Jack

My heart stopped and my blood ran cold. Everything became disarmingly fast, and I staggered, almost falling over, as I moved with sickening slowness out of the front door and down the street. I had a bad taste in my mouth and I was gasping for the air, the precious oxygen that I needed to survive denying me. A high pitched ringing sounded in my ears, it was like a gunshot had gone off.

'No! No! Don't, please. What about our children?' My mother pleaded, her eyes wet with tears. A shadow hovered over her as she curled into the display cabinets, her shoes across the room and her shirt ripped.

All noise had abandoned me and I somehow got into a rhythm, my arms steadily pumping and my long legs carrying me around the corner and up the hill. I heard a faint noise over the consistent buzzing, it sounded like my name, but I didn't care. I only had one word in my mind, and it continued to be overcome by memories, memories I had suppressed.

The figure's arm was raised, and my mother once again yelled. I felt tears running down my face. 'Mum,' I whispered, my hands clenching. I pushed my hair back from my face as it flopped in front of my eyes.

I shouted and scrunched my eyes together, coming to a halting stop, clutching my head.

'May!' I yelled, the single word sounding panicked. My blurred vision was slowly returning back to normal, and I saw people looking at me, sneering. I couldn't let it happen. I started running again, my feet pounding on the sidewalk. I heard my footsteps, and realised I wasn't running very fast at all. My hearing was clearing too, and i registered my name. I ignored Alex's voice, picking up the pace and concentrating on getting to May.

I hid behind the wall, staring at the mirror, watching with my eyes wide open in fear as my father leveled the gun at my mother. His hand was shaking badly, and I felt as though I was about to throw up. My mother was once again pleading with him. I saw a twelve year old May step in front of the mirror.

'Jack?' She said softly, holding out her hand.

I was only five minutes away by now, and my lungs were accepting the much needed oxygen. Alex had given up on calling out to me, and was instead keeping pace, panting. I wasted no breath to tell him of the potential danger; he probably already knew it. If I was returning to my home it was bound to have a bad conclusion. My boyfriend returning to my home with me it was possible World War III may break out.

'May,' I sobbed quietly, knowing the need to stay quiet.

'Come here, Jack.' May said, sparing a glance at the door. As I scurried over to her, a loud booming voice interrupted me.

'Out of the way, boy.' My father yelled.

I could feel my fear building up as I remember my ten year old self slowly moving, my mouth open and a bewildered look on my face. Tears of now trickled down my face, steadily becoming rivulets as a few more slipped out a time. Finally, a whole torrent was pouring down my face, sweat adding to it, as I ran up the path.

'Here, Jack,' my mother instead called to me, and I ran, slipping, into her outstretched arms, leaving May behind to face the wrath of my father. 'No!' My mother screeched at my father, clutching me to her chest. 'Leave her!'

It was too late. I heard May's earsplitting scream of agony, only to be drowned out by the resounding sound of the gun.

I dropped to my knees outside of the door, once again holding my head.

'Alex, stay here. You don't know the dangers.' I said, softly, blinking back tears.

'But-'

'No.' I shakily got to my feet, the lactic acid making me unsteady. I opened the door, hearing my father pounding on May's door.

'Get out, you wench! You little bitch!' He shouted, slamming his fist on it. I could hear his slurred words, and I grabbed a vase, upending the contents on the tiles. Red roses fell out, and I fleetingly remembered that the ones in the vase had been white all those years ago. I ran up the stairs, not making my presence a secret, and ran towards May's room.

'You!' My father shouted, whirling around and thundering towards me. I skidded to a stop and gulped, looking down at the beautiful vase in my hands. The ornate decorations had probably taken hours upon hours to sculpt and then paint, the light colours blending neatly together. I looked back up at the anger in my father's usually cloudy eyes and I heard May scream my name, fear struck through the high note. I took a deep breath and waited another second before smashing the vase over my father's head, hard enough only to knock him out.

'May!' I shouted, stepping out of the way as my father fell at my feet, a thin trail of blood slowly making its way down his head. I felt sick, and I ran to the bathroom barely making it in time. My heart was thudding and my mouth was now dry. I quickly rinsed my mouth, wiping it on the back of my sleeve and heading downstairs, where May was waiting, shaking, with Alex. I knew we were pressed for time, it was only a matter of minutes until my mother returned home - if she was coming home at all tonight. We ran back, our fear creating a tension-filled atmosphere between us.

We stopped running after a few minutes and slowly walked back to Alex's newly remodeled house. May was sniffing, rubbing her hoodie sleeve over her face. Her hair was a mess and she was still shaking. I moved closer to her, but Alex beat me to it, wrapping an arm around her shoulders comfortingly and pulling her close, murmuring soothing words at her. I walked next to Alex, remembering my father's face, and the anger that he felt for me.
As we neared Alex's, he sent May inside.

'You have to tell me of the danger,' he said, turning to me and crossing his arms, 'what made you so dead set against having me walk into that house?' I looked into his steely eyes and took a deep breath.

'Are you sure you want to know?' He nodded, his jaw set. 'My father shot May. When she was twelve, he had gotten himself into such a stupor he raged at everyone. It was supposed to be a shot for my mother, but I distracted him. May was trying to coax me away, and he rounded on her instead.' I said, my voice cracking several times. 'I - I couldn't do anything. He escaped charges because of our wealth and my mother's strict orders on not telling anyone - even the police.' I looked at him, and saw tears in his eyes, clinging to his lovely long, dark lashes. 'Have you never noticed why she always wears long sleeves? She has a scar on her right forearm,' I made an approximate size circle with my fingers, 'she sometimes puts make up on it, but with it just coming out of winter and we're also moving to England she hasn't bothered.' Alex only gaped at me, his mouth opening and closing.

'May,' he said, the simple word sounding strangled, 'oh my god. May.' He turned and ran inside, me following at a slower pace.

A/N
Title cred: Hold On Till May
c0l0urfultears
Sorry, irony in the title, haha XD

Notes

Title cred: Hold On Till May
c0l0urfultears