Retrospective of a Family Man
"Quote."
Conrad Mallory performs the many facades expected of him: father, neighbor, coworker, esteemed veteran. Yet something festers beneath his plastered smile composed of charming niceties and pathetic gestures. Something broken, something that hungers.
The dullness and mediocrity of suburban life suffocates him. He escapes into the heart of the city, to enact violence on others, luring people to hotel rooms to strike. It's easy to justify at first; they're bar girls, they're men of the street. He's always in control, no matter how it goes. It's never enough, though. He grows desperate, to quiet the echoes of his fractured mind.
His wife, Evelyn, always dismissed as cold and awkward, had initally fled into his arms. But she awakens to the reality of her golden-laden trap, and must do what it takes to protect herself and their only son.
Characters
Conrad
Conrad Dean Mallory can only be described as an awful man. Controlling, manipulative, emotionally unstable, self-loathing, bitter, pathetic, and above all, dangerous. Deep down, he knows he will never be that strong figure he saw his father as growing up. Even with reaping the benefits of being a middle class white man in suburbia with a dutiful wife and two kids, he still feels suffocated by his current lifestyle, especially with his mediocre white collar job. Though he always saw himself as the dignified wolf hunting deer like he does in the woods, he is really more of a cat toying with its prey and leaving it to suffer afterwards.
Evelyn
She is Conrad's wife. She must carry the brunt of being a part of the Mallory household by playing wife and mother, as well avoid the vengeful wrath of her mother-in-law. She is known for her unusually cold, blunt attitude; very few know her as a result. Only those close to Evelyn - such as her neighbor, Dottie - can vouch for her unspoken kindness towards others. She is hanging on by a thread with each passing day.
Ronnie
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec semper, turpis quis porttitor dignissim, nunc lacus facilisis dui, quis auctor nunc ex quis lectus. Vivamus ut mauris eget nisl pharetra elementum. Cras in nunc elementum, ultrices odio in, tincidunt tellus.
Leroy
He is Conrad's father. A stern, stoic man who fought in the Great War, his silent strength is unbreakable and a looming force on the family - but his constant distance even more so. He has a fondness for western movies and various celebrities, such as Judy Garland.
Frances
She is Conrad's mother. Housewife, mother, and grandmother are the three roles she ascribes herself to; she sees herself as nothing else. As a self-described people-pleaser and empath, very few people are unable to see past the demure disposition she cloaks herself with - which means no one aside from her family sees who she really is at home. Only her two children have witnessed and been subjected to what she is truly capable of.
Alice
She is Conrad's sister. An outcast in mainstream, "polite" society, she has found her place among those seen as lesser. While she is not entirely happy with her lot in life as a working class woman, she wouldn't have it any other way. She priortizes her freedom above all else, and cherishes her ability come and go from the streets of the city as she pleases. The taverns are her second home, and her spot as a figure among other butches is well-earned.
Excerpts
Something foul and rotten rose in his stomach while he watched her squirm on the threadbare carpet like a maggot on hot concrete. Tears streamed down her face. His breath turned hot and heavy as he stood over her, his pulse quickening when she meekly raised her hands to her face in an attempt to shield herself from his onslaught.
She hugged him from behind. Her hands clawed into the fabric of his suit as she buried her face in his shoulder.
"Promise you won't leave me. I still need you in my life."
His blood ran cold at his mother's words. They weren't meant for him, they were meant for his father.