Coffee House Writers

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Article Categories
    • Fiction
      • Action & Adventure
      • Fantasy
      • Historical Fiction
      • Horror
      • Mystery
      • Romance
      • Science Fiction
      • Speculative Fiction
      • Suspense & Thrillers
      • Westerns
      • Women’s Fiction
      • Women Sleuths
    • Nonfiction
      • Astrology & Tarot
      • Biographies
      • Business
      • Creativity
      • Creative Nonfiction
      • Cooking, Food & Drink
      • Culture
      • Current Affairs & Politics
      • Design, Fashion & Style
      • Entertainment
      • Environment
      • Health & Wellness
      • History
      • Home & Garden
      • Lifestyle
      • Media
      • Memoir & Autobiographies
      • Narrative
      • Paranormal
      • Parenting & Family
      • Reviews
      • Science & Technology
      • Self-Help & Relationships
      • Spiritual & Religious
      • Sports
      • Travel
      • True Crime
    • Poetry
      • Acrostic
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Founder
  • Meet Our Admin
    • Chief Editors
    • Editors
  • Testimonials
  • Apply
  • Login

logo

Coffee House Writers

  • Home
  • Article Categories
    • Fiction
      • Action & Adventure
      • Fantasy
      • Historical Fiction
      • Horror
      • Mystery
      • Romance
      • Science Fiction
      • Speculative Fiction
      • Suspense & Thrillers
      • Westerns
      • Women’s Fiction
      • Women Sleuths
    • Nonfiction
      • Astrology & Tarot
      • Biographies
      • Business
      • Creativity
      • Creative Nonfiction
      • Cooking, Food & Drink
      • Culture
      • Current Affairs & Politics
      • Design, Fashion & Style
      • Entertainment
      • Environment
      • Health & Wellness
      • History
      • Home & Garden
      • Lifestyle
      • Media
      • Memoir & Autobiographies
      • Narrative
      • Paranormal
      • Parenting & Family
      • Reviews
      • Science & Technology
      • Self-Help & Relationships
      • Spiritual & Religious
      • Sports
      • Travel
      • True Crime
    • Poetry
      • Acrostic
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Founder
  • Meet Our Admin
    • Chief Editors
    • Editors
  • Testimonials
  • Apply
  • Login
  • Relentless

  • Cold, Hard Facts

  • The Rice Farmer and Ox

  • Sour Love

  • My Heart Beats for You

  • Out Tonight

  • The Invitation: Part 1

  • In Deep Water: Chapter 21

  • Dusty Photos

  • Redemption

  • Mama Knows Best – Chapter 10

  • Today’s Toil

  • The Island Flamingo: Chapter 44

  • Comparison is a Thief of Joy

  • In Deep Water: Chapter 20

  • Scattered

  • Race Toward the Truth

  • Mama Knows Best – Chapter 9

  • Confession

  • Half

EnvironmentCreativitySelf-Help & RelationshipsFictionMemoir & AutobiographiesHome & Garden
Home›Nonfiction›Environment›Judas In Disguise, Part One

Judas In Disguise, Part One

By Scarlett Faye
July 27, 2020
1107
0
Share:
Snow covered vehicles
Photo taken by Arek Socha courtesy of Pixabay

**Trigger warnings:**

Themes of Depression, Death/Loss, Grief

Violent Content, Mental illness. Reader Discretion is Advised

***

Sorrowful Beginning

A cold chill greeted the air of a suburban neighborhood, kissing and stroking the faces of any residents that dared to come outside and brave the snow. This neighborhood resided in the town of Flagstaff, Arizona, and it was not uncommon to see a few members of the community attempting to shovel the snow off the sidewalks and driveways in a tedious manner. There were others, in turn, that had to brave the snow for other reasons, be it going to work or school. This was no exception to a teen one year shy of sixteen that was being driven to school by her mother, silent and not willing to say a word to her.

 

The teen, Gretchen Williams, had had a decent childhood growing up and never thought much less of her parents. They were not among the upper class, or poor to the point of being homeless, but her parents always showered her with a rich abundance of love and taught her valuable lessons on appreciating the simple things in life. What was lacked in monetary riches, was given ten times more in affection and close attention to giving her the life her parents never had growing up. Whether it would be putting money and effort into the gifts she always wanted on birthdays and Christmas, or the occasional going out for ice cream if she had gotten a good grade.

