I heard the dog whine. I could see his shadow pacing back and forth through the crack under the door. I chuckled to myself. If only he had thumbs he could open the door and save my life. But he didn’t have thumbs. He was a dog. I felt a puddle of wetness spreading out all around me. The viscous liquid was hot and sticky. Somewhere in my mind, I knew what it was, but I couldn’t recall the word. I tried desperately to remember how I ended up on the floor here, in this room, my clothes soaked. I didn’t feel any pain apart from a profound frustration that I knew it was beyond my power to leave this place. I resented the dog for having the power to move freely. I tried to shout to the dog, but all that came out was a hoarse croak. 

Suddenly there was a commotion all around me. The dog quickly skittered away from the other side of the door. The world flooded with a bright, white light, and then my mind struggled to comprehend what I saw. Once my eyes focused, I realized it was a man standing in front of me. He had a black beard that connected with a thick black head of hair. His piercing green eyes stared me down. The person was saying something, but I could not understand. I started to cry from frustration and confusion. The man rolled his eyes at me and grabbed me by the shoulder. 

“Look what your son did Clara,” his voice clearly yelled as he dragged me into the living room. I shuddered at the loud noise and realized I was still soaking wet. 

“JOHN! What did you do to him?” My mom had screamed, while I was still crying but now from the pain of the sudden noise. She grabbed me and stroked my hair calmly, shushing me. 

“Nothing. This is why he’s like this! You baby him and he acts like a complete fool. “ My father was screaming at my mother as she continued to comfort me. “I mean look at him. He’s 17 and still acts like a child. He’s no son of mine” 

“He’s your son, you shouldn’t talk to him like that.” That’s where she went wrong. Father didn’t like being told anything, and especially not by a woman. 

“Don’t you ever tell me what to do, bitch.” He screamed as he launched at my mother. He grabbed her arm and tried to drag her away from me. I still held on tight to her arm and she pried my hand away. I fell and watched as she was dragged into their bedroom. As I cried, I ran into my room and huddled into the back of my closet, like my mother had taught me. I sat there wet, from both tears and the pee, until I heard our front door open and ran into my parents’ bedroom. There, on the ground, was my mother in a puddle of blood. I’ve never seen so much blood. I sat down and started to scream. 

“Hey, it’s ok, bud. Calm down. It’ll be ok, sweetheart.” My mother said still lying in the blood. 

“Come here, mommy.” I screamed, but she did not move. “Mommyyy!” 

“I can’t move too much at the moment. Come over here, it’s ok.” I crawled into her weak arms as she sat up a little. I sat there with her, and listened to everything. The fan was screeching as it turned. The mouse was running on its wheel, the tea pot was whistling, and there was someone crying. It was not me crying, so I sat and listened. I realized it was my mother. Her cry was as small and weak as her. She didn’t look well. I touched her cheek and looked at her. Her once bright cheeks were now sunken in and pale as a ghost, her long full hair was now thin and almost fully gray, and her once healthy self now looked dead. She looked so close to death that a single breeze would knock her over and the Earth would consume her. Everyone goes back into the Earth and is eventually free of all pain. That’s what mommy told me after the dog had gone into the Earth. She said it was a beautiful thing, and that the dog was free of pain. Mommy looked as if she was about to join the dog. 

I got up and ran to the kitchen. I searched the drawers to find a big, pointy, silver knife. It had a wooden handle and was engraved with the phrase; “I will always be here for you- Dad.” Is this why grandpa made this, because he knew she would be in pain? I walked back into the room and smiled at mommy, who was still crying. 

“What are you doing, honey.” With concern in her voice, “Why do you have that? Don’t play around with those. Go put it up now.” I walked over to her. 

“But mommy, this will put you out of pain.” Her eyes went blank and then turned to another emotion. I couldn’t understand at first what it was and then I realized it was fear. “Don’t worry, you will be put out of pain.” 

Mommy started to squirm away. I went after her and raised my arm. Mommy screamed as I put the knife down into her heart. She started to squirm a little and then went quiet. I smiled, when I realized it was done. She wasn’t in pain. I sat there holding her hand, until dad walked into the front door. I could hear his footsteps as he got close to the kitchen. 

“Dammit! The tea pot is going off. Where’s the food? Why isn’t dinner made?” He screamed as he walked towards the bedroom. He opened the door and all his screaming stopped. All father did for ten minutes was look between me and mom. “Did you do this or did she do this?” 

“I did it! To put her out of pain, like the dog,” I said proudly. “Mommy told me when you go into the Earth you are out of pain, just like my dog.” 

“You dumbass! The only reason she said that to you was because you freaking killed it, like a creep,” I started shaking my head. “Yes, you did. You freaking killed it and now you’ve killed your useless mother. I guess I should thank you, but you know you’re going to hell now kid. You’ve killed another human.”

“NO! I was helping mommy.” I started to scream. 

He smiled at me as he said “You’re a freaking murderer.” He walked out and locked the door. I heard the front door open and ran to the door. I was locked in. I started screaming and hitting the door, but no one came. Mommy could help me. I ran to her and pulled the knife out, trying to save her, but all the blood in her body poured out. I held my hand over the wound but the blood kept pouring out. 

“Mommyyyy! Please wake up. I won’t ever hurt you again.” She didn’t wake up though. “Please!” I grabbed the knife and started stabbing her. “Screw you! You are worthless! I hate you!” I stabbed her in the neck and face. Over and over again until I couldn’t see through the tears. I cuddled next to my mother and wrapped her arm around me. I closed my eyes as the blood covered me and fell asleep. 

I woke up to sirens and a man screaming at me. “Look what he did to his mother. Look what he did to our family. He’s a monster.” It was my dad with so many men. I smiled at them. 

“Hi. Are you here to help mommy? AHHHH” I screamed as they attacked me. “Wh-wh-why are you hurting me.” 

“You monster. You stupid idiot. Look what you’ve done.” My dad screamed. 

“I didn’t mean to.” I screamed on the ground. As the men started to handcuff me. I tried to fight a little but they were too strong. 

I started to get scared and just stared at the blinding like above me, as I felt something wet on my legs.