stupidity

For the longest time she was convinced her name was Stupid, Idiot and Useless. If he was mad, a "God damn" or "fucking" became precursors to these poetic terms of endearment. Shannon was her name given by her mother. Underneath her thick raven black hair were eyes so blue they looked right through you and knew what you were thinking.  Maybe that was what scared him.  .

Her father. He WAS scared too. Shannon's mother had caused him pause with her smirk, her manipulation and those eyes but through years of drunken abuse and insults he had ruined her, made her pliable. Her abilities diminished. He killed her spririt long before he had to ditch her body. Travis  had been a big deal once. He had been feared in school; tall, strong, aggressive and confident. His career and life had been set in small town hero stone. He headed to college with all the back-slapping, loud mouthed, grinning money the recruiters could stuff in his pockets. He finished, then came home where he got his pick of the cheerleaders he'd already known and became a bigwig in town; taking his place as the ever-prom king. He'd drink to that; every night. No one seemed to mind. Hell, he rarely bought a drop. People loved to put it on their tab or on the house so they could talk over the old times and of course his future... right there in town. Oh it was all set and he was happy to live this life. Then he'd met Shannon's mother that night at the alumni game. She had turned his head so fast, he thought he'd gotten whiplash. She had black silk for hair that was cut short and dangled playfully around her face. She had amazing light eyes and a body that begged for attention from a man. "THIS man" he'd thought hungrily and put on his quiet country boy act that worked oh so well.

She was supposed to have been a boy; hence her name: Skyler. So day one set the tone for her short life. Her own father had been distant and aloof.She was the lead in plays, the star in her sports and top of her class. Whatever she touched or tried was wonderful, successful and she did it all in the hopes of seeing a glimmer of approval in her father's eyes. It would have been there brightly shining had she only been born with the correct plumbing. But she was hopeful Travis would be different.

He laughed at her jokes and told her she was pretty in that shy, toe in the dirt way.  That night she'd met him at the game, he'd taken a big swig of his ninth beer (something she wasn't aware of.  It became a joke to her later: "Love potion number nine.")  He was interested, listening to what she had to say and seeming to want to share with her. She let him seduce her but at a snail's pace. He was "about ready to explode" when she let him in to her bed.  She was good at everything but sex. At this, she was amazing. Travis became intoxicated by her body and the way they fit together. She seemed to enjoy it, but really chose to reward him for little thoughtful things and good behavior. It was manipulation on an intimate  but on a  grand scale.  He was already trapped when she announced she was going to have his baby. Skyler thought she had played the right card at the right time, but things began to change.

Not at first. No, it was romantic and sweet at first. Skye thought they just might be happy. It was all that she was looking for. He had finished his business degree, planning to settle at home anyway. He made the best of it and it was good. The baby came and they were cute; all of them.  But love potion number nine became ten  then twelve and an additional thrity every weekend while his words and resentment grew faster than baby Shannon. When Skye disappeared, Shannon waited for the truth to be told but it never happened. That was when she took it into her own hands.

She had been banished to her room once again and gladly so. Love potion number fifteen was taking a firm hold on him.  The slurring and the spitting had begun.

"Whass SIS?" he'd grumped over dinner.

"Pork chops."

"Taste like Hell. You better get good at sumpin else cuz you won't EVER be a chef, Stupid."

She shrugged and cut. The goat cheese and basil with roasted peppers peeked out from between two lightly browned chops. They were perfect. He was drunk.  She hoped dinner would end soon.

"Did you get your work done?"

"Yes."

"Pay da bills you idot?"

"Yes."

He scraped his fork, furious that she had succeeded today. She was as arrogant as her mother. Her eyes glared at him. Laughed at him. She would need to be taught a lesson just like Skyler.

"Laundry? I need my clothes clean. Ann- iss house? Issa shithole. You're useless." he tapped the table absently. The lesson would need to be soon he thought.

