The Shards of a Shattered Mind
an excerpt

Chapter One: Drunkard’s Rest
Ryan gently opened the door, terrified of what he would find. Seeing the room, placid and dirty, he sighed, not showing the thankful release of breath as he watched his sister do some homework.
“Hey,” he said, striding over to the saggy couch. “I got pizza.” He slid the box onto the table. “Whatchadoing?”
Emily looked up. “Math. I hate Algebra.” She smiled. “Who cares about pi anyway?”
“Loser. Where’s Mom?” Emily stopped smiling.
“She’s in her room,” Emily said, studiously working out a problem.
“Hey,” he said, picking her chin up, so he could look at her. “Is everything ok?” He didn’t want to go through those doors. He really didn’t.
“See for yourself,” she said, jerking her head away to continue in her quest of x.
Ryan slowly walked towards the door, terrified of the wood and cheap doorknob. What would he find? Knocking gently, he opened the door and peered inside.
The room was dark and smelled like old beer and cheap wine. His mother was on her bed, snoring as if to wake the dead. He sighed, allowing the breath to escape, and slowly walked in. Taking a cardboard box, a remnant of the unpacking days that were still incomplete, he started to collect the old bottles, his hand touching the rounded sides with disgust. When there was nothing left that would show anyone his mother’s demons, he set the box down on the floor, staring at his mother. He took the covers, moth bitten as they were, and gently covered his mother’s thin shoulders with them.
“Aslarthin,” his mother whispered, dreaming in her sleep.
“Dream, ma,” he sighed. “Just dream.”
Taking the box out of the room, to be disposed on the sidewalk away from all prying eyes, Ryan carefully shut the door, not hearing his mother say once more, “Aslarthin.”