Chapter Five

Mother’s Comfort

Lyra, Savannah, Alexis, Aaron, and Lauren gathered around the mahogany table in the dining room. This room was smaller than the living room yet carried the same homely feel, with more family pictures and even a wall dedicated to school projects - from academic posters created by Savannah (in the neatest manner possible) to hand paintings by Theo (significantly less neat). Double glass doors led off into the conservatory, through which the cold light of the evening moon was shining. The scent of roast chicken filled the home, so pungent that the children salivated as much as Pavlov’s dogs.

Savannah plated up and handed out their food while her mother walked around the table providing the cutlery. Lyra looked bedraggled and exhausted - she was embroiled in a violent case in which she was the defence barrister of a sadistic man who’d savagely killed his boss for denying him a promotion at work (though he, in turn, denied this charge). It conflicted with Lyra’s moral values and was slipping through her fingers regardless.

Lyra was 47 years old. Her Greek heritage gave her the gift of visual youth; she appeared to be in her mid-thirties. Chestnut brown hair flowed down her back in luscious, well-cared-for curls. Her visage, though pale from fatigue, retained its olive quality. Her russet brown eyes were bloodshot and dark shadows were visible below them despite her makeup. She was shorter than all but Theo, and slimmer; her depression manifested in insomnia and limited appetite, shrinking what had once been a healthy figure.

Lyra took a seat next to Savannah and grimaced, her aching joints sending sharp spikes of pain through her. Aaron and Lauren were seated opposite, while Alexis was positioned at the head of the table, her phone nowhere in sight for a change. Instead of waiting for the rest of them to settle, Alexis dug straight into her meal.

Savannah, Aaron, and Lauren inhaled their food. Lyra picked at hers and guzzled her wine, her appetite eviscerated.

‘Mum, eat up, or I’ll be offended,’ Savannah said, adding a giggle so Lyra wouldn’t think it was an attack.

Alexis snorted from the end of the table. ‘You’ve got a good right to be offended, this is disgusting.’

‘Excuse me?!’

Alexis couldn’t keep her face straight. ‘I’m joking,’ she giggled. ‘It’s nice. Not as nice as getting under your skin, but nice.’

Savannah narrowed her eyes. ‘Watch it, or I’ll tell mum about your new boyfriend.’

Lyra’s eyebrows raised. While watching the interchange, she began to eat more, the return to normalcy serving as encouragement.

‘I don’t care,’ Alexis leaned back in her chair and let out a satisfied sigh. ‘Given that you don’t even know his name, that’s not much of a threat. Besides, he isn’t my boyfriend, he’s my boy-slash-friend. How many times?’

‘Ooh, watch it guys, Alex’s commitment issues are coming out again,’ Aaron smirked. Alexis shot daggers at him while the other three chortled. A slight smile even made its way onto Lyra’s lips.

‘Oh, I have commitment issues, do I? I’m not the one who either runs or pisses himself when any mention of a girl comes into the conversation. I’m surprised you can even sit at this table without having a panic attack.

Aaron’s nostrils flared. ‘I don’t piss myself. I just get uncomfortable when a girl approaches me, that’s all. At least I don’t shag anything that moves.’

Lauren and Savannah groaned, but Alexis leaned forward and brandished her fork at Aaron. ‘Right, that’s an exaggeration and wouldn’t be any of your business even if it were true. At least I’m not like you - if a girl so much as hugs you, you’re a heart attack risk.’

‘Guys, that’s enough,’ Lyra said. Savannah and Lauren fought to choke down their laughter.

Alexis and Aaron refused to speak to each other after that, instead shooting poisonous glares at each other. In the silence, the family finished their meals and Lyra took their plates into the kitchen. When she returned, the kids got out of their seats to leave and go to their respective rooms.

‘Erm, no, all of you sit back down,’ she commanded, pointing them back into their chairs. ‘I want to have an actual conversation with you all. I’m hardly seeing my babies anymore. So, sit back down. I’m going to put Theo to bed. Do not move.’

She threw a stern look at them and moved off. Theo heard the word ‘bed’ from his comfort in the living room, where he had been watching television, safe in the knowledge his mother was in the next room. His loud protests were audible to all.

Savannah reclined in her chair, frowning. ‘Wonder where that came from,’ she said to no one in particular.

Alexis shrugged. ‘Who cares? I doubt it’s anything important. She’ll just want some of that mind-numbingly boring ‘family time’, as usual. And I wish she’d stop calling us ‘her babies’ - we’re not kids anymore.’

A cord popped in Aaron’s neck. ‘Do you care about anyone other than yourself?’

‘Well, yes,’ Alexis frowned. ‘I kinda have to care about you lot, given you’re my family. There’s other things I’d rather be doing, that’s all. That’s hardly a crime, is it?’

