Poetry House

Poetry House
Chapter 1
A lifeless night seems to be on the loom. With only a full moon to light the way. Shadows creep unto the street as four friends drive swiftly through the darkness. Brett a teenager on the threshold of adulthood. Drives more erratic than usual. His jet black hair messy from the nights escapade. Skin that only matches the moon itself. Sound blocked out and broken by the screaming voice of Nikki his girlfriend.
“Breeeeettttt........ SLOOOOOWWWW DOOOOWNN!!!!!!!”
Her soft voice now an alto piercing the night. Nikki or Nichole as her mother calls her, is a slim anorexic looking 18 year old. Her brunette hair seemed to glisten in the night. She braces herself on the console of the car.
Robbie his friend screams in the back of Brett's ear. “ !@#%(Expletives) man, your gonna get us all killed.”
Robbie is eccentric. He dresses like Roy Orbison and tries to sing like him but not on this occasion. Since screaming seems to be the song of the night.
Grace sits next to him but is knocked out by the many drinks she has had during the nights party. She sat lifeless oddly with her seatbelt on. Grace is a former prom queen gone goth. She has a cotton candy for her hair style with a pink dress and dockers to boot.
Brett coming out of a drunken stupor when all the yelling commenced. The car swerved out of control the moment he heard the yells. Expletives now seems to be the language of the evening. Brett now joins in on the chorus, awaken only to find himself in a worse nightmare than he was in before.
In the distance, as Brett tries to gain control of the car, is a shadow of a man. As the car starts to regain control the shadow becomes clearer as the car approaches closer.
The man in the shadows, struggles to walk across the street. Headlights beam on his face. The face appeared haggard. He dressed in homeless clothes and as he turns his face the car hits him. It seemed like everything moved in slow motion as Brett put on the breaks to little to late. The screeching of the car was the dominate sound. Finally the car came to a stop with everyone wondering about the man Brett just hit. All of them in unison look back only to see a lifeless body.
Silence prevailed the moment. And the moment seemed to be a lifetime. Then Nikki broke the sound barrier with a frantic voice. “Oh, !@#$% (expletive) Brett you killed him.”
Robbie taps on Brett's shoulders with a shout, “GOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”
Brett quickly puts his foot on the gas and spins the tires on the ground leaving marks on the road as smoke rises from the spin itself.
Brett now realizes the gravity of the situation. Panics saying, “I killed a man.”
“Dammit.” Brett slams his fist on the console. As he drives away.
Brett was the type of person who thought he could make any problem go away. Well this was one problem that wasn't going to go away. He needed to think of what to do next.
Images of past police chases on television raced on Brett's mind. He looks frantically behind him with some amount of relief seeing that none are there. Feelings of guilt now began to prevail over him. He now thinking he should go back but images of him in the news papers and what his dad would think grew stronger in his mind.
Brett's dad being a local politician didn't make it any easier for him to turn around. Even though they had a distant relationship he still respected his dad enough to try and keep out of trouble. Like his dad always reminded him, “Son, Image is everything in this business.” Brett always took that to mean behave or else. It wasn't that they didn't love each other. Its just as time went on being a politician took precedence over being a father.
Brett began to wish his mom was here. She would have given him some moral direction he needed along with motherly comfort. His mother had died of cancer just before he was Four. He needed to hear her voice once again. But it was not to be and only intensified his feelings of loneliness.
Tears started down his face thinking about it all. He had lost focus on what he needed to do. His hands were gripped tight on the steering wheel. He had once again drowned out the sound of his friends.
Finally Brett blurted out, “what did I do.”
“what the (expletive) did I do.” he shouted louder.
He pounded the steering wheel. At the same moment his friends scared silent by the violent outburst.
Finally Nikki broke the silence with a soft soothing voice, “Brett, sweetie please pull over and let's think on what we need to do. Okay?”
This is the voice of moral direction and motherly comfort he needed at the time. Nikki's face seemed to tell him he needed to protect her from danger. Her eyes drenched in tears from fright. She was Brett's Ideal girl. They had been dating for sometime. Dad didn't approve of it of course him being religious in Brett's mind. Dad didn't want him to date at all till he was mature and ready to marry. Brett thought that too old fashion and rebelled against the idea. So he gave his heart at the early age of 15 to her. Tonight was to be the night he was going to ask her to marry him. This night being their Third anniversary was supposed to be a joyous night. Nikki did indeed replace the void his mom left. But now this would be happy occasion is now interrupted by another death. He dared not ask tonight.
