The Man Down On Elms Street (Volume 1, Epi 2)

Includes mentions of abuse/ traumatic events*

Parker set his bowl aside, and thanked Lieutenant Chase again. Kate quickly followed his lead, placing her bowl in his. Chase frowned, “Where you three off to?”

“We have to go pick up Oliver before it gets sundown, we don’t want Mrs. McConnell to worry.” Kate said pulling Lizzy up from where she had been playing with a stack of pine needles, twisting them into braids.

“Noooo! Waitttt, I want to stayyyy” she cried, big baby eyes staring into Kate’s soul. Kate sighed shaking her head, “No Lizzy, We have to go now.”

Lizzy thumped down on the ground, pouting. Kate gave her a look, and began counting. “1…” Lizzy looked away. “2….” Parker tapped her shoulder whispering to her, “I don’t think you want her to get to three,”

Lizzy bit her lip at this, clearly thinking. “Fine.” she muttered standing, her limp brown hair covering her face.

Chase smiled from his seat, hobbling over to give Parker a hug. “You’re a good boy Parker.” he murmured into his ear as he embraced him. Parker glanced away, no one had ever told him that. It was always a variation of- ‘if you don’t get out of my frickin way right now boy, you’re gonna regret the freaking whipping I’m gonna give that arse.’ Or something along those lines, accompanied with slaps and colorful strings of curses. He didn’t like to curse. Cursing seemed vile to him, Mama and dad always brought the words with cuts or bruises. He hated hearing the others at school curse for fun. They would never understand.

Chase held a hand out afterwards, shaking Parker’s hand with a firm up and down motion like Parker had seen the fancy men in their church suits do to each other every Sunday morning. Chase lifted both Lizzy’s and Kate’s hands giving them each a peck, making Kate blush and Lizzy giggle.

They set out soon, leaving Chase to his own devices. Parker smiled from behind Kate and Lizzy as they skipped ahead. Never would he ever change his life if they weren’t in it. Never ever, ever. Leaving behind the over grown grasses by the old cracked roads in exchange for smooth pavement and defined sidewalks, they walked a little closer together. Unconsciously more wary in nicer areas. The places that were supposed to be safer. Kate and Lizzy stopped by the driveway of Mason McConnell’s house. Parker took a breath, and tapped the smooth electric button. A tinkling sound escaped from the houses thin walls. Mrs. McConnell answered the door, a smile plastered on her face.

“Hey Parker, Is it that time already?”

Parker smiled, “Yep, Oliver has to go home now, Mom would be worried if he didn’t show up.” he lied smoothly, years of covering the tracks of his life helping.

Mrs. McConnell Grimaced, “Couldn’t he stay tonight? Mason would love it if he could.” Parker kept smiling, “Sorry but, Mom really wants him home, we have a big dinner tonight anyways, he wouldn’t want to miss it.”

Mrs. McConnell begrudgingly called for Oliver, who came out, a bag in his hands and a big grin on his face.

“I gave him a little goodie bag, we do it with everyone who comes over-” she added when Parker began to protest. Mason came around the corner behind him, a spider man shirt paired with tan khaki shorts. And a nerf gun in his hands. “Mamaaaa, why does Ollie have to leaveee” He moaned.

“He needs to go home, his mama has dinner ready,” she told him without a glance at Parker. She was protecting her son. Parker didn’t mind too much. Who wouldn’t want to make sure their 7 year old was kept away from the big scary world outside of the crisp neighborhoods and pristine white walls.

Oliver came out of the door giving Mrs. McConnell a side hug. Parker took his hand and quickly thanked Mrs. McConnell. turning away Parker let out a sigh of relief, he hated talking to adults with priorities. Meddling adults in particular. Parker walked past Kate and Lizzy, Oliver stopping to show Lizzy what he got. Parker heard them murmuring about it from behind them and they struggled to keep up.

His breath quickened, memories of his younger years flashing past. Times when he was only ten, already keeping secrets from people. Mama told him to never tell others about what was happening at home. Twisted his love for her into her own favor, using him and Kate to steal cig’s run over to her dealers house to promise him his money. Told him that everyone’s mama and dad acted like this. That he would act like this. He felt his eyes twitch. He didn’t realize he had fallen to the ground.

Kate was on top of him suddenly. He felt his arms shaking, Kate screaming for Oliver and Lizzy. Suddenly he couldn’t move anymore. Oliver was sitting on his left arm, Lizzy on his right. Kate held down his legs, trying to not let them fly up. His whole body trembled. Mama would punish him, dad would throw another bottle at Lizzy. They would be locked in their rooms, unable to escape, forgotten about for eternity, so long that even the archaeologists would skip over their lousy bones. No one would remember them. Just another body in a bag, another name among the thousands.

Alone. All alone. Fear overtook Parker in his shaking tremors. He felt Kate pounding on his chest then. His heart must have stopped beating then. His stupid weak, pathetic heart.

In the midst of his speeding thoughts came in Lizzy’s little voice, led by Kate.

“Breathe. In breath, Out breath. deep long, calm breaths. You can do this Parker. Just breathe.”

