Five Beats Four (PART 2)

Zac walked to the front door and stopped with his hand on the door handle. He could hear Kerry in the office clicking away on the keys as he worked. Zac’s mouth opened to say “bye you crazy shit house rat, have a nice day”. His lips couldn’t form the negative words he felt for his sick brother. A sigh escaped instead.

In the office the keys on the board silenced from work. “Be careful Zac”. Kerry’s voice was solemn but purposeful coming from the office. At the door Zac turned the knob of the door and pulled it open, replying “yeah you bet, don’t forget Sara is coming over tonight”. As Zac pushed the door back in to it’s thresh hold he could hear Kerry’s reply “the house will be ready”.

Walking to his car Zac kicked the front tire of his little Honda accord and forced words through his clenched teeth “why can’t he just be a little bit normal”? He grabbed for the keys that were hanging from his pocket when he quickly shoved the little jagged slivers of metal into their place in his room. He pressed the button on his car key to unlock his car and heard the locks pop out of their security. He opened the driver’s side door and stood waiting for the taping sounds on the door. Within seconds he could hear a metallic beating and counted softly to himself in sync with his brother behind the closed door. Zac in the drive way at his vehicle and Kerry behind the front door both said to no one “five, still alive”.

Inside Kerry lay his right ear against the door, listening to his little brother’s engine grow faint in the morning air.  Sliding both his hands on the door frame, Kerry pushed himself away from the locked entrance. He turned to go back to his office just ten simple steps to his work at home computer desk top. He stopped mid step as he heard sloppy scuffling steps outside on the driveway. They were growing closer as the sound seemed to be on the front porch. The smoky glass was blotted out with the outline of a scraggly figure standing in front of the eastern sunrises light.

Kerry & Zac

I hate to end this section this way but I want to keep them short and easy to read. I just ask for your trust. Thank you, Courtney and Jess. Jess, I don’t think you have ever sounded lame. Thanks for the support!      

Pictures are not mine. The Photo of the little boy with the bloody nose id from Sally Mann's Immediate Family.