His thoughts now turned to the direction of needing to hide from the nights nightmarish beginnings. Not knowing where and the painful silence bothered Him so he turned on the radio for some distraction. The radio didn't help since the song on it played Black Sabbaths Highway to hell. As soon as Brett recognized the song he immediately turned the radio off swerving the car a little awakening the sleeping goth in the back. Grace no matter the make up was still the ditsy type exclaimed, “uh, are we home yet.”
Those words seemed to hit Brett's mind jarring him out of a panic stupor of sorts. “Home”, He thought was the place he needed to be. Home was beckoning him but the one thing he hated was his sister Irene. She was a typical Christian who busied herself with everyones life and thought she was always right about everything. She was the middle child and the favorite of Dad's. She could do no wrong in Dad's eyes, she truly was Daddy's girl. Home for Brett was not a fun place to be. But in his heart he knew she really loved her little brother.
Brett not wanting the aggravation of seeing his sister at the front door decided to stop at the next available corner to talk this out. He turns quickly and stops into a Wal-mart.
“Ok, now what, any suggestions.?” He says as he quickly parks
Wal-mart was like a Ghost town which was unusual for a Friday night. Then Grace the ever alert one says, “Did I miss something?”
Robbie gathers his senses and try's to explain to Grace the nights happenings says in a sarcastic tone, “Well , Speed racer over here wanted to see how many points he can get hitting homeless people. And apparently there is more points for dead ones.”
Brett shot back, “look man he came out of nowhere.!!! So (expletives) off!!”
“Well if you had been paying attention Mr. Magoo you wouldn't have hit him.” was Robbie's response.
“Ok, ok , so your tellin' me that Brett hit a man and didn't see if the man was ok and drove off?” Grace still coming out of her drunken stupor asked.
“Your are soooo dead” Was the best response this Happy Goth can muster in her semi coherent state of mind.
“Go back to sleep you Vamp.” Retorted Brett.
Nikki the voice of reason once again chimed in, “Ok, none of this is helping. We need to find a place to hang out till this blows over. So, all of us think of a place we can hide till we can plan our next step.”
Brett was once again relieved to hear the sound of an angel coming from his beloved. Her voice calmed him down enough to at least be willing to hear what everyone had to say he needed to go.
Robbie gained his sense of friendship back and not wanting to see his best friend since childhood destroy his life on one error in his life. Begged him, “Man, Look I am sorry I just panicked back there, I think you should turn yourself in bro.”
“Bro” Robbie didn't use that word lightly he was the kinda guy that meant what he said and said what he meant.” Brett and Robbie met the day after Brett's mom died. Brett was sitting in the hotel lobby with his dad mourning over his loss. When Robbie noticed that sad friend to be, he came over to introduce himself hoping he can find like minded boys to play with. He walked over and said, “Hi, I'm Robbie wanna play?”
Brett just shook his head slowly no, not wanting any attention given to him. Robbie not understanding the situation persisted still further. Grabbing some gum in his left front pocket of his shorts. Handing it to Brett he said, “Here ya go, maybe that'll cheer ya up?”
But Brett refused and just stared somberly to the ground. Robbie wondered and asked, “Why are you so sad?”
Brett's Dad had walked over to the front deck watched from a distance. Not wanting to ruin the moment of goodwill gesture this little one was portraying. He just stood there both in a state of shock of the loss of his beloved wife and warmed by one act of love, delaying this time of gloom.
Brett's Dad was at an ears shot of the conversation and heard what Robbie asked, walked over and began to explain to him, with holding his tears back said, “Hello young man, I am Marty.” trying to smile but not coming out. “How are you?” he said. “I am this young man's Father. We've had a pretty bad day today. You see Brett here lost his mommy and we are very sad, so please forgive Brett for not responding to you.” Marty began to cry a little and so did Brett.