‘Mum’s having a hard time and she’s exhausted. She wants some company and we make her happy. I don’t mind staying here and talking to her, because this means a lot to her so I can spare a bit of my time no problem; my stuff isn’t going anywhere. The least you can do is be less selfish.’

Alexis shifted in her seat; Aaron had hit a nerve. Savannah expected a snarky retort. To her surprise, Alexis responded in a low voice, ‘you’re right.’

SIlence reigned while they waited for Lyra to return, aside from the sounds of Theo’s continued angry protests reverberating from upstairs.

*

Lyra returned, bringing another bottle of wine through with two additional glasses. She set these by Lauren and Savannah and filled them up, leaving the bottle between them and filling her glass with the bottle she’d opened earlier. Alexis was not impressed with her exclusion. ‘What?! How come they get some and I don’t?!’

Lyra settled herself back into her chair. ‘Because they are of age and allowed to drink, you are not. When you turn 18, you can have your fill. You don’t hear Aaron complaining, do you?’

‘What does that matter? We’re not the same person, and alcohol’s not his drug of choice. Just because he isn’t complaining doesn’t mean that I-’

‘Alex, will you please just stop,’ Savannah cut in. ‘You’ve done nothing but be a bitch tonight. Can you, for once in your life, rein it in and stop picking fights with everyone over every little thing?’

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Alexis shrunk back into her chair, her lips tight. ‘Fine. But I’m not happy.’

Savannah rolled her eyes. ‘You never are.’ She turned back to Lyra. ‘So, how are you? How was work? You look tired.’

‘I’m fine,’ Lyra sighed, her expression conveying the opposite. ‘It’s lucky I’m getting paid a mountain for this case, because the guy I’m defending… obviously, I’m not allowed to name names, but he’s vile. No remorse, the shadiest history I’ve ever come across… put it this way, this crime? Nowhere near the worst he’s done, but I’ll spare you those grisly details. We’ve lost the jury already - that, at least, is obvious. Part of me is glad of that. This guy should absolutely go down for what he’s done.’ She shook her head. ‘Enough about me. What exactly happened with your father tonight?’

Upon Lyra’s return, Savannah had informed her that she’d argued with Jeremy without diving into detail. Now, she gave her a blow-by-blow account. Lyra took a long, deep gulp of her drink before responding.

‘Firstly, Lauren, thank you for stepping in,’ Lyra bowed her head at her. ‘I’ve never known Jeremy to actually listen to anyone. He certainly doesn’t pay heed to anything I say, but… regardless, thank you.’

‘Kids, the first thing you’ve got to understand about your father is that he’s damaged. He’s hurting. I don’t know why; you’d think after nearly two decades with him, I would, but he’s never told me anything about his past or what’s going on with him, but there’s always been something driving him to be the way he is. When I was younger… that drew me to him, in a strange way… Anyway,’ she cleared her throat. ‘It’s not acceptable how he behaves, but it should make you feel better that it’s not your fault.’

‘I mean, we worked that out for ourselves. We’re not thick. Well... Aaron is.’ Alexis grinned at him. ‘But that doesn’t excuse all the stuff he’s done to you.’

Lyra averted her gaze. ‘Most of that’s my fault. I said or did the wrong thing, I set him off because of me and my issues…’

Savannah gripped Lyra’s hand. ‘Mum, it’s never been your fault. We’ve seen it so many times. Jeremy gets violent and angry when he wants to, it’s never been anything that you’ve done. That’s on him.’

A small smile graced Lyra’s features and soft tears fell.

‘Why don’t you just divorce him? Seriously, we all know he’s evil and we’d be better off without him, you especially,’ Alexis snapped.

Lyra shook her head. ‘It’s not that simple… he wouldn’t be able to survive without me… nor me, him… I still love him… and there’s Theo to think about, how can I let him grow up without his dad around?’ Her tears fell harder.

‘It’s not your responsibility to ensure Jeremy survives,’ Lauren spoke slowly, weighing each word. ‘I’m sorry if it’s not my place, Lyra… but they’re right. Jeremy has nothing worth staying for. He’s had you living in a pseudo-reality for decades now, a reality that he’s consistently twisted and controlled. If you don’t mind me saying… if I were in your position, I wouldn’t think twice about leaving him. You don’t love him, he’s trapped you in a vicious cycle, there’s a significant difference. Entrapment is not love - it’s the polar opposite; the difficulty resides in our ability to differentiate between the two. As for Theo… it’s actually much worse for kids to grow up with two parents who are unhappy than one parent who’s happy.’

Lyra seemed unable to meet Lauren’s eyes. The words were heavy coming from a (partially) objective outsider.

‘God, I wasn’t aware we’d signed up for family therapy,’ Alexis scoffed.

Lauren stuck her tongue out and middle finger up at her.

