The Third Parent

by Elias Witherow

  Then, in almost a whisper, the voice answered, “No, Jack…that’s his name.”

  I felt the room waver and tilt as I blinked back dripping sweat from my eyes. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

  “Tommy Taffy is what he calls himself. But that is not the name that was given to him.” A low horn sounded from the other side. “It was not the name I gave him, Jack.”

  “Wait a minute,” I said, chest heaving, “Just hold on…I…” I felt my head scramble with confusion and questions, a pressing mass of chaos. “Just who the hell are you?”

  “I told you…my name is Rez.”

  “Ok, Rez,” I said slowly, “If you want my help then you need to help me. You need to help me right now. Because the clock is ticking and every second I stay here running my mouth is another second Liz is suffering. Suffering because of me. Because Tommy followed ME. Isn’t that right, Rez?”

  “I’m…I’m sorry, Jack. But you mustn’t go. Not yet. In this state, there’s nothing I can do to help you right now, but if you’re patient, there is a way.”

  I brought my mouth closer to the speaker, voice a snarl. “I’m not going to wait. Liz doesn’t have that kind of time and I’m not going to play twenty questions with you while Tommy fucking rapes her or worse. So unless you can help me right now, I’m going over there.”

  “Jack, please don’t do this. You know Tommy; you know what he’s capable of. You can’t change anything right now!”

  “Well I’m going to try,” I growled.

  I hung up.

  I mopped sweat from my face and quickly got dressed, heart thundering. I felt like I was being crushed beneath a mountain of madness, an unearthly mass of unanswered questions. As I raced out of my apartment, I realized that right now none of it mattered. That could all wait. Right now I needed to get to Liz’s and try and stop this.

  And how the hell do you plan on doing that? I thought, jumping in my car, what exactly is the big plan here?

  As I pulled out of my space and hit the gas, I realized that I didn’t really have a plan. But I thought, almost knew, that if I went there and showed my face it could—might—stop some of the inevitable violence. If I could just get Tommy to focus on me, if I could relieve Liz’s physical or mental torment for just a couple hours, then it would be worth it.

  My cell began to ring urgently and I looked down at it. It was the blocked number. I ignored it. I knew who it was now and had no desire to continue our conversation. Not right now anyway.

  This is insane. What are you doing, Jack?

  I shook my head as the city zipped by. I knew it was insane, but I didn’t care. Liz needed someone there who understood.

  The ride over felt like the longest trip I had ever taken. As I approached her street, I gazed out at the vast fields resting on either side of the road. The moon glowed brightly across the knee high grass, a gentle wind rustling the blades. How could such peace hold such a terrible secret?

  I roared down the street and spotted Liz’s house. The lights were on, a gentle illumination backed by the dark trees that bordered her backyard. I slowed and pulled into the driveway, shutting off the engine. I sat there for a moment, staring at the front window. I couldn’t see anything, but I knew what awaited me.

  I rubbed my hands together, trying to calm my stomach. Fear begged me to just drive away, leave all this, but I opened the door instead, stepping out into the night. I looked out at the field across the street, acres of rolling grass dancing in the wind. “Come dance with us,” the grass called.

  I turned my back on it. I had a different devil to dance with tonight.

  “Jesus Christ, am I really going in there?” I whispered to myself. I felt paralyzed in the driveway, nails of terror impaling my feet to the asphalt.

  She needs help. She needs someone. She needs you.

  I exhaled shakily and walked to the front door. My heart slammed into my chest and roared in my ears to flee. A dizziness washed over me as I mounted the front steps, a horrific icy feeling that extended down the length of my body. I had worked so hard to put all this behind me.

  I knocked on the door.

  Standing there, waiting, I felt like I was going to throw up.

  I heard footsteps on the other side of the door and I braced myself, a monstrous wall of terror pressing in on me from all sides.

  And then the door opened, a body filling the space.

  “Hello Jack,” Tommy said, smiling.

  I took a step back, the sudden sight of him sending a whiplash response through my body. He looked exactly like he had all those years ago. His blond hair, his perfectly smooth, almost plastic skin, his smile that held no teeth, just a strip of faceless white. And his eyes…those penetrating, shockingly blue eyes…

  “You look a little rattled,” Tommy grinned, “is everything ok?”

