The Ties That Bind Us 2.0

Prologue

Twelve year old, Hayden Halifax stood atop the stairs at his Californian home on a stormy January night waiting for his parents to return home from work. Thunder rumbled from outside sending a small shockwave through his body; he hated storms. He turned to his right and gazed out the window, heavy rain was lashing upon it and the wind was shaking the shutters in the attic. Staring from inside the reflection was the boy himself; his short chocolate hair covered most his forehead and his hair colour like eyes wore a worried look. He was rather short for his age, but everyone told him he would eventually grow to be tall like his father. The boy was well-built and had a nice tanned complexion; however, suffering from Eczema as a young boy, he also wore the scars that came from continuous scratching.

From outside the front door to his home, two tall shadows crept up from behind it and gave a knock on the stained glass. His parents were home. Hayden slowly walked down the stairs and progressed to the door. As much as children should love their parents, Hayden only loved his mum; his father was a violent man who often had mood swings. His father hated everyone lower than him and not like him, that he considered to be black people and homosexuals. Hayden hated his father for the things he had seen and endured.

Hayden placed his hand on the door handle and pulled it open, in the frame and soaking wet was his parents, Linda and Milus Halifax. His mother never frowned however dark her day was, his father on the other hand always bore a filthy grin that scared Hayden. “Hi” Hayden said nicely to the both of his parents, before moving to let them into the house. His father just stared at him and walked past, whereas his mother looked at him, smiled and replied, “Hello Hayden”

“Can you get your brother please Hayden? Your father and I have some news for the two of you” It was after those words that Hayden noticed a manila folder in his mum’s left hand, whatever was inside it didn’t sound promising. What was good news for his parents was often bad news for him. “Where is Daniel?”

Hayden thought about the question, “He’s in his room as always, but I’ll go and get him. Why do you want us?” It was rare that the family had a full family meeting, something was up and it made Hayden feel uneasy.

Daniel was Hayden’s older brother by about ten years; he worked for a computer company designing new programs. Hayden admired his brother, but wished he would see more of him. It never used to be like that until their dad found out something he shouldn’t have. Daniel Halifax was homosexual. He always used to go out with his boyfriend at night and during the day when his parents weren’t around. It was like a deadly game of hide and seek, if their father had found out, Daniel would have been in serious trouble. Unfortunately for Daniel, he did.

Hayden approached his brother’s bedroom and knocked on it softly, there came no reply. “Dan, are you in there” Hayden called unsurely. There were footsteps and then the door opened, revealing Hayden’s brother, Daniel. He was tall and burley, like their father and he had night black shoulder length hair with grey eyes. “What you want?” he asked Hayden grumpily.

“Mum and Dad” Daniel flinched, “want to talk to us in the lounge room” Hayden finished. Daniel looked hesitant to the idea, but agreed nonetheless. “I wonder what they want to talk to us about.” Hayden said to his brother, hoping he would know something. Daniel just shook his head and mumbled a few undistinguishable words.

Linda and Milus Halifax were already both sitting down on the suede coaches when Hayden and Daniel walked in. Hayden sat opposite his parents on the other couch; the only object dividing the family was a small coffee table. Daniel sat next to Hayden and looked around the room, determined not to catch his father’s eye.

“You know how we are looking at places to buy overseas?” said his mother breaking the awkward silence that was lingering in the room, Hayden and Daniel both nodded, “Well, we have found a nice place to live…”

At once, Hayden’s stomach felt like it was going to be thrown up, he stared at his mother, “You can’t be serious” he knew what they were going to say immediately, they were moving away from California, “Mum?” he asked, “Please tell me we’re not moving”

“Can you remember” his mother stated, whilst their father just sat and listened, “When you were quite young, we went on a holiday to Tasmania?” Hayden tried to think back, but nothing came; he shook his head, “Nevertheless, we have bought a place down there at a place called Blackman’s Bay and we will be moving as soon as the arrangements are made. Hayden, Daniel…we are moving to Tasmania”

Being an emotional person, Hayden felt his eyes begin to shower with tears, they ran down his face and fell onto the couch, “I don’t want to move” he pleaded, “You can’t make me move, this is my home” Hayden shook his head in denial of everything he had just heard, “You can’t make me move” he repeated, starting to raise his voice. He looked at Daniel who was still staring around the room, refusing to make contact with either of his parents, “Daniel is old enough, he won’t be going. I know he won’t. He has a good job here and he likes it” Hayden turned to Daniel who had given up staring into nowhere and was looking directly at him.

“Hayden” said his father, speaking for the first time since the conversation begun, “Your brother has been offered a job in Sydney, Australia at the same company, just a larger role. He will be leaving next week”

This was too much for Hayden to cope with, the tears continued to flow from his eyes and he just sat back down on the couch and buried his head in his arms, “You can’t make me go. I am not leaving this place” Hayden stood up and looked at his parents in the eyes, “You don’t know how much I need to be here, do you?” and with those words, Hayden turned around and ran out of the room towards his bedroom.