Aaron took over. ‘Listen, mum. Even though it boils my piss to say the words… I agree with Alexis, and of course, Lauren, though that’s a more sensible approach. Jeremy’s a pathetic, violent drunk who sees every one of us as nothing more than shit on his shoe. It would mean so much more to us to see you happy and thriving away from him. No matter what you do, or when you do it, you always have us.’ He held her other hand and wore a gentle, comforting expression.

Alexis looked at him and feigned gagging. ‘Since when have you been so compassionate?’

‘Seeing as the word ‘compassionate’ isn’t in your vocab, I wouldn’t expect you to get it.’

Alexis’s lip curled. Turning to her mother, she said, ‘look, I may not be as good as wor’ Shakesprick over there… but he spoke for all of us. That’s as compassionate as I can get.’ She threw a quick scowl at Aaron.

Lyra chuckled and looked down at her lap. ‘Thank you, kids. And you, Lauren. I promise I’ll… think about it. Just give me a bit of time to sort my head out.’ She drained her glass and rose once more. ‘I’m going to have a bath. Alexis, Aaron, you’re free to go to your rooms - I know what you two are like, you’ve been desperate to get away.’

‘Oh, thank god for that,’ Alexis gasped. Before anyone else could speak, she’d whirled out the room. Aaron rose too, but before leaving, he hugged Lyra. ‘It’ll be okay,’ he muttered in her ear.

Savannah and Lauren hugged Lyra. When her mother made her way upstairs, Savannah reckoned it was with a lot less weight on her body than there’d been when she’d returned home.

*

Savannah and Lauren were curled up on the sofa, Savannah’s head in Lauren’s lap. Savannah was comfortable enough to drift off to sleep, the sedative effect of the wine taking hold. She attempted to focus on the film they were watching, but failed. Lauren was glued to the screen.

‘Lauren?’ Savannah whispered.

Lauren’s mental capacity returned to the room. ‘Yes?’

Savannah fidgeted with a stray thread on her pyjama bottoms. ‘Was what you said about Jeremy to mum your honest opinion? And why do you hate him so much? He’s not exactly someone close to you.’

Lauren hesitated. ‘Yes, it was, though... I didn’t want to tell Lyra my exact opinion - I actually think he’s a psychopath and, in the right circumstances, could be very dangerous. His drinking is ridiculous and makes him exponentially worse than he already is. I guess I’m just... protective of you at this point. He’s not allowed to hurt you anymore.’

Savannah’s eyes shone. ‘You don’t need to protect me, I can look after myself well enough.’

‘I know that. But, it can’t hurt to have someone around who can ensure that you’re getting the proper treatment from others, particularly your so-called ‘father’. Honestly, I despise him and seeing what he’s done to your mother scares me more than I can say. What if you were to end up in a ‘relationship’ like that? Perpetually dancing on the edge of oblivion all because you’re being tortured by a sadistic creature? It doesn’t bear thinking about.’

An unfamiliar warmth filled her heart. Short of any other words to say, she said ‘thank you’ in her softest voice, unable to convey her true gratitude. Whether the warmth came through the effects of the alcohol, or the content and reality of Lauren’s words, or a combination of the two, she didn’t know. All she did know was that Lauren was right and had her whole trust.

‘Come on, now, I think it’s time for bed for you,’ she laughed. Savannah obliged. She saw Lauren out and made her way to her room.

Savannah’s bedroom was simple, just the way she liked it. There was a king-size bed in the centre with black fleece bedding; a basic, white desk in one corner where she did her schoolwork; a large, oak bookcase in another, home to her favourite novels and films; in the far corner next to the window was her wardrobe which matched the bookcase - both were gifts from her grandmother she’d received a few years ago - and at the end of her bed, a huge flatscreen television was screwed into the wall.

She collapsed onto her bed and flicked the TV on to watch something before she drifted off. She didn’t get that far before sleep engulfed her mind.

*

In her dreams, Savannah was transported to a foreign land where the sky was a deep, fiery orange, and a glaring red sun hung over a bloodied, ashy desert.

Her surroundings were littered with corpses of vile creatures - decaying, grey figures which she couldn’t identify. Some were humanoid, but others…

She walked forward, the sand of the desert sticking between her toes. Up ahead was a monstrous, jagged fortress. Eight towers rose like wide spears stretching into the sky. The base colour of the fortress was the deepest, most ominous black Savannah had ever seen. Veins of striking crimson flowed through the surface of the structure, giving the impression the fortress was pulsing with life. From within, screams. A copper tang filled her nostrils.

Her heart and mind racing, she walked towards the fortress. The odour of death and the horrendous feeling of terror and threat gripped her. Something else caught her eye, on the ground to her right, amongst the remains of a few skeletal creatures and another which resembled some form of lion/eagle hybrid.

Lying in the chaos was a human. Among all the dead creatures, there was but one human. She moved with a combination of curiosity and fear towards the figure; their blood had pooled beneath their lifeless body. Savannah looked into their face... and screamed.

She awoke in a cold sweat, the image of the face already fading from her mind before she could put a name to it.