Gone

- "Sometimes the people you love the most, are the ones that hurt you the worst" -

~ Anonymous

The morning was quiet, save for the distant God given alarm clock in the backyard. Liam was engulfed by solitude and the reality of his own weakness as he gazed long and hard at his distorting reflection in the mug of green tea with each lazy stir. How easy it seemed for life to become full of action and change directions in the blink of an eye. Just when he thought that perhaps there could be a chance. He flattened his back against the cold wall and melted to the floor of the hallway that was so narrow that not even the width of it was enough to fit his outstretched legs. His back was arched, his shoulders slummed and the only thing warm was the mug of tea sitting in his cupped palms.

"Good morning, cheesecake. You seem to be up early."

It was Jenna, his mother. Her footsteps were so soft against the wooden stairs that he hadn't heard even the whisper of her presence when she entered the kitchen or maybe his mind was just too far. He observed her movements from a distant like a predator watching a prey. He noticed the purple eyebags under her eyes had increased and she seemed to be slowly developing scoliosis. Her skinny fingers drew the curtains and the sunlight immediately consumed the room without asking. She didn't seem to be doing so well compared to how she used to appear in the past.

"As of late, you seem lost in thought and worried. What's up with you? Is it some girl?" Jenna chuckled, half her body hidden by the open fridge door.

"I guess I've been thinking a lot lately," he replied, sipping the tea before wincing the moment the hot liquid burned his tongue.

"Thinking a lot? Since when? I thought math would become easier since that girl has been helping you out," she shone a smile his way before adding, "You've been working so hard since you've gotten here. I'm actually so proud of you."

He made a small smile which vanished as quick as it appeared.

"Why don't you go wake Derek up and come help out with the breakfast. I'm thinking of making sweet potatoes and braised chicken."

He exhaled and traced the rim of the mug with his finger. She seemed to have something on her mind too but was at no time willing to reveal it. She was rummaging through the cabinets in search of the cleanest pot she could find to steam the potatoes and swore under her breath when she found a surprise cockroach scamper out of a dark corner. Not before long when she had finally found a slipper and ended the insect's life, she threw a glance over at the dim hallway and noticed the outline of her son's lone figure.

"Why have you not gone yet, boy? You know that Derek has to do his daily exercises and I need help with washing the potatoes!"

His glassy eyes remained on her and he rose without a word. She was certain he was going to carry out the order like he always would but instead, Liam made his way to the kitchen, pulled out one of the stools and took a seat before placing the mug of tea on the counter.

"I need to tell you something, mom. It's urgent."

She gasped audibly and her countenance changed. Her eyes brimmed with concern and the rise and fall of her chest increased in a split second. It was almost as if she could read his mind and already knew what he was going to say.

"He's back."

The words struck her heart and she clenched her teeth with a display of mixed emotions on her face. She gripped the edge of the counter before fiddling with the edge of her skirt. Her complexion turned pale and her heart began to beat rapidly. It was not the typical reaction that Liam had expected.

"B-Benjamin's back, eh?" she croaked as if the words hurt the walls of her throat before they rolled off her tongue.

Liam swallowed hard and wrinkled his forehead. He could feel his body begin to shudder. The whole atmosphere of the kitchen had dropped to several degrees despite it being sunlit. Even the tea had lost it's warmth.

"Well.. Liam... I had something I've been meaning to tell you too."

His eyes instantly fluttered over to hers and he felt his heartbeat begin to increase rapidly like ten thousand men on horses. He was certain that if anyone was within his reach, they too would be able to hear it. There was an emotion plastered to her face, one that left her looking everywhere else but at his gaze, one that left her in a cold sweat, one that he couldn't quite identify.

"I already knew."

His lips parted, his jaws dropped and he was out of breath as he stared longer at his mother's guilty face.

"I'd been meaning to tell you for so long," her eyes began to fill with water as she bit her bottom lip, "To tell you the day when he found me..."

"Mom, are you okay?" Liam rushed up with concern and cupped her elbow gently.

"...the day he found me in the market and offered me a proposal..."

His expression became twisted and he felt his thoughts begin to mingle with each other, trying to find a response to the gaze and words he was hearing.

"A proposal...?"

"He knew we were here from the moment we came Liam..." a tear slid down her cheek, "We can't hide. Who were we to think we could? We can never hide. We were just wasting our time all along."

"What- what are you saying? What do you mean?" Liam interrogated desperately in a state of confusion and worry.

She withdrew from his embrace and held his hands, squeezing them with life and smiling through her tears, "I've been meaning to tell you so long. Come with me, Liam. All we have to do is leave this place, leave that filthy man and move in with Benjamin and we can live. We won't be dead. He won't kill us!"

A hole began to grow in his heart and he felt it begin to fill up with ink as black as charcoal. He couldn't comprehend what she was saying. Was he hearing correctly?

"What... what are you saying? What the hell are you saying?"

"It's a great offer, Liam. He told me how much I wasn't bad looking for a woman twice his age and that all we had to do was move in with him and he would spare our lives... I wanted to tell you so long ago..."

"So long ago?" he withdrew from her grip and felt the world begin to spin.

How long did she know he was back? How long ago did she meet him? He felt the anger rise in him. How could she say something like that?

"What the hell are you saying, mom? What about dad? What about everything we have as a family? How can you trust a person like that? Mom, you are better than that!" he exclaimed in a rage as his face contorted into disbelief and an image of anger was glued to his face.

"What the hell do you mean? You see, this is what I feared. You are just like your father!! I knew you would be like that. You never had the kind of sense like Derek. Even Derek is smarter than you! What is Seb' doing to improve our state except run away, huh? What can your father do to help? He can't even help himself!"

"How dare you refer to dad like that!!! What has gotten into you!"

"What are the odds, Liam??! Better to save yourself than hanging on to someone who is already gone. Save who you can! At least he won't be dead! This is our only chance; don't you wanna get a life??"

His heart sank and he watched the woman he called his mother utter the most indifferent words he had ever heard in his life.

"This is exactly the reason why I never told you until now! You're just selfish! All you think about is yourself and your desires! All you have to do is leave with us, and we all live! Leave to get a better life! You prefer to stay in this garbage of a flat and run all your life! Running doesn't fix anything!"

"Mom you are being ridiculous. He just lured you right to the gate so he can savagely kill us for entertainment! What is wrong with you mom??" he wailed heart-broken.

Jenna shook her head in pity. "I'm giving you a choice, Liam. You could either leave with Derek and I and have a better life or you could stay behind with him and both of you all suffer on your own. Whatever choice you make doesn't hurt me since I'd be leaving whether you like it or not! I have already made up my mind... and so has Derek."

Derek? His heart broke in two. What was the point of his goal now?

"What about sticking together, mom? Why are you ripping us apart? After all dad has done for you? What about figuring this out together? What about not giving up?"

Jenna smiled diabolically and folded her arms, "I never gave up. I just made the best decision I'll probably ever make in my life to make a change. This home was never meant for me anyway. I'll be better off with a killer whether I die today or tomorrow. To hell with family and sticking together. It's only gotten me this far," she threw the pot on the counter into the sink and stormed up the stairs with steam leaving her ears.

Liam stood there, staring into the abyss with his heart sundered. He felt like the world was over and he had just lost everything: his family, his sanity, his reason for living. The very same woman who was always smiling, gentle and tender and had promised to never leave his side and Sebastien's side no matter what had happened was the very same one who was leaving him like a hen leaves their chick, to fend for himself in the cold, brutal world. How easy it seemed for life to become bleached of colour, for someone's story to change directions in the blink of an eye.