Excerpt: Pale Shelter

“Mom and dad have been fighting more than usual these days," Xander said in a soft voice, staring at the ocean. "The School sent my parents a letter about my choices when I graduate from school next spring." Xander snorted sadly. "Like I have any choices, dad flat out refuses to pay for college or technical school."

Xander replayed that conversation in his mind.

"I'll be damned if 'm going to pay for an education for you boy," Tony Harris sneered last night while drinking his third beer in thirty minutes.

"Tony, you promised," Jessica Harris plead darting a quick look at Xander then looking away.

"That was then, this is now," Tony snapped, slamming the beer bottle on the table. He glared at Xander, his face twisted with hate. “You little bastard.”

"Things went downhill from there so I went over to Willow’s for a bit, "Xander said tearing up a clump pf grass and tossing it away. "I bailed on Willow a few hours ago. I love her Jesse, but it's so hard to listen to her babble about all the acceptance letters she got in the last few weeks. Even Buffy is going to university and I'm stuck here without a future."

"I wish you were here bro,"Xander sighed and fingered a worn picture of his best friend. "I better get home, not that's its really home these days." Xander carefully put the picture in his wallet and started the long walk home. He knew that his mom would be at work by the time he got home and hopefully Tony would be past out in the living room.

The sun was starting to set when he turned down his street and stopped. There was three police cars, an ambulance and news van parked outside his house. His heart pounding, he ran towards his house.

"Hey, hey! Where do you think you're going?" a police officer demanded grabbing Xander has he tried to push his away across the police barrier.

"I live here," Xander gasped out, trying to pull away. "What happened?"

"Someone heard screaming coming from your house and called 9-1-1," the police officer said in gentle voice. There had been a lot of blood in the kitchen floor and walls.

The blood drained away from Xander's face. "My mom? Dad?"

"The EMT's are with her right now," PC Andrews replied sadly. "We can't find your father."

"Oh my god," Xander whispered in a stunned voice. "Not my mom, not my mom."

"Coming through!" a voice shouted and everyone quickly moved aside as the EMT's rushed Xander's mother to the ambulance. Sirens wailing, the ambulance disappeared down the street.

Xander didn't need the doctor to tell him that his mother was dead.

.