 

Gretchen was adored and spoiled with unconditional love and a stable environment, and, in return, loved and looked up to her parents. But after she reached ten years old, she woke up one day to discover her father gone with no word or explanation. It was as if he had disappeared without a trace. She could vividly remember her mother in a frantic state, calling her father’s cell and everyone she knew, knowing her husband would never abandon the two of them. The police were dubious at first, trying to write it off as a runaway due to lack of the three days that a person would be considered missing.

 

Two days later a hiker noticed a dead and nearly mutilated body with multiple stab wounds. The body was identified as Gretchen’s father. Gretchen was putting her toys away, when she heard a pained, loud scream from her mother before she heard crying. Gretchen then knew before she could even hear someone’s muffled voice outside her bedroom door, most likely a detective, say the words, “We’re sorry for your loss.” Despite the good intention behind that phrase, her mother voiced her opinion and fury at the detective loud enough that not even Gretchen’s hands over her ears could block it out.

 

“You should have done your job! You should’ve listened to me the moment I told you that Brian was missing! Now his blood is on your hands! I could sue you and the whole goddamn police department for not doing your job,” her mother yelled as the detective sighed.

 

“Mrs. Williams, I know this is difficult and I cannot imagine the pain you are going through, but we need you to tell us if your husband had any known enemies. Anyone that could have had issues and would want to harm him,” the detective said in a calm tone, which earned a long drawn out silence from Gretchen’s mother.

 

Finally it was broken as her mother gave a deep sigh. “My husband never had problems, not even with anyone at his work. Now, please leave me to grieve and get out of my house,” she said with melancholy tone before starting to cry once more.

 

Ever since that moment, Gretchen knew it was only going to be her and her mother from now on. They were constantly moving; from their home in Phoenix, to Tucson, to Mesa, to Prescott until they settled on Flagstaff. It was over the years and constant moving that Gretchen fully felt that weight of grief and loneliness. After the many years of hearing her mother cry at night, Gretchen could feel her own heart break in the process. She hated her mother crying. Therefore she had an obligation to keep her happy while trying to heal on her own.

 

Given that obligation, Gretchen had to grow up quickly, be a “good girl”, and with that came the price of holding in her pain and grief. It took a massive toll on Gretchen over time, but she made sure to bottle up her pain for the sake of her mother. This went on until it left a wedge between them that not even moving for a fresh start could cure. It left bitterness in Gretchen’s heart that carried on to her teen years, as she was now going to be the new girl at her school once more.

 

“You seem quiet,” her mother finally spoke. Gretchen turned her head and gave her a brief glance, before staring out the car window, not making further eye contact. Her blond hair was in a ponytail, her clothing more than appropriate for the cold with black boots to match her sweater. Her green eyes were set in an expression that did not want to speak up by any means.

 

Her mother, who could literally be her twin aside from the youthful look of her daughter, gave a sigh. “Okay, be silent. You are going to want to do a lot of talking, however, for therapy after school. I already scheduled an appointment so no backing out this time, young lady,” her mother said as she glanced at Gretchen before looking at the road.

This earned a brief, annoyed glance, before Gretchen looked away once again. “Whatever you say Laura,” she said, and the silence became as thick as the tension between them. Gretchen only called her mother ‘Laura’ time to time as a form of rebellion; as a way of saying, “screw you” without cursing her out.

 

Her mother pursed her lips in a frown, before glancing at her daughter. “Look, I know you are going through a lot. I wish your father were here too. But you can’t keep punishing me like this. I just want us to heal and have a fresh start,” her mother said as she was once again met by a long drawn out silence.

 

If Gretchen had a penny for the many times that her mother uttered those words, or an extension thereof, she would be a millionaire by now. “Cool story,” Gretchen merely said as the school building came into sight, the red letters on the top corner spelling out ‘Baxter High’. As soon as they reached the school entrance Gretchen immediately got out, not wanting to meet her mother’s eyes.