He dived onto his bed and reached for his phone, sitting on the table next to him, he dialed in the number and waited for an answer, the phone picked up and Hayden’s heart jolted forward, “Hello?” said the voice on the other line.

“Hi” Hayden said back, “Is Ashley there?”

“Just a moment” the line went blank for a moment, and then a voice returned, it was Ashley.

“Ash, I need to talk to you”

---

The next day came much quicker than Hayden had anticipated, Ashley would be coming over shortly, and he would have to break the news that he was moving away forever. The thought of someday returning to his hometown remained in his mind however assured he was that he would not. Hayden glanced down at his watch, it was 10:33AM; Ashley was late. Minutes passed and Hayden slowly became anxious, it was not like Ashley to be late. Then finally, there came a knock at the door. Just as Hayden went to answer it, his father appeared from the room next to the front door and opened it. “Hayden is upstairs” he grumbled.

Ashley just smiled and nodded and progressed to the stairs as Hayden crept back into his room, slowly shutting the door behind him. He sat down on his bed before his door finally opened and he was faced with the one person he loved like family. His boyfriend, Ashley.

Ashley was the same height as Hayden; he had black hair with red streaks through it. His hair was parted in two going down both sides of his face. His eyes were what made him stand out the most, being a sapphire colour. He stood in the doorway and moved into the room. He looked at Hayden and smiled. “You said you needed to talk to me?” he asked Hayden.

Hayden looked at him as compassionately as he could, “Ash, come sit here” he demanded softly.

Ashley walked across the room and sat on Hayden’s bed. The two of them locked eyes for a minute while Hayden built up enough courage to tell Ashley the truth. “Ash, I need to tell you something, and you probably won’t like what you hear” Hayden heart started to ache; this was the hardest thing he ever had to do.

“I am moving to Tasmania, Australia” and then Hayden began to cry. The tears that had come out the night before came out again, rolling down his cheek and onto the bedspread. Hayden wiped them away and looked at Ashley; he was just staring at Hayden, there was no emotion in his eyes.

“You can’t be, I don’t believe you” Ashley said, sounding broken inside, “You can’t leave Hayden” His eyes started to go red and tears formed at the base.

Hayden moved closer to Ashley and grabbed his around the waist and hugged his as hard as he could, “I have no choice Ash, I have to go whether I like it or not. I want to stay here with you because I love you, I know some people would think that twelve year olds don’t know anything about life and love, but I know I love you and if I had a choice I would stay”

Ashley moved to give Hayden a kiss on the lips as Hayden also went to do so, it may be the last time.

The two locked lips just as the door to Hayden’s room swung open, “Hayden, your mother wants to see…” His father stopped his sentence mid-way and glared at Hayden. His eyes darted from Ashley then back to Hayden, they rested upon him with a threatening glance. Hayden’s heart jolted forward and he began to panic, “Shit” he muttered to himself.

“What in God’s name are you doing!?” he yelled at the two boys, “You have got to be joking, I already have one fag of a son, do you think I want another one? Fuck no!” Hayden felt Ashley start to shake when Hayden’s dad turned on him, “And you!” he spat, pointing a finger to Ashley, “Get the fuck out of my house, you sick fucking faggot”

“Dad! Stop!” Hayden screamed at him, standing up to him defiantly.

“Sit back down!” His father shot back at him, causing Hayden to cower back down, “Get out of my house now!” he screamed again at Ashley, who stood up quickly and darted for the door before Hayden grabbed his hand and pulled him back, “Ashley, don’t leave, Please!” Hayden begged with him. Ashley’s eyes were watering, and he was breathing heavily, “Ashley, I love you”

“That’s enough!” Milus Halifax moved forward and grabbed the two boys by the hand and tore them apart, throwing Hayden towards his chest of drawers and Ashley out the bedroom door. Hayden was thrown back at such force, upon his back impacting on the corner of the drawers, a large gash formed from just below his neck half way down his back. Blood started to gush out alarmingly fast and Hayden lay on the floor, unconscious in a growing pool of his own blood.

“Hayden!” Ashley cried, attempting to push back through into the room.

“OUT!” his father bellowed.

Ashley turned on his heel, tears flying out of his eyes, and he ran out of the house, he never once looked back, whether it was in fear or hate for Hayden’s father, he didn’t know. But Ashley never saw Hayden again from that day.

Back in the house, Milus Halifax called for his wife to get an ambulance. “Oh My God!” She cried, “What happened here?” Her face was a pale white, “Hayden and Ashley were playing around and Hayden must have tripped or something and landed on the edge of his drawers, but that is beside the point, Hayden needs an ambulance” replied his father, trying to hide the real reason Hayden was lying unconscious on the floor.

Linda Halifax shot out of the room to grab the phone and call for emergency, leaving Hayden along in the room with his father. “Hayden” he whispered to him, “If I ever catch you doing this again, the results will be far worse than they are now”