FAMILY  TRADITION

 

Looking down at his lifeless crumpled body I almost cried.
Not for this pitiable souls life in front of me though…but for my own pride.
My first kill, it felt so refreshing…so exhilarating. Such a rush

 

                I was Just a child the day it all began.
                It was the day my father butchered Johnny in the old Graveyard on the edge of town. Father didn’t know I was there. Didn’t know that the look in Johnny’s petrified eyes would be etched into my memory synapses until the day I was six feet under myself. Every hour, every day since I have absolutely abhorred violence - the act of taking another’s life, hated it…loathed it. I ran home that day, ran until I thought my heart was gonna burst through my chest and my legs would crash beneath me. Nevertheless, I ran and kept on despite the pain and didn’t stop until I reached the sanctuary of my Mother’s arms.
                I begged her not to tell my father. He’d suddenly become alien to me, no longer an angel, now a monster. She looked at me soulfully with pity in her eyes. Then spoke softly to me.
                Her words did not comfort me.
                Only seven years old and that was when I knew for the first time that my family was Mafia.

                I remember father returning home that night, my mother whispering to him in the dull, yellow hue of the television lamp. I knew she was telling my father everything even though I begged her not to. It was some years later before I would know honour, know no fear and know why my Mother had told my father everything. My Mother knew it would make me stronger, because in the Mafia, you were strong or you were dead!

                A number of years passed and it wasn’t long before I witnessed more violence at the hands of my father. I was now fourteen and the past seven years had passed by in one painfully blinding blur. My father showed me how to kill, how to hunt and just about everything my young mind could absorb on taking care of myself. At fourteen all the information I was given sort of went in and slowly faded away into some place deep inside of me. After leaving high school and not wanting to arouse suspicion my family saw fit to send me to a moderate middle class college to get a fine education whilst still learning the family trade.

                It was Mr. Kamolski however, my Science Professor who was to be the next to succumb to the family ways. I’d learned quickly from my father to stand up for myself whenever necessary. Did I mention that father was protective…Very, very protective of me. It was the middle of August, the sun was incredibly hot that day and I really did not want to be in class. The sudden thud of heavy folders dumped unceremoniously upon my desk by Mr. komolski’s long bony fingers momentarily roused me back to reality. All around me fellow students giggled uncontrollably in jostling unison. Above me stood the skinny, beanpole of a frame that was my Science Professor.

                “Mr. Vermitiallo are you with us?” He slowly questioned. 

                His voice was a long slow, nauseating drawl, the subject of many a mocking impression throughout the college. I looked up half-heartedly, shrugged and continued chewing my gum.              

                “Okay so no comment then huh? Let me ask you another question, you expect me to accept this pitiful example here for your homework?”                                                                                                                                                        

                He indicated towards my shabby set of dumped folders. Unfazed I took the gum out of my mouth, casually placing it beneath my desk.

                “That’s it come on let’s go we’re going to the Principals office.” Komolski croaked.

                I finally spoke.

                “Whatever.” I spat back.

                I didn’t stand.

                “Let’s go.” Komolski repeated once more and grasped my right wrist in a desperate attempt to get me out of my seat and into the Principals office.

                What happened next was merely instinctive.

 

 

THANKS EVERYONE FOR READING THIS EXCERPT.

I AIM TO POST EXCERPTS OF MY STORIES EVERY WEEK OR SO, OR MAYBE SOONER. 

 

FEEL FREE TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK AND ANY COMMENTS YOU MAY HAVE.

 

OH, AND ONE MORE THING.

HAVE YOU EVER HALLUCINATED ?

WAS IT ACTUALLY AN HALLUCINATION ?

ARE YOU SURE ?

WHAT IF IT WAS A MOMENTARY GLIMPSE INTO A BIZARRE, SOUL CRUNCHING, HEAD SPLITTING REALITY THAT ACTUALLY EXISTS !

HOW CAN YOU REALLY BE SURE IT WASN'T ?

BET YOU'LL BE AWAKE ALL NIGHT THINKING ABOUT THIS !

 

CIAO

C

 

 

Family Tradition
Copyright C.Anthony Boot 2012-2016

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the Author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.

All characters contained in these tales are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.