ANNABELLE

I sat at the porch table.  My head lay on my forearm.

All I could do is stare.

Everything was so loud and it was all happening so quickly. But at the same time, everything was so quiet and so still.  My world moved in slow motion.

"Don't come back here!"  My aunt was on the phone with the police.  Standing in the way of the porch steps so her boyfriend couldn't enter again, her lips spouted words of fear and anger.  Her thick legs spread apart creating a barrier.  

I just watched.

"I'm not--  I-I I'm not-- I'm straight, I didn't take anyt...hing!"  He stuttered in his ripped, sweaty shirt.  He was screaming and sputtering gibberish.  I couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying...

Or both.

He was 5'7'' and muscular, but Aunt Missy could definitely take him on if she had to.  A short, curvy 5'3'' woman with a lot of strength.  Her bleach blond-dyed hair with b runette roots was wet as she was fresh from the shower, but I could tell she was also sweating.  

" I'm okay  M-M-M-Mm I'm  I-'m okay, I'm straig...ht." He sputtered, now coughing up flem on the paved sidewalk in front of our house."  He laughed harder,  "Oh ****, I'm dying...."

"They're on their way now."  Aunt Missy glared at him as he was shaking, swaying and kneeling all at once.

 I dunno about my dad, or my mom.  I've heard stories about PCP.  And about them.  I've heard that she stabbed her dealer to death and then was shot on site by his friend.  I've heard the dealer was my dad.  I've heard they overdosed.  I've heard they're living under a b ridge someplace, I've heard they're living in a big city like Paris with fancy jobs.  

I've heard lots of things.

Now, he was barking and crawling around.  

As he approached Aunty on all fours; she stood her ground with cordless phone in-hand.  

I saw the familiar blue, and red lights on the moving car.  

"He tried to kill me while I was in the shower,"  Aunty was shouting with a shaky voice.  The officers put the tight handcuffs on his wrist, holding him down on the street. One of them on their phone about room space in THE hospital.  

This was just another day in our house.  Tomorrow wouldn't be the same though.

Nothing ever would be again.