Chapter 31 – Blake ~ 1989
I t’s been a couple weeks since, Liam left to go back to college. Life has been somewhat peaceful. Well, with Lana, definitely. We are officially unofficially together. I bought her an extravagant choker. I gave it to her last week after Liam left.
She loved it. Home unfortunately is still the same. Constant fights with my mother while she gets drunk and yells at me. Mostly about how I’ll be nothing compared to Liam.
I lie in bed for a while. Something feels off about tonight. There’s a shift in the air. I decide to take a hot bath. My muscles are tense. Maybe from all the extracurriculars with Lana. I make myself chuckle.
We have been having a lot of sex recently though. I grab a towel. I sit my walkman out next to the tub. I like to listen to cassettes while I relax.
I start running the water. It takes a while to fill up the iron claw bathtub. I’m not entirely sure why. I go to my room to browse my cassette tapes when I hear something at my window. I open it, expecting Lana.
What I was not expecting was to see Liam climb through my window. “Liam? What the fuck are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at college?” I ask. He smirks. “College. Such a fickle thing. What if I told you, dear brother, that I haven’t been at college in over a month?”
I look at him confused. “Why lie? Your mom’s golden boy. You can’t do anything wrong.” I cross my arms. He shrugs. “I don’t know about that. I don’t think she’ll ever forgive me for what I have planned for you.”
I look at him. “You’re scaring me. Are you on drugs?” I ask, stepping back, inching closer to the bathroom to create the distance, I need from my older brother. “Oh, yes, if only drugs were the source of my behavior.” He steps closer.
I go to slam the bathroom door on him. He slams the door open. He trips me and I knock my head on the bathtub. I try to get up but I can’t. My head is swimming, I’m dizzy and disoriented. My vision goes in and out.
Liam undresses me. I try to push him off, but I’m losing consciousness quickly. He sits me in the tub. He makes sure it’s as full as it can be. He turns the water off. My vision comes back for a second. He pushes my head under the water.
I suck in a lot of water. He pulls me up and quickly dunks me under and holds me there.
I try to fight. I don’t want to die. Please.
Liam, why? I take a gulp of water into my lungs.
My arms start to go limp. My last thought is of Lana.
Her seeing Multnomah Falls. The bewilderment in her eyes.
Almost like a child on Christmas morning.
My arms slip under the water. My lungs seize. My vision fades. I take my last breath as everything goes dark.