No Alternative: Day 15

Word Total: 90,003

Year to Date: 750,257

Summary of Events:

Drake bid farewell to all the staff of the restaurant on his last day of work, well, at least until the summer; before going home and packing his things in his car — even though his parents didn't mean to let him take it. After bidding farewell to Rhys and Hayden — who were both set to depart for secondary education that same day — Drake managed to force his parents to let him take his car while they took his dad's car. Arriving in Calgary, Drake was shown to his dorm room and managed to convince his parents to leave without helping him unpack; before they left, though, Drake's dad expressed his displeasure at Drake's efforts for independence . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Drake’s stomach started assuming the fetal position within himself as Dad pressed a button on his fob to pop the trunk open. He then beckoned Drake over, shifting some of the bags that he’d haphazardly tossed in that morning to bring the one he wanted to the top.

Unzipping the bag, Dad drew out a small drawstring bag and opened it to reveal a pistol.

“My great grandfather used this gun to kill many a Nazi in World War Two,” Dad said ominously. “I intend to get it restored to fire again, and I will make you one of its first targets if I have to.”

Drake felt cold fear in his breastbone as he looked at the weapon. He never would’ve dreamed that Dad might possibly be in the possession of a gun.

“If you try to transfer programs, drop out, or leave, or disappear, I will find you, and so will a little twenty two calibre bullet,” Dad warned. “Have I made myself clear Drake Bradley?”

Swallowing nervously, Drake looked over at Dad and saw that he was under an intense gaze. He nodded.

“Good,” Dad said, returning the gun to its place and shutting the trunk heavily. “I expect you to graduate from this course with honours, then when you graduate we will begin the first phase of your inheriting the restaurant.”

Dad walked over to the driver’s door of the car and got inside. Drake stepped back and between two vehicles parked nearby.

He watched silently as Dad started the car, reversed out of the stall, and drove away, his stomach feeling clenched down tiny again, while his breastbone felt like it’d been taken to the South Pole.

Once Mom and Dad were out of sight Drake ran to his car, unlocking it as he ran up; tearing open the back passenger door, Drake threw himself down on the bench seat and sobbed.

In spite of his decision to accept the offer his friends and their parents had given him, he wouldn’t be able to do it. He wouldn’t fly, flying would stay a dream. He had to stay in this course or Dad was going to shoot him, and Drake doubted Dad would allow him to live to tell about the ordeal.

It seemed completely hopeless, completely impossible, to get free of Dad. Not even six hundred kilometres of highway could get Dad’s claws out of him. Even if he were to keep following the Trans-Canada to Nova Scotia, even if he were to maybe fly to Europe or something, even if he actually went to the South Pole, even the moon, he would never get far enough away that Dad would no longer be there.

Until Dad died, whenever that might happen, Drake would have to do what he wanted, there was just no alternative.

Next Post: August 31.