Undo the Deed

Amanda had a brother, Alex, five years her junior. The siblings had never been close, but in his adolescence he was drifting further and further away from reality. He shared his father's dark hair but his mother's hazel eyes. Alex also shared his father's apparent interest in violence, at least televised violence. Slasher flicks and action movies where plenty of blood was spilled were right up his alley. Alex didn't used to be like this. Now it seemed he and Dad were....buddies? Of course, Alex was not getting the brunt of the abuse like Amanda was; he never did. She was sure he'd sell popcorn and charge admission to the festivities if he could.

Then there was Matthew. Daddy Dearest. Dark, brooding good looks, full beard, startling green eyes like Amanda's, a smile that could charm a nun. Get him behind closed doors, though, and be prepared to take your chances. Was he really an insane monster or was it just the booze? Amanda figured she'd never know. Hard to believe she recalled actually bonding with him a long time ago. How old had she been? Five? Six? Well, it didn't matter. The older she got, the worse things got. Why was he so down on her, anyway? She'd be legal soon and he'd be relieved of his parental responsibility. Maybe he just didn't want her to forget him.

Amanda's eyes locked on to a tiny crab that was crawling sideways along the shore. "Hi, guy," she said to the crustacean. It seemed to acknowledge her presence as it stopped momentarily and then went on. Amanda ruminated that perhaps being a human crab herself explained her almost unnatural love for the ocean. Alex taunted her occasionally about that, saying that Cancer was a disease, not an astrological sign, and that it must be some sort of omen. He's hateful, just like Dad and Grandpa. Must be handed down, like an heirloom, she concluded. By the time she got to the stairs, she felt a drop of rain on her nose. Those few clouds had bunched into a sudden cloudburst, and it was pouring in the next few seconds.

"Oh, where did you come from?" Amanda yelled upward. She hoped her so-called waterproof make-up would hold true to its promise as she raced to her car. She was soaked when she got there and fumbling around in her purse for the keys was not helping. She found them and jumped in, giving herself a minute for some deep breaths. Wiping away a raindrop that trickled down her nose, she unconsciously popped in her Bangles tape and fired up the ignition.

It's just another manic Monday, was the speaker's response. I wish it was Sunday. Amanda silently disagreed as she flipped on the windshield wipers and made her way from the sandy path to the main road. She hated weekends unless she could be away from the house. A loud clap of thunder boomed across the sky as she started her drive home.