"God damn it Christine you are not taking the fucking car again this weekend. I have plans." I said as I pushed the front door of the house open.
"But I need it. Alan can't use his dad's car until he pays for the damage."
"Not my problem. Grandpa gave ME the car in his will. Not you, not mom, not dad, ME. I am officially done sharing with you."
My sister looked at our father sitting in his recliner. "Daddy. Tell Pete I get the car this weekend."
"You pull this bullshit every time Chris. I will not give up the keys. I don't care if you are fucking dad to get your way all the time PRINCESS."
My dad shot out of his chair. "What the fuck did you just say boy?"
"I know you heard exactly what I said. You and Christine must be fucking because there's no other reason for you to side with her on everything. Deny it?"
My dad pulled his hand back and made a fist. Christine looked like she had just been punched in the gut. My mom came around the corner from the kitchen.
"Frank if you hit Pete I will have your ass in jail. But you never denied anything. Are you fucking Christine?"
Christine looked at mom then at me then at dad. Nobody was saying a word. She ran out of the house crying.
Dad stood glaring at me. I stared right back my own hands balled and ready to go if he tried anything.
"You've been taking Christine's side in everything for years dad. Last year on my birthday I wanted a few friends over nothing elaborate. Christine did her little 'daddy' whine and I was lucky we had cake. I certainly didn't get so much as a happy birthday from you on that day. Then her birthday rolls along and she has twenty friends over and you give her fucking gold and diamond tennis bracelet. How would you have reacted if your dad gave everything to Aunt Sharon? You would have done the same thing I am now. I am no longer Christine's whipping boy."
My dad stood still and his hands dropped. "Pete. I... I'm..."
"You know what dad save it. I don't need any apologies from you. But just once in a while it would have been nice to know you actually cared about me."
I slammed the front door and walked out and got into my car. I sat there totally pissed off. I suspected for a couple of years that Christine had seduced our father. This was the first time I put voice to my suspicions. I started the car and slammed it into reverse. I needed to get away and I knew exactly where I needed to go.
There is an old barn on a farm that has been tied up in a family trust for years. It's about twenty miles from home and better yet secluded. There are about 120 acres of woods surrounding the old barn. A creek runs through one corner of the clearing the barn sits in. I love to bring dates out there. When I get to use my own car, that is.
As I drove I had no idea Christine was curled up in the back seat. If I had known I would have probably stopped the car and thrown her out into the street. I wanted to be as far from that bitch as possible right now.
It took a little over a half hour to get to the barn. I was still jacked up because of the fight with both Christine and my dad. When I first started coming out here I hung an old heavy bag from the rafters and I would come out here to let off steam. Then Christine started whining about needing to use a car for her own dates and mine got volunteered. It has been a few months since my last visit and I really need to hit something right now.
I walk to the barn and start shadow boxing as I work my way to the duct tape wrapped leather bag. When my right fist hit the bag it began to swing from its chain. I soon got a rhythm of left right slide, left right slide
I was hammering the heavy bag like a man possessed. I had a good sheen of sweat and I had only been going at it for three minutes. The same thoughts raging through my mind. "Dad is fucking his own daughter." I don't think I really believed it until mom got involved.
I stopped for a second to remove my shirt. It was already soaked in sweat. I had a gym bag in the trunk with clothes in it so I could change after I cooled down. I step back in and start pounding away at the leather bag.
Christine slowly got out of the car. She had no idea where her brother was so she started walking toward the barn. As she got closer she heard the sounds of something getting hit hard. She poked her head around the door jamb. There was her brother punching a huge hanging bag. She saw the sweat rolling off his torso like he was being sprayed by a hose. She could see the definition in his arms,chest and stomach as he threw each punch.
I lost track of time and I started to feel tired as my anger finally burned itself out. My arms started to feel like lead weights and each punch landed with less force. I have no idea how long I had been punching away. I noticed the sun was going down so it had to be a couple of hours. I stood there panting for a few seconds before screaming at the top of my lungs.
Christine jumped when I screamed. For the first time since we got here I saw that she was with me. I grabbed my shirt and used it to wipe away as much of my sweat as I could. I would get one from the trunk soon.
"Chris? What time is it?"
It shocked us both how calm I sounded. Christine jumped when I spoke to her. She looked at her watch and said "7:30" Shit I've been punching the heavy bag three hours at least. No wonder I was so worn out.
I took two steps and my knees gave out. I had sweated so much I was severely dehydrated. As I fell to the ground Christine shrieked and ran to me.
"Are you OK Pete?"
"I need water." was all I managed to say before everything went black.
Christine ran to the car and dug around looking for any old water bottles. She found one jammed under the passenger seat but it was empty. She looked around and saw the old pump well. She worked the handle furiously for five minutes before water finally started to flow. At first it almost looked like blood. After another minute of pumping the water was running clear. She filled the bottle and ran back to her brother.
****
Pete was just starting to stir when I came back and held the water to his lips. The bottle emptied in just a few seconds. I ran back and returned a minute later with the bottle full once again. He drank this one down just as quick. As I stood to get more water Pete grabbed my hand. He stood himself upright and I let him lean on me as we walked to the well.
I kept the handle moving while he drank his fill. After three more bottles he put his hand out to stop me. I supported him as we walked back to the barn.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys. "Get the sleeping bag from the trunk, please."