 

“I love you!” her mother tried to call out before the car door was slammed shut. Her mother sighed and lightly shook her head. Gretchen glanced back before heading inside the building, knowing she would get a long lecture as consequence for that behavior, but at the moment she just wanted to start her day as a new kid. She also did not want to think about her father’s birthday looming on the horizon in a mere three days.

 

What had made it ten times more painful? Her father’s birthday was also the same day he was murdered. Gretchen could only think that it was going to be torture that her mother appeared to not want to recognize it, for reasons she would never understand. As Gretchen was bottling it up, her mother was doing the same in her own way. Was her mother that stupid, to think mere therapy would fix things?

 

Right now the thought did not even matter to Gretchen as she wanted the school and everything else to melt away. What Gretchen could not fathom, however, was that the day she walked in those doors would bring her into a dark place, as its blue-eyed bearer was conversing with friends about who he may score tonight. That bearer, in turn, could not fathom an experience that would change how he viewed people and life itself.

**If you or someone is experiencing a mental health crisis or has been experiencing severe loss or depression, call 1-877-SAMHSA7 (1-877-726-4727), the national suicide prevention lifeline (1-800-273-8255), text CONNECT or HOME to the crisis text line at 741741, or call 911**

Tagsgrief
Previous Article

Modern Haiku – Vol. 1

Next Article

Friendship Nevermore

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0

Scarlett Faye

I am an Arizona native that has gone to SNHU online for a Bachelors creative writing degree in poetry. I aspire to not only fulfill my dream of being a recognized poet, but also to advance my work into a potential career.

Related articles More from author

  • Old Man
    CultureCreativityParenting & FamilySelf-Help & RelationshipsFictionPoetryMemoir & AutobiographiesEnvironment

    generations: a poem

    April 1, 2019
    By rc360
  • Beautiful young pregnant woman
    EntertainmentFantasyCreativitySelf-Help & RelationshipsFiction

    The Finding: Part Five

    November 15, 2021
    By Brooke_Smith93
  • a girl sleeping on a bed covered in stars
    TravelCultureNonfictionCreativityParenting & FamilyPoetryMemoir & AutobiographiesHome & Garden

    Glow In The Dark Stars

    August 23, 2021
    By Lo
  • Photo Credit @ Gerd Altmann
    CultureParenting & FamilySelf-Help & RelationshipsMemoir & AutobiographiesEnvironment

    A Lesson in Insensitivity

    September 3, 2018
    By J.C Ballard
  • https://pixabay.com/en/paper-block-leave-note-expression-3406864/
    EnvironmentCultureDesign, Fashion & StyleSelf-Help & Relationships

    4 Things I’ll Never Do Again

    June 11, 2018
    By J.C Ballard
  • Self-Help & RelationshipsFictionPoetryMemoir & AutobiographiesHome & Garden

    It Had To Be His Halo

    March 2, 2020
    By Riley Irwin

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You may be interested

  • http://animeflow.net/921/dark--grass--original--phone--scenic--short_hair--silhouette--sky--stars--sunset
    EnvironmentMediaHealth & WellnessParenting & FamilySelf-Help & RelationshipsCulture

    Suicide and Sharing Resources on Social Media

  • gallows-2631544_1280
    NonfictionHistoryCulture

    A Haunting Of Salem: Giles Corey’s Curse

  • https://unsplash.com/@puppies4life
    TravelCultureCreativityFiction

    Iron Goat Avalanche Goes Down In History As Worst Disaster in Washington’s History – And It’s Haunted.

Timeline

  • June 9, 2025

    Relentless

  • June 9, 2025

    Cold, Hard Facts

  • June 9, 2025

    The Rice Farmer and Ox

  • June 9, 2025

    Sour Love

  • June 2, 2025

    My Heart Beats for You

Latest Comments

  • Ivor R Steven
    on
    May 17, 2025
    Hi Violet, thank you for visiting my poem here at Coffee House Writers magazine . I ...

    Half

  • violet
    on
    May 13, 2025
    Sometimes it doesn't matter as long as you are all the way there. This was so ...

    Half

  • LC Ahl (Lucy)
    on
    May 13, 2025
    Thank you for sharing his obit. You're right, they did make him out to be a ...

    The Coldest Case

  • Mark
    on
    May 12, 2025
    https://www.schniderfuneralhome.com/obituaries/alan-reavleyIs this right?