"Yes. Your work shirts are ironed and hanging in the closet." She closed her mouth over her fork and enjoyed the cheddar garlic mashed potatoes and the hate that burned on his face. She thought of the chocolate mousse she would not share with him.

He popped open another love potion and took too long of a drink. Foam belched out of the top.
"Aren't you just magnisifent." he sneered.

She shrugged and began to clear the table. "Supper is over." She thought, beginning to plan her evening. She was startled by his hand clamping down hard on her wrist.

"Magnisifent." he incorrectly hissed again.

She stopped and looked down hard. She felt it bubbling up but stymied it. He knew that look and that it would be wise to let her go. She twisted free and turned her head as if she were going to scold him like a child.

"I wouldn't." was all she said heading quietly to her room to read.

It began to get dark and he began to stumble around angrily. Nothing new.  She just had to wait until he passed out. Then she would clean up as she always did,. He shouted at her, whined at her dead mother, broke more glasses or lamps and swiped clear table tops with his wobbly arms.

Shannon sat in her room. Soon it would be better.  She listened at her door, smiling softly to hear his thick snoring. She went to her closet.  Her bag was packed. She had stashed enough money to get her far from town. She was eighteen so the search for her would be limited.  Besides, everyone knew what a son of a bitch Travis was.  They all knew Skye was murdered but without the body, without the blood evidence they had nothing. Shannon did not want to end up like her mother. She wistfully leaned against the window and watched the crescent moon grin at her through the trees. It was time.  She stepped out in to the hall and called to him. Nothing. She wandered down, beginning to clean up.  She swept and straightened.  The last thing she wanted was a scene like a struggle or conflict had occurred.  Then she went to the closet, removing the old kerosene heater. Shame she had forgotten to pay the heating bill. SO careless. The weather had cooled early (to her benefit) so the fire wouldn't seem out of place. The fuel would make sense. They needed the heat. He tripped in a stupor and the spill... well... stupid things happen. Tragedies.  She spilled it just a little and tipped it over. The heater wasn't even full.  Then she approached the passed out man on the couch to drag him over, drape his drunk sorry murderous body in the path of the accelerant and get this show on the road.

But he stirred. He woke. And he was pissed. He took a swing, connecting solidly with the side of her head. The room tilted, clanging like a church bell. Shannon reeled back, quickly trying to recover, scramble away. Travis charged at her, the two tumbling backwards. He sat above her, enfolding her narrow neck in his chumky rough hands, squeezing, panting above her as he had Skye. Shannon kicked and scratched. Her eyes getting hot, bulging out.  He thumped her head on the rug.  She lost consciousness. He checked and found a pulse though weak. "Dammit" he muttered, getting up. He pulled his suitcase and the money he'd found. He added it to his own stash hidden in the back of the cupboard.  He looked at the last of the supper dishes; a wonderful meal of delicious pork chops stuffed with cheese and herbs.  She would have made a wonderful chef. If she hadn't been so stupid, he would have simply let her go. Her mother had been just as dumb. And so they had been justly rewarded.

He collected his future and leaning in the doorway, struck a match to destroyed his past. Travis walked away letting his daughter's handiwork claim her. He patted his travel plans and turned carelessly away

"See ya Stupid."

The smoke was heavy and the fire began to spread quickly.  Shannon wasn't sure she had the strength to get up, but hate is a powerful motivator.  Crawling out the back, she let it burn. Through the roar of the flames, she heard the firetrucks. They were a little earlier than she'd have hoped but it didn't matter.  Stupid had found the plane ticket, discovered his luggage and the wad of money in the kitchen. Useless had put it all together, understanding it had become a simple race to destruction. The idiot had called the police and enlisted their help. They were going to pull him over soon.

Stupidity is relative.



Not my favorite but not too bad all things considered. I wanted to do something else with this but just couldn't make it work.  Sometimes I just have to let them go and move on. I am glad to see you nonetheless. We'll giggle and point at this one. Stuck with Hurricane Sandy and the perfect storm. Thanks for all the concerned/well wishes. See you soon. Keep dry. :)