Parker’s mind latched on, trying to breathe. Soon his trembling faded. His muscles still twitched a bit, he felt tired, but he was ok. He could feel his amazing, wonderful heart pumping in his chest, as strong as ever.

“Hey- hey, Parker, you ok?” Kate whispered to him, Lizzy and Oliver watching from beside.

He pushed up, blinking a bit, the world spinning a little. he struggled to find his words.

“I-I’m ok. Home…please.” he said finally.

Kate obeyed, pulling him up, letting him lean on her for support as they began their journey back home in the dwindling light.

He had had the problem ever since he was little. They didn’t know why, mama never cared enough to take him to the hospital. It started when he was around eight. Kate had spent the whole time freaking out, Mom and Dad were gone at the hospital having Lizzy. Kate figured out she had to hold him down. Luckily his heat figured itself out that time. That would be true later on. By the time he was thirteen it had multiplied in frequency. Kate had pumped on his heart several times then, blacking out happened once or twice. it was terrifying for them both. They still had no idea why it kept happening, or what caused it. Kate could fix him though, so there was no need to go to the doctors.

They entered the driveway, Kate set him down on the steps, motioning for them to stay and be quiet.

The house was quiet, Kate crept in the front door, it was unlocked as normal. It wasn’t safe. Not that they had anything to steal anyways though. Unless of course someone wanted the half eaten Pb & J from yesterday, saved for Oliver. Or maybe mom’s cigs.

Parker waited on the steps, his head still spinning a bit. He had had another episode. his first this month. He figured maybe it was just his emotions bubbling up. Kate walked back out, waving them in. Parker slipped inside, instinctively checking for a figure on the couch or a flicker of light from a lighter. No one was there. Kate and him got Lizzy and Oliver to their room, tucking them in quickly. They didn’t worry about changing for night time. Two or three pairs of clothes was enough for them. if they got lucky they would find a nice shirt or jacket in a recycle bin. Parker had once tried diving in one of those pretty little donation boxes. All painted and colored with kids paint. Nothing was in it.

Parker and Kate now slinked down the hall. Kate paused pointing to the bathroom. Parker winced, trying to tell her no. She went anyways. Parker rushed over, facing away from the bathroom, looking into the living room. They didn’t dare try closing the door. it would only wake up the parents.

Kate finished up then, flushing the toilet as softly as possible. Wiping his brow in relief that no one came rushing out of the rooms screaming, Parker began to go back down the hall. Then a light flicked on.

Parker’s only motion was to cover Kate, and keep her behind him.

His father walked out of the room. He wore only a shirt, going down to almost his knees. He had big black circles under his eyes, and a nasty sneer on his face.

“What did me and your mother tell you about being up so late? Just look at you two-” he grabbed something from behind him. Parker took a step back.

“-Always up to something. if you keep doing this ****, I’m going to make you regret it.” he threatened in a lower tone. Parker flinched as he lifted one of his mama’s hairbrushes. In a rush he felt it smack his shoulder, it’s bamboo spikes making a pattern that was sure to look cool once it bruised. Kate yelped from behind him, shrinking; trying to be invisible.

Parker bit his cheek, holding down his anger at his father scaring Kate.

“Stop. It. Please.” he fought out. His father let out a low sound. His mom had appeared behind him, her face streaked with sweat. They had no AC anymore because the bills weren’t paid, but Parker figured that wasn’t why she was so sweaty.

“Everett-” she mumbled, -” if the kids are being such a trouble, just stick them in the basement for a day or two, it’ll shut them up and we can go back to what were doing.” she suggested, her voice a sickly sweet sound on Parker’s ears.

Kate let out a sound. Parker laid a hand on her leg, trying to keep her quiet. His father moved closer then, holding a bottle from his room in his hands.

“You know how this goes kiddo. Either get it the room nicely or not so nicely. You ruined me and your Mama’s fun, now you get to pay.” he growled out.

Parker nodded his head up and down, agreeing to his fathers terms. Fear pounded at his mind. Turning around to go to the stairwell, he kept Kate in front, away from their father.

“Run. Go to the woods or something. Make sure Lizzy and Oliver are safe.” he whispered to her.

“What are you two whispering about, I don’t want anything worse tonight to deal with.” Parker’s dad said roughly, shoving at Parker’s back.

In moments the house went wild. Kate was running for her life, pushing at the door, escaping the doom that awaited Parker, who ran to the stairwell, narrowly avoiding a bottle from his dad. Someone had to pay the price of being found out. Parker would never let Kate willingly pay it. Banging the door, he silently begged for it to open. His father rumbled down the stairs another bottle, this time already broken in his hands. And he was angry.

“Your mother say’s I’m too mean to you kids. She’s too soft I say.” he said.

Parker pressed against the door, willing it to open.

His father pressed the shard of a bottle to his chest. Tracing a heart on his shirt. Parker could feel his heart thumping wildly. It was always a bottle in his dads hands. A bottle for him, and a cig for mama.

The door opened.

He tumbled down into the darkness. Not even shadows existed in such a dark place.

His fathers outline stared down at him. he threw the glass, hitting Parker on the arm, making him stuff down a sob.

“Lucky little boy. Goodnight.” The door slammed shut, a lock slipping into place.

Parker was alone. All alone.