Empty Eyes / Alexandra

One of my personal favorite of the 6 stories. In a way it's the softest one.

Segment 2 : Alexandra

The three last years were terrible. They were fighting all the time. Their shouting was heard all over the house. She would hear it the same even if she were hiding under her little bed instead of crouching beneath the staircase. She was sure that their neighbors could hear it too. She had seen them looking at her in strangely sympathetic gazes but it meant nothing to her.

Her reality would not change with their pity. Their constant arguing had become normality.

They were saying the most horrible things to each other. Sometimes she could not stand it anymore and closed her ears. Yet, somehow, their squeaky voices made their way through, filling her little head with their mean words. And then she was bursting to tears. Her only comfort was school. She was going to school through shortcuts, but always walked the longest way back home. The problem was, that though she walked as slowly as possible, she always got there in the end.

As it was “natural” both her parents were too busy fighting to walk her to school or from it. Still, those were her happiest hours. She would even make believe that the usual road she walked would magically lead her to another place. And the world that came alive to her little head was a beautiful one and yelling parents were nowhere to be found.

But today, was Saturday and Monday seemed a lifetime away. The trick of the road wouldn’t work when she was at home…

They had started at the break of dawn as always. She had woken up from their rising voices. They had become her never failing alarm clock.

It was late afternoon now and the voices became more high - pitched.

She knew that soon dad would go out to drink again and would be gone till midnight or at least until he was sufficiently drunk.

Those were the calm domestic hours. Mom often would take the trouble to notice her existence. She even played with her sometimes and she was not yelling then. She was almost as sweet as three years ago.

“Oh, mom!” she often thought. “Why don’t we go away? You’re good when he’s not here”.

She never dared to make the suggestion, however. Moments with mom were precious. She did not want to spoil them.

The dusk had come and daddy was still not gone. He kept yelling at mom and she was yelling back. Why was he still there? It was not right. He was supposed to leave. He always did. And then she heard a loud bang and his voice shouting:

“I will kill you bitch!”

He had never said that before. Usually he bit her up a bit and was gone. Killing was somehow never mentioned in their fights.

She ran terrified from her hiding place to the kitchen. Mom was on the floor badly beaten and he was above her holding a bloody knife. He had already stabbed her once or twice but she was alive. She was looking at her.

She lurched at him beating him with her little fists.

“Stop daddy stop!!!” she cried.

He tried to push her off but she wouldn’t let go.

“Please, daddy! Please stop!!”

Once again he pushed her off. Yet as he did, he accidentally stabbed her though her little chest.

The last cry that was ever heard from that house was that of her mother.

“Alexandraaaaaaaaaa”

Then everything went silent.

Forever… © Constance M.