he doesn’t remember how many times he’s STUMBLED into this house thinking the same thing. thinking that upon opening the door, he would be greeted with the smiling faces of his family. he wants to believe this time was DIFFERENT from any other time. that he didn’t open the door and smell his wife’s dinner. that he didn’t see lisa playing with her toys, or junior trying to play with her as well. that they didn’t TURN to him and smile at him, greeting their father like they always did. that maria didn’t call them to the dinner table, and that he didn’t follow them.
how they all SMILED at him. waited for him to sit at the head of the table, a place he sat at so many times before. the table already set, unknowing to him that HE set it a time before when he visited the house. how his family talked, and laughed. how he sat down and ENJOYED their company. that is until he reached for the food that maria had made. how he saw the BLOOD that coated his hand. how there was only a second he glanced away before looking back to see his family wasn’t there. he quickly shifts out of his seat, the chair falling over in response.
he had gotten the jug of GASOLINE, now pouring it over the living room. no more. no more. and yet, a voice was telling him to stop. to not destroy what he has left of his family. ❛ stoppit. ❜ he grumbles, knowing who the voice was. he continues to DUMP the fuel onto the room. the voice is still pleading. ❛ maria. stoppit. ❜ maria. always maria who talks to him. although never truly there PHYSICALLY, but her voice alone ... ❛ this’s ... this’s better for th’ BOTH of us. we can’t keep comin’ here ... ❜ he can’t keep coming here. he doesn’t know how many times he has before, but he knows it’s a target of interest by now. he finally STOPS. he looks at the picture hanging on the wall and takes it. she asks what he’s doing. he ignores her. he takes the cd and he marches off to leave his house one last time.
❛ we’ll ... we’ll be OKAY, okay? y’gotta trus’me, maria ... y’gotta -- ❜ he stops dead in his tracks. he was going to grab his gun by the door only to find it open. to find ... someone FAMILIAR face-to-face with him. a foot steps back, cautiously, as his face contorts into confusion. ❛ ... SHANE? ❜
