice. Yet the new Trey showed no sign on burning in fury to slap the words from her lips. For once he seemed calm, cool, not so much collected: but willing to hear her out, willing to know the truth.48

It baffled me in so many ways to see him to a one-eighty in matter of seconds; it was to good to be true. I was just waiting, patiently for him to tear her apart. My blood rush slowing down, my body relaxing only slightly as the mood was dulled, the atmosphere completely different, my body not knowing how to react; I had never them like this before.49

Tanya sniffled, her hands moving to where Trey had them softly placed on her lap. She open her mouth, inhaling deeply, the words not ready to come out. But as he body sunk, her shoulders relaxing against the back on the stool she inhaled deeply once more, wiping her own tears before staring Trey directly into the eyes, ready to answer his question.50

“For starters I did not loose my job, I lied, I quit my job today because of Larry Coles.”51

Immediately I felt Treys eyes on me, disappointed and anger lurking behind his brows. Though he did not move. He kept his eyes locked on mine searching for something, before returning them to Tanya's his hand caressing her thigh.52

“What bout Larry Coles? Thought that work was going well,” he asked, stating the truth.53

My mother had, had a smooth run in her working as an editor of our local newspaper. Every so often she had suffered a few hiccups with Larry Cole, but that was nothing new. 54

The guy was an offender as she had stated before and she was not the only one he had tried to prey on, there were others, other women and men working at the newspaper that had reported him, yet nothing had proceeded those complaints. 55

Larry had just received a slap on the wrist and a week suspension from work, the boss must of known he would have been a fool to fire him, but that did not mean that Larry could condemn himself to repeating his offenses: even I knew that.56

Tanya sighed, tired and drained she bit her lip as if pondering her words and returned her attention to Trey and his first question of the night.57

“It was going well, but there is only so much I can take Trey. Don't you think that I would feel the same way if some of those hussy's from work was making a pass at you? Wouldn't you make a complaint is she proceeded to go after you?”58

I swallowed, feeling a lump in my throat beginning to thicken in a tight ball that felt like it was strangling my every breath.59

I knew the answer to that question. It was as obvious as the sky was black at night, but I dared not make a comment and I knew in myself that Tanya knew the answer to that question. She never was good at using other people as examples in an argument, even with my biological father: that was of course when my father was still with us and Trey had not even belonged in the picture of our dysfunctional, secretive, family.60

Tanya must have been on the same wave length as me for next words that escaped her lips, she could of damn well sole mine.61

“No, don't answer that question,” she sniffed,” The point is I am not staying in a job, even if it pays well just to be violated. Think of Maggie, would you like her growing up around me who treat her life a piece of meat?”62

Trey did not answer, he sat silent not daring to turn in my direction, and with good reason. 63

For the lump in my throat that had grown into what felt like a golf ball slid dangerously down my throat, constraining my breathing until I inhaled deeply reminiscing how the nights events had unfolded up until this point in time: my lips were sealed.64

Maggie, being treated like a piece of meat. It was almost ironic, I had to hold back with every ounce of strength that I had in my body not to say anything, for Trey was no where near the innocent man that my mother was making him out to be. I was sure that Larry Coles would look like an ant compared to Trey, in the way of violating women. 65

Trey shook his head, his hand leaving my mother thigh.66

“No,” he said sharply, the anger quickly replacing his calmness.67

I knew it had been to good to be true. I could not blame him though, if I was half the man Trey was then I myself, had I been older would have gone after Larry Coles, if only to give him a friendly warning to keep his perverted hands away from my mother. But I was not Trey and I hoped I never would be, then yet again this was not my fight to battle, it was my mothers and to a certain extent even though I hated to admit; Treys.68

“What exactly did Larry do this time?” he asked sitting back, his foot resting on the foot of Tanya's stool. His shoe pressed so hard that the tip bent over the steel edge, nearing Tanya's bare foot. 69

“It is not important what he did, what is important is that I made a decision for my own self respect and dignity and like I told Taint, I did not just do it for me I did it for my children as well.”70

“TO HELL WITH IMPORTANCE,” Trey yelled gripping my mother by the shoulder, causing both myself and Tanya to almost jump out our skin. 71

“WHAT THE HELL DID HE DO TO YOU TANYA.”72

I shuddered, paying no attention to the pile of papers. My body suddenly able to move again in quick deference of my mother. Fear striking me faster than a bolt of lightening in a thunder storm. He could scream, yell, cry and shout, but I was not going to just sit here and watch my mother get beaten to a pulp my an aggressively, impulsive, brute.73

“HE RAPED ME,” Tanya screamed forcing Trey of her violently, shaking body, the impact near close to pushing him backwards of the stool he was sitting on.74

I stepped closer, slowly my stomach twisting into a sight knot of despair. 75

Larry Coles had raped my mother? How could he have she, it only took her ten minutes from the time she knocked of from work to get back home? How could Larry Coles have possibly raped her in that amount of time and no one find out? Hell how could he have done it at all? Was he really that stupid?76

“He did what?”Trey hissed, a little taken back from my mother violent actions, but still standing his ground as he he slid of the stool, knocking it to the floor beside her.77

Tanya stood still, her body trembling as she hysterically tried to answer him, her voice strangled, constrained by the mucus that ran from her nose, covering her lips like a chap-stick and the fear of Treys actions.78

“H..he..ra... raped me,” she whispered her hands gripping the stool, her head bowed down in embarrassment.79

“Larry Coles raped me Trey... He raped me.”80