  I took another step back, trembling, not wanting to actually believe he was back.

  “Would you like to come in?” Tommy asked, gesturing inside.

  “No…Why…?” I finally whispered, the only thing I could conjure.

  Tommy stepped out onto the front stoop with me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Why? Because you need me, Jack. This broken family needs me. I’m here to put the pieces back together.” He touched my cheek. “You…Liz…and your beautiful child.”

  I jerked away from his touch, sickened. “What have you done to her?”

  Tommy stepped back into the doorway, “Hehehehe…”

  “Goddamn it, have you hurt her?” I asked, terrified of the answer.

  Tommy jerked his head behind him. “Why don’t you come see for yourself.”

  No part of me wanted to enter that house. I didn’t want to see what lay inside, didn’t want to hear the door close behind me.

  “Come on, Jack,” Tommy said, taking my arm, “we have so much to talk about.”

  I felt myself pulled inside, a dreadful, drifting weight settling in my chest. I crossed the threshold and the door closed behind me. I felt like screaming.

  Tommy led me into the kitchen, blood pumping in my ears. We rounded the corner and there was Liz. She was sitting at the table, face tear streaked and terrified. She seemed to be in massive discomfort, leaning heavily over the table, panting, each breath causing a shudder to run through her body.

  Lying on the table was a small trowel covered in blood.

  “Oh my God…Liz…” I whispered, eyes going wide.

  Tommy grabbed my arm, stopping me from going to her. “Ah ah ah, take it easy. Why don’t you just have a seat so we can all talk?”

  I turned to him, face pale. “What did you do to her?”

  “Please,” Liz said weakly, “please Jack, just do what he says.”

  I looked at her and then at Tommy, torn, scared, and horribly unsure of myself.

  Tommy smiled, “You should listen to her.”

  “Where’s Mason?” I asked, standing my ground.

  Tommy let me go and walked to the table. He picked up the trowel leaving droplets of blood in its wake. He turned it over in his hands and just stared at me, his eyes piercing through my skull.

  “He’s sleeping,” Liz whispered, wincing, “in the back room.”

  “Yes,” Tommy said, still examining the trowel, “you did good not to wake him, Liz. Just like I told you. You’re good at listening. You’re quick to follow the rules.” He looked up at me. “Something Jack here could learn from.”

  “You bastard,” I whispered, unmoving.

  Tommy tapped the table by an empty chair. “Sit down. We need to talk. The three of us.”

  I looked at Liz and she nodded. I circled the table and sat down.

  “Good, good,” Tommy said, standing between the two of us, “that’s better. This is how it should be.”

  “Why are you here?” I said softly. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

  Tommy shook his head, smiling slightly. “Let me ask you a question, Jack.”

  “I’d rather
you didn’t.”

  “What is the most important part of family?” Tommy plowed on.

  I looked across at Liz, our eyes meeting and exchanging unknown conversation. She looked like she was in torturous pain. She gritted her teeth and her brows knitted with concentrated sensitivity, like every breath she took held the possibility to kill her.

  “I feel like you’re not paying attention,” Tommy said quietly, placing his hands on the table and leaning toward me. “Maybe I should show you how much Liz likes the trowel. What do you think?”

  I snapped my eyes to his. “I’m listening, Tommy. I’m here.”

  Tommy smiled. “Good, good. Now…the most important part of family. Any guesses?”

  I just shook my head. I was too scared to play his games right now.

  Tommy sighed, “Well that’s disappointing, considering.” He rounded the table and stood behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. “The most important thing is that no matter what, you stick together. Through thick and thin, the good and the bad, you stick with your family. You support them, you love them, and you try your best to be an example.”

  His hands tightened on my shoulder. “Would you say you’ve done that, Jack?”

  “Tommy—”

  His fingers dug into my collarbone, “Would you say you’ve done that?”

  I winced, closing my eyes, “I—I don’t know.”

