By Gen X
Then...
The woman sat in a high backed chair, wine glass in hand. Her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders and feel seductively in her cool gray eyes. Laughter bubbled from her lips in a harsh sardonic tone. "You can't imagine," she drawled, "how utterly boring an empty house can be. Especially with the bore of a husband I have."
Lucius stood frozen in the doorway, school books clenched in his arms. He watched her stare into the raging fire. She had yet to notice him and he didn't know what he would say once she did. A heavy hand fell on his shoulder and he jumped in surprise.
Stunned, he watched speechless as his father closed the door to the lounge. With confused, disbelieving eyes, he looked to his father. "Who was she talking to?"
"No one. She doesn't know what she's saying." The man's shoulders slouched and the boy tried to ignore the weak looks of hurt and pain that filled his father's face. He never understood why his father simply didn't do something. How could he stand to know what went on behind the closed doors, but even more so, why did he allow it to continue? When Lucius didn't move, his father simply turned and walked away leaving his son to stare at the closed wooden door for quite some time.
Now...
A woman stood dressed in white finery. Her flaxen hair pulled up in an intricate design filled with flowers and pearls. Her warm blue eyes simply watched him as he prowled the expanse of the room.
The were alone, away from everyone's view. No longer were family and well wishers around. It was just the two of them. They had a bit too much to drink, but weren't complaining at all. She laughed, reveling in the perfect day, a beautiful sound, soft and rich. It should have been one of the bet moments of his life, instead he felt nothing.
The feeling that overcame him was not one filled with rancor or ire, but didn't have any warmth towards the event. Instead it was an emptiness that he did not expect. Something inside him told him that feeling nothing was not the way it was supposed to be. Yet, he couldn't think of anything to do to change it.
She sat on the bed still smiling. It didn't make sense. Why should she be so pleased about everything. Soft sound of laughter became screams and shouts of pains as the world titled on axis to reveal a darker existence. Something that hovered just below and out of awareness but could now, never slink back to the shadows.
Clothing ripped. Nails scratched. Blood spilt. There could be no turning back now. He'd brought them far over the edge and things would never be the same. After, he left the room without a word.
She sat on the bed, tears streaming down her face, wondering what had gone wrong
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