My Mother, The Monster

the villain in our small

loud enough for me to hear from the living room. "I'm jus

ing noncommittal. He kn

feeling of my throat closing, it haunted my

immense. I wa

u not sleeping? You need to take better care o

ern was

in the kitchen late at night

do?" he'd ask,

him about the premonition. He'

rt. He knew. He didn't know the de

what I was doing, who I was talking to i

ere, even to the library, "just

ars ago. I wanted to join the school newspaper. Mom

said, his voice surprisingly

so now you're taking her side against me? You

r. Mom had cried, accused him of

down, looking defeated. I

a loop, her words

ful, Sarah. I do e

, you wouldn't want to

her' s side of the family.

plea. "Mom, please. I just want to visit

be ridiculous, Sarah. It's too expensive. And you woul

ute. Her world was the

d uncomfortably. "Susan, maybe

avid? Whose idea was this? Hers or you

ss from the coffee table and hurled it at t

h hate me!" she screamed, t

self. Dad just stood there, hi

out of the r

s heavy, broken only by the so

d started picking up th

," he whispered,

rds anymore. I was documenting h