  Tommy released me, now gently rubbing where he had been gripping. “I know this is scary for you. It’s ok. I realize you were just made aware of your son’s existence so I won’t fault you for being absent the first three years of his life.” Tommy leaned over me and whispered in my ear, “But that’s going to change now, isn’t it?”

  Liz was crying, her head on the table and I just stared at her, fear and unease rolling through me like summer rain.

  Tommy brought his lips closer to my ear, his voice barely a whisper. “You’re going to be a father to your son, aren’t you? Isn’t that what you want? Don’t you think that’s best for him? A boy needs a father, Jack.”

  I cracked my jaw open, daring to speak. “Is that what you want, Tommy? If I stay, will you leave them alone? Will you leave me alone?”

  I flinched as Tommy slowly rubbed his lip against my ear. “Is that what you want, Jack? Do you want me to leave?”

  “More than anything,” I whispered.

  Tommy’s hand found the back of my neck and traveled down across my chest. “It hurts when you say things like that. Don’t you know I’m here to help? After all we’ve been through, haven’t you learned that yet?”

  I closed my eyes, trying to ignore his touch. “B-but you haven’t helped anyone. You destroyed my family.” I opened my eyes, now bloodshot, voice hoarse, “and you killed my sister.”

  Tommy suddenly pulled away and walked back to his place at the table, “Ah, yes…Katie. I’ve thought a lot about her over the years. Such a sweet girl.”

  I clenched my fists, a swell of emotion rising in me. “Why, Tommy…? I’ve wondered for so long…why the hell did you do that…? She didn’t do anything wrong. She followed all the rules.”

  Tommy smiled sadly at me, his eyes big and blue. “Sometimes the only way to understand a loving hand is to first experience an angry fist.”

  I suddenly slammed my hands down on the table, causing Liz to jump painfully.

  “Goddamn it, that’s not good enough! What the hell does that mean?!” Tears were beginning to form in my eyes. “Why did you do all those horrible things to us?! What were we supposed to learn!? What the FUCK did it all mean!?”

  Tommy’s face suddenly looked vacant, his voice emotionless. “Did you learn nothing, Jack? Think back on all of my teachings, my lessons. You remember those, don’t you? Haven’t those stuck with you over the years? Haven’t they formed and shaped you into who you are today? Don’t you think that now, because of me, you’re a better person?”

  “What are you TALKING about!?” I screamed, eyes running. “I’m a fucking MESS! We all are! Mom’s depressed, Dad is just a shell of a man now, and none of us know what it all MEANT! Why did Katie DIE!? WHY DID YOU KILL HER, GODDAMN IT!? WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO LEARN FROM THAT!?”

  Tommy’s eyes suddenly went dark, but the smile remained plastered to his face like a cancer. “Oh, I expected more from you, Jack. I really did. Perhaps you’re still just a child. A confused, scared little boy.”

  I threw my hands up, crying openly now. “I’m a disaster! My life is a mess! I’m so…so fucking sad all the time and I have this…this temper that just makes me want to…to fucking hurt people sometimes and I can feel it getting worse! I can feel it growing in the back of my mind and I have to smoke and drink and numb myself just so I can fall asleep and not see your fucking face! So I can stop hearing Katie screaming as you cut her legs off!” I wiped my nose, shaking, losing myself. “So you tell me, Tommy! You FUCKING tell me if you helped make me a better person! Because from where I’m standing…? From where I’m standing, you ruined me. You ruined my whole family.” My voice lowered to a venomous, heavy whisper. “You fucking killed me years ago.”

  Tommy’s face had grown as dark as his eyes, a dimming, haunting look that ate his smile away. He stood there looking at me as something massive and dangerous boiled beneath the surface. We stayed staring at one another, my face a mess of anguish and misery. I felt such fear and hatred coursing through me that I thought I would drown in it.

  “We’re not going to talk about this anymore,” Tommy said finally, his voice so low I barely heard it.

  “Fuck you, Tommy,” I cried, feeling doors opening that I had locked years ago. “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you? DO YOU?!”

  Tommy stepped toward me, dripping with violence, and I knew I should stop, but couldn’t.

