Ave Maria

Prison Nine days later I was isolated in my cell, wearing the same clothes from the night of the slaughter. I lay prostrate in a corner, humming a song. I was thrown in jail, awaiting my fate for killing Patrick.

A prison guard entered the cell.

"Your clothes and violin for the funerals."

He set down a suit and my violin on the bed and locked the cell door behind him. I disregarded him as if he were nothing and continued to hum my grief. Sadness was tearing my heart apart. I was haunted by death, and abandoned by happiness. I didn't merit living.

Losing my mother and brother in such a tearful way was enough to bury my soul. Life was meaningless and death was wrong. My only friend was fear, and my enemy was love.

Living Room Peggy sat on the couch in front of the television. Her face was sorrowful. The door opened behind her and her father came in from work, carrying a briefcase.

"How are you, sweetie?"

"Hi," she answered swiftly.

"How was school today?"

"I haven't been going to school for a while now."

"What? Why?"

"Just because, that's all."

"That's not an answer, and look at me when I'm talking to you."

Peggy ignored him and kept watching television. Claudia walked down the steps and approached Peggy.

"'Cause she's pregnant," Claudia replied.

Peter grabbed Peggy by the shoulders. "What? You are pregnant by that Negro, murderer- "

"So what?" She cut him short, throwing his hand off her.

"How could you say something like that?" Claudia asked.

"The boy saw his family destroyed by his best friends, one of them a white male, as he was about to perform in Paris. As her father, you should have supported her instead of insulting her- "

Peter cut Claudia short by brutally slapping her. She stayed quiet, staring at him.

"You're a damn bitch! And you," Peter said, pointing his finger at Peggy's face, "I want you to get out of this house."

Peggy got off the sofa and faced him.

"You shut up! I hate you. He's a killer, but you, who the hell are you? You are nothing but a damn father! You are disgusting."

Peter grabbed Peggy once again by the arm and held on to her. She pushed him away so hard that he knocked the entertainment center down.

"Don't you ever touch me again. I'm not my mother," she warned him, pointing her finger at his face in return.

She shoved him and left, slamming the door behind her.

Claudia, recovered, walked to Peter and struck him twice.

"Get the fuck out!" she screamed at him.

Peter rubbed his jaw, glanced at her, kicked his briefcase on the ground, and left the house angrily.