doorframe
trying to steadying him, tightening his grip around the whisky bottle he
brought it up to his lips, taking a large swig of the brown liquor. He gasped as he removed the whisky bottle
from his lips, wincing from the bitter taste it left in his mouth.
Straightening up, he stared at Madison square in the face. This was something
Phil had not done for a very long time, he always chose to ignore Madison
rather than acknowledge her. Phil’s
beady, little, eyes stared over his thin long nose, his long thin lips were
parted revealing yellowy, brown, teeth. His bushy grey eyebrows directed down,
creating a V shape over his angry eyes. Madison couldn’t speak or move she was
frozen with shock. Her mouth hung open and her eyes wide in disbelief.
Phil had
been virtually catatonic for the past 2 months. He was hardly capable of
rolling over in his sleep, let alone walking up the stairs to Madison’s bedroom
and making direct eye contact with her.
Eyeing Phil
suspiciously, Madison slowly got up to her feet. Wearily, she stepped towards
him, her hands raised in a defensive fashion. Phil had been known to fall over
when he was drunk, normally ending up in hospital with stitches. Phil wasn’t a
big man and Madison had had to catch him many times in the past.
“Wha… wha….
what” Phil slurred. A foul stench of whisky filled the air as his breath filled
the room.
Madison
winced from the smell and swallowed hard forcing down the rising bile.
“Dad?
What’s the matter?” she asked concerned, studying his face but trying not to
gag from the smell.
“Look at
you. Look at you. You look just like… her” Phil said a little more clearly, his
face becoming soft as he spoke. His face froze for a moment, turning blank as
he lost himself in his trail of thought.
Madison
concentrated on his eyes; they were softer than usual, like Phil had suddenly
forgotten all the pain he had been carrying around with him for all these
years. His once bright, sparkling light brown eyes now seemed dull and tired,
large dark circles hung underneath his eyes - making his skin appear paler than
usual. Phil looked completely exhausted, his fingers twitched at the doorframe
as he tried to steady himself. Suddenly, without warning Phil’s feature’s
hardened and his eyes flashing with hatred and anger. His gaze moved up and
fixated on Madison’s face.
“Are you
alright?” Madison asked, taking another step towards Phil.
“Don’t you. Don’t you dare…” Phil spat through
his teeth, the foul smell of liquor flowing out into the room with each word.
He threw his head away from Madison in disgust. “Dad?” Madison asked confused,
placing her hand on Phil’s right arm.
“NO! Don’t
touch me” Phil screamed, shaking off her hand “I don’t want to see you again!”
Madison’s eyes were glazed, hurt spread across
her face.
“Look, I’m
really not in the mood for this tonight. So let’s just go downstairs…”
she said shaking off the bitterness of his words.
Phil
flinched as Madison moved towards him. He threw his free arm back and balled
his hand into a fist, throwing it towards her.
Madison
barely had time to react before Phil’s hard fist impacted with her left cheek.
The force of the punch caused her to fly backwards and land hard at the foot of
her bed. Her cheeks were scolded by hot tears as they poured down her cheeks;
she cupped her cheek in pain. Her face became flushed and sodden by tears and
her head throbbed from the impact of Phil’s fist. There was a dull ringing in
her ears causing her hearing to become muffled and vague. Panic flooded into
Madison’s mind, she had no idea what Phil’s intentions were or whether he would
stop at just one punch. Madison had never been in this type of situation before
with Phil and for fifteen years Phil had never laid a single finger on her.
Madison knew how unpredictable Phil could be at times, but it had never come to
this before. Phil’s twisted, hurtful
trying to steadying him, tightening his grip around the whisky bottle he
brought it up to his lips, taking a large swig of the brown liquor. He gasped as he removed the whisky bottle
from his lips, wincing from the bitter taste it left in his mouth.
Straightening up, he stared at Madison square in the face. This was something
Phil had not done for a very long time, he always chose to ignore Madison
rather than acknowledge her. Phil’s
beady, little, eyes stared over his thin long nose, his long thin lips were
parted revealing yellowy, brown, teeth. His bushy grey eyebrows directed down,
creating a V shape over his angry eyes. Madison couldn’t speak or move she was
frozen with shock. Her mouth hung open and her eyes wide in disbelief.
Phil had
been virtually catatonic for the past 2 months. He was hardly capable of
rolling over in his sleep, let alone walking up the stairs to Madison’s bedroom
and making direct eye contact with her.
Eyeing Phil
suspiciously, Madison slowly got up to her feet. Wearily, she stepped towards
him, her hands raised in a defensive fashion. Phil had been known to fall over
when he was drunk, normally ending up in hospital with stitches. Phil wasn’t a
big man and Madison had had to catch him many times in the past.
“Wha… wha….
what” Phil slurred. A foul stench of whisky filled the air as his breath filled
the room.
Madison
winced from the smell and swallowed hard forcing down the rising bile.
“Dad?
What’s the matter?” she asked concerned, studying his face but trying not to
gag from the smell.
“Look at
you. Look at you. You look just like… her” Phil said a little more clearly, his
face becoming soft as he spoke. His face froze for a moment, turning blank as
he lost himself in his trail of thought.
Madison
concentrated on his eyes; they were softer than usual, like Phil had suddenly
forgotten all the pain he had been carrying around with him for all these
years. His once bright, sparkling light brown eyes now seemed dull and tired,
large dark circles hung underneath his eyes - making his skin appear paler than
usual. Phil looked completely exhausted, his fingers twitched at the doorframe
as he tried to steady himself. Suddenly, without warning Phil’s feature’s
hardened and his eyes flashing with hatred and anger. His gaze moved up and
fixated on Madison’s face.
“Are you
alright?” Madison asked, taking another step towards Phil.
“Don’t you. Don’t you dare…” Phil spat through
his teeth, the foul smell of liquor flowing out into the room with each word.
He threw his head away from Madison in disgust. “Dad?” Madison asked confused,
placing her hand on Phil’s right arm.
“NO! Don’t
touch me” Phil screamed, shaking off her hand “I don’t want to see you again!”
Madison’s eyes were glazed, hurt spread across
her face.
“Look, I’m
really not in the mood for this tonight. So let’s just go downstairs…”
she said shaking off the bitterness of his words.
Phil
flinched as Madison moved towards him. He threw his free arm back and balled
his hand into a fist, throwing it towards her.
Madison
barely had time to react before Phil’s hard fist impacted with her left cheek.
The force of the punch caused her to fly backwards and land hard at the foot of
her bed. Her cheeks were scolded by hot tears as they poured down her cheeks;
she cupped her cheek in pain. Her face became flushed and sodden by tears and
her head throbbed from the impact of Phil’s fist. There was a dull ringing in
her ears causing her hearing to become muffled and vague. Panic flooded into
Madison’s mind, she had no idea what Phil’s intentions were or whether he would
stop at just one punch. Madison had never been in this type of situation before
with Phil and for fifteen years Phil had never laid a single finger on her.
Madison knew how unpredictable Phil could be at times, but it had never come to
this before. Phil’s twisted, hurtful