Robbie began to be sad along with them and put his arm around Brett and hugged him. Then he sat right next to him on the lobby couch. And said, “I'm jus gonna sit wif ya and if ya don' wanna talk it's ok, I understand.” This brought more tears to both Marty and Brett and ever since then they became the best of friends. There have since then been a connection between them. A brotherhood bond. So for Robbie this word “bro” was a way of letting Brett know he was behind him 100 percent no matter what.
Brett just stared at the flickering W sign when Robbie said those words. Sighed and said, “Thanks man, but I need to hide for my Dad's sake. This would kill him if the press found out, or else I would turn myself in. You know that.”
Grace now concerned for the man she had never seen spoke up “Well, I think you should at least go back and see if the guy is ok. I mean dude, you hit him for christ sake.”
She had just remembered that there was a homeless shelter near by Wal- Mart. A place she is all to familiar with. She spending many nights herself there because of her parents having to sell their home for not being able to pay the mortgage. Thinking that she might know the person Brett hit, she wanted him to go and find out.
Nikki unafraid to voice her opinion said “He can't go back the cops might be there and if he gets arrested it will be front page news.”
A voice subtly came in Brett's head, “Go home.” This voice was a males voice one in which he had never heard before. It was a gentle fatherly voice. Still Brett was unsure and frankly it freaked him out. He needed some reassurance that this was indeed the right thing to do.
Then in eerie timing Nikki said, “Sweetie, lets go to your Dad's house. At least we can think on what we need to do next.”
The voice of reason prevailed over Brett and as soon as Nikki spoke he had an unusual calm that seemed to say, This is the right thing to do.
Brett without flinching started his car and backed out of the parking spot and drove off. As they drove off Brett couldn't help but wonder what was in store for him. The voice and the timed message of Nikki got him thinking on what will happen now.
He got that uneasy feeling and when ever he did, something bad happened. And he had only got that feeling twice before. Once, just before his dad ran for office and his dad lost the election. Then the other time was the day before his mother had died. Both times he had wanted to tell his Dad but was afraid. And now this time once again he wants to tell his Dad but like the other times he is afraid.
Brett needed comfort and looked to Nikki who smiled reassuringly. She placed her hand on his hand. Then he held her hand and she his. She leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Baby, its gonna be ok.”
Her voice soothed his fears. It seemed to suspend time and space. For that moment nothing else mattered but them. With a word she could always calm him and he can conquer any thing. It was then that as she said those words that this was something he had to do. Call it a sense of destiny. Or what ever you wish to call it, but Brett was on his way. To what, he didn't know nor at this time did he want to know.
Dad's house was only three miles away and Brett shifted into first gear. This was a vulnerable time for Brett. He as now frail, something he was afraid of and never wanted to show to anyone. He knew his weakness was weighing him down. He knew something was missing and the pain of the past was making him weary. Brett wanted rest. He felt chained from the past and wanted release from it. He sought a healing touch but even Nikki could not touch that ever growing pain in his heart. He wanted to be whole. The question was would he find it? This weary journey man was only starting on his road to the unknown.
But other thoughts ran through Brett's mind. He couldn't understand why his relationship with his Dad was so distant. Dad was different after Mom had died. The vague memories of playing ball in the back yard filled his head. Echoed voices from the past came in like a flood.
“That a boy you can do it.” Dad said as he watched his boy catch his first ball. The glove was over sized but Little Brett seemed to manage to catch the ball all be it very clumsily, but he did catch it.
Just as he caught the ball a petite blond of a woman shouted. “Way to go sweetie, you did it.”
She ran over to give him a hug of support and swing him around playfully but that was not to happen. She stopped mid run and then collapsed on the ground . Mom had a seizure and started to flail on the ground and there was nothing Brett nor his Dad could do. Feeling helpless and hopeless Brett just stood there afraid to move. As soon as she stopped she stopped breathing. And by the time the ambulance came it was too late, Mom had past away.
Home was no longer the same after that Brett would learn to cope with loneliness and despair. While dad would just move on and put on a brave front and tell the world that he was ok. Truth is Dad was not ok he would deal with bouts of suicide and have to take pills just to keep himself afloat. Sis seemed to find comfort in religion. And she ruled the house after that taking control and taking on the adult role even though she was only 9 at the time of Mom's death.