writing from
Scars Publications

Audio/Video chapbooks cc&d magazine Down in the Dirt magazine books

 

Order this writing
in the collection book

Hope & Creation

available for only 1495
Hope and Creation, cc&d book front cover, 2008

This appears in a pre-2010 issue
of cc&d magazine.
Saddle-stitched issues are no longer
printed, but you can requesting it
“re-released” through amazon sale
as a 6" x 9" ISBN# book!
Email us for re-release to order.

cc&d v188

Logan the Runaway

James Cannon

    In the darkness, the scream of a woman, followed by the crack of a whip, echoed off of the damp, crumbling drywall. Logan Velar’s eyes dropped to the crack of light beneath the heavy maple door. The cracking continued, as he watched the shadows jumping to and fro underneath where his eyes lay. He slowly crept from the side of his bed to his door, and carefully turned the knob. He cracked it open just enough to see his father bent over his mother, his belt folded in his hand. He was shouting obscenities that Logan had never heard used by his parents before. He recognized some of the words from those he heard at school. The “cool kids” would call out these words, as the skimpy teenaged girls would walk by. He closed the door with a heavy sigh, and glanced into his mirror. His deep purple eyes almost scared him. He looked kind of like a vampire the way his dark, shoulder-length hair wrapped around his pale face. He walked back to his bed to ponder the nightly event, and wonder why his father treated his mother this way.
    He lied his head down on his pillow, and closed his eyes. No sleep came to him though.
    “Why God, why?” he muttered under his breath. “All I want is some understanding... is that so much to ask?”
    He heard his front door slam loudly, and his parents’ cars start shortly afterwards. He jumped up, throwing his covers into a heap at the end of his bed. He ran to the window and peered out. He saw his father’s car rip out the driveway, leaving tread marks for at least ten feet. His mother’s car pulled out slowly and neatly, probably heading to her escort service across town. She spent many nights there, where she catered to her clients’ every whim. She did everything from dinner to sex. He understood why, though. She had to pay for his father’s drugs and her shabby apartment where she took her many clients. If she didn’t then the only person who knows what would happen to her is God.
    Logan walked over to his old phone and picked up the receiver, praying for a dial tone. When, after a seemingly long wait, the tone finally came and he dialed the familiar number. The phone rang for about three minutes before someone answered.
    “Hello?” said a women’s voice
    “Hi, Is Cindy there?”
    “Logan?” asked the women “how many times have I told you not to call here after eleven?” she grunted “Okay... hold on one moment.”
    He heard her phone fall onto their counter. His gaze shifted to the mirror again. He fingered the scar on his left cheek. The sting of his father’s sharp blade was still fresh in his mind. He could still feel the warm blood running down his soft, clean cheek. He shuddered and shook the thought from his mind.
    “Hello?” said a wonderful, sweet voice “Logan? Sweetheart? You there?”
    “Hey babe...” he said in a sad tone “he did it again...”
    “What did he do again sweets?” she asked
    “That bastard of a father raped her and whipped her again... That’s like... the fourth time this month,” he started to tear up “babe... what am I goanna do? What can I do? ... Can you come over for tonight?”
    “Um...” she hesitated, then whispered “ yea sweets... I’ll come over in an hour... when my moms sleeping, I love you”
    “I love you too Hun” he said happily
    He leaned on his wall for a few minutes before going back to his bed. He plopped down on his bed and pushed the power button on his half-broken T.V. remote control. He didn’t know why he tried. Maybe his mother had managed to save enough money to pay the cable bill. Only white static filled the screen.
    “Should have known,” he said.
    Logan sat on the edge of his bed eagerly awaiting Cindy. He watched the window with anticipation, hoping to see her angelic face within the frame. He sat for what seemed like an eternity, then, finally, she knocked on his window. He ran to the window and opened it as quickly as he could. She climbed through and he grabbed her. He held her like he hadn’t seen her in years and wouldn’t see her in many more. Tears began to fall down his face as she slowly turned her body toward him. They held each other in a loving embrace.
    “You’re everything to me baby...” he said with tears streaming down his face. “I love you more then anything on the earth, you are my angel from heaven, and God sent you to take my pain away. I love you so much!”
    She began to tear up. She had never known how much she meant to him. She felt the same way about him, but she had no idea it was returned. She was so happy she could scream out to the whole world. Logan had a sudden thought, but was afraid to bring it up.
    “Logan,” she said, “What’s the matter? I know when something’s bothering you.”
    “Nothing... just an idea, but its stupid.” He said, “ I wish we could do it though.”
    “Just tell me silly!”
    “Ok!” he exclaimed with a huge grin “I... I... want to run away with you... Just you and me babe.”
    “... How would we get the money Lo?”
    “I’ve been saving up since the day I met you.”
    “Really?”
    “Yea... I promise baby,” he said “ Lets just go, get away and be together forever!”
    “Ok sweets, I need to get some stuff from my house. I’ll meet you at the train station in two hours. Ok?”
    “Ok baby, I love you so much!”
    “Love you too Lo.”
    She snuck back out the window and he ran around his room grabbing every clean article of clothing he could find. He threw all the cloths into a blue JanSport Backpack. After he had all the cloths he needed he walked over to the corner where he kept his savings. The rug was unusually loose. He thought he had made sure it was tight last time he counted it. He pulled back the carped and started to panic. The floorboard was loose as well. He knew he had tightened the board. When he pulled back the board he felt his insides twist. He reached down into the glass Jar and fingered what felt like a bill. He was hoping it was one of his two $100’s... He was afraid to pull it out... When he slowly dragged the paper bill shaped item from the jar and the floor-space into the light, his eyes filled with tears. On the piece of white paper it read:

    Sorry Son, I needed the money... for um... Lunch at work. Consider this an official IOU.
Love, Dad


    His sorrow turned to anger. He heard his father’s car pull into the driveway and he stood. On his way out of his bedroom door he grabbed a piece of rebar he had found near the railroad. He reached the sorry excuse for a living room just as his father walked in through the front door.
    “Hi... Dad.” he said, biting his lip.
    “Is this about the money Lucas?”
    “Its Logan, you drug-crazed loser!” He screamed as he swung the rebar in his father’s direction. He let go of the metal before it hit his father. Shifting his hand from being open to a fist he struck his father in the jaw... hard. Hard enough to nock his father into the wall and misshape his face a little. Logan ran up and fingered through his pockets. He found his two hundred dollars. He ran out the door and jumped into his car. He pulled out of the driveway like he was in the Indy 500. Smoke filled his rearview mirror as he flew down the road. He drove a few blocks past the train station and walked back to wait for Cindy. When he got there she was waiting for him. They looked into each other’s eyes and both moved in for a kiss simultaneously. When their lips touched for the first time his heart felt like it was on fire. They held each other and kissed until they heard the train pulling down the track. When the train finally stopped they walked onto the train hand in hand.
    Just as the doors close both of Cindy’s parents run into the station. They looked confused as Cindy waved “Good-bye” to them. She then grabbed Logan’s hand and kissed him. As the sun rose that morning the train rode into the sunrise.



Scars Publications


Copyright of written pieces remain with the author, who has allowed it to be shown through Scars Publications and Design.Web site © Scars Publications and Design. All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted without express permission from the author.




Problems with this page? Then deal with it...