  “I don’t know what the hell you are,” I hissed through tears, “but whatever you think you’re here for…whatever you think you’re doing…you’re fucking it up.” I raised my eyes to meet his. “Isn’t that right, six-six-three-five-eight-Rez?”

  Tommy reached for my throat but froze as the phrase left my mouth. His eyes went wide and I saw absolute shock electrify his body.

  “He’s been talking to you again, hasn’t he?” Tommy whispered, a rising, mountainous anger in his voice.

  “Tommy,” I said, standing, leaning across the table, “what the fuck are you?”

  For a moment, just a moment, I saw something like uncertainty flutter across his face. But in an instant it was gone, replaced by a fury so hot I could feel its heat from where I stood. I had a second to react, but even that wasn’t enough. Tommy grabbed me by the throat and lifted me, his grip like a vice. I sputtered and coughed, clawing for air, but Tommy didn’t allow me any. In one powerful motion he slammed me down across the table, face first. Liz screamed and almost fell backwards as my cheek crunched into the spot she had been leaning a second ago. She looked horribly scared and overwhelmingly confused; her eyes were wet and bloodshot.

  Tommy held me against the table, planting an arm across my shoulders, nailing me in place. He leaned down, his voice hot in my ear.

  “I told you once to never, ever, say that again.”

  I struggled to get air into my lungs, squirming and twisting on the table, but I found that I couldn’t move. Blood trickled from my nose and I tasted it on my gums.

  Tommy dug his arm deeper into my back. “What’s it going to take for you to listen to me, Jack? You tell me. What do I need to do to Liz to get you to behave?”

  From my spot, I saw Liz recoil into herself, struggling to stand, but gave up as pain bolted through her. She was crying, her eyes huge and afraid.

  “Don’t hurt her,” I gasped, wincing, “she has nothing to do with this. This is between me and you.”

  And then Tommy chuckled and I felt a shiver run through me.

  “Oh no, Jack,” Tommy hissed, “this isn’t about you anymore. It’s about your son. Let this be my first lesson to you as a new father. You don’t matter
anymore. That sleeping boy in the other room? That’s what matters and he’s the reason you’re going to stay and help raise him. Together—the three of us—we are going to make sure he’s raised right. And if you refuse, I will break this woman in front of you in ways you couldn’t possibly imagine. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

  Slowly, painfully, I nodded. There was nothing else to do. Endless emotions roared through me like a current and I fought against all of them. Tommy was spiraling down a violent hole I was all too familiar with. All that mattered right now was keeping Liz and Mason safe. Whatever came next, I’d confront when I needed to. I wasn’t going to let this monster have the satisfaction of inflicting more pain on them while I watched.

  “I understand,” I said finally, “you don’t have to hurt anyone. I’ll do what you want.”

  “Will you, Jack?” Tommy asked dangerously. I nodded, feeling blood streak against my face. After a moment, Tommy let me up. I slid from the table and stood, knees shaking. I wiped my face and took a deep breath. Liz had her face in her hands, shaking, and I placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “You’re going to sleep here tonight,” Tommy said, squaring me up from across the table. “You’re going to do your duty and be with the mother of your child.”

  “Fine,” I breathed, “that’s fine, Tommy.”

  He pointed down the hall. “Take her to her room and go to bed with her. I don’t want to hear a sound for the rest of the night.”

  I raised my hand, “Yeah, but Mason—”

  “Is sleeping and will be fine,” Tommy finished. His eyes flared. “Now do what I tell you.”

  “Come on,” I said quietly to Liz, taking her arm. As she went to stand she let out a cry and fell to her knees onto the floor. I looked at the chair she had been sitting in, and to my horror, I discovered why.

  The seat was covered in blood.

  “Oh my God…” I whispered, stunned, repulsed. I looked up at Tommy, face white. Tommy just stared back at me and then slowly, horribly, he smiled.

  I knelt down next to Liz, gently scooping her up in my arms, “It’s ok, shh shh, it’s ok, Liz. I got you. Come on, let’s get you in bed.” She whimpered into my chest, hand wrapped around my neck. I felt my arms grow wet beneath her. I tried not to think about what happened before I had arrived tonight.