by Christopher Welsch

Created on: September 17, 2009

Excerpt from The Man in the Suit

Rick sat in front of the television watching football in the dark. On the round end table were placed four empty beer cans and another between his lap. When his wife, Emma, arrived home, he instantly stared into her eyes sinisterly. His nature was that of an asp, cold and threatening. She knew equally evil events were about to unfold. To protect her seed, she sent her son to the only bedroom. Always obedient to his granter of life, he directly started to the bedroom door. While sitting on the bed, Nathaniel heard the usual smothered shouts and cries. One time, he slightly opened the door to watch his parents. He knew his father beat his mother. He may have not understood why, but he knew it happened.

In the living room, Rick stood with a false, manly posture. His stare became darker with each beat of her broken heart. Every obscenity damaged her spirit. Every punch pained her body. When she closed her watery eyes, a familiar thought came to her mind to help her sail through the squall. This idea would end her suffering from the beast. Emma could not cope with the battery and she thought she must enact her plan soon. Her emotional trance broke with the sound of the front door slamming. She shockingly opened her eyes to see no monster. As Rick's routine mandated, he left to the bar after the beating session.

Emma went to the small kitchen to make Nathaniel a bologna sandwich. Before the nurturing task, she grabbed a white hand cloth to dry her river. Emma quickly prepared the food and was soon offering it to Nathaniel with a drought-like face and a forced smile. Her son knew that after this situation, his mother wanted to be left alone. Although he would have liked to cheer her up by sitting with her, he knew she wanted him to leave. This thought made him retreat to the sofa to watch the football game.

The game brought a memory to his young mind. Last summer, he asked his father to teach him how to play football. Only in hopes that it would make his father love him if they had something in common. Rick smirked and told him that his father never taught him, so why should he. Nathaniel continued watching the game because of his desire to learn, despite remembering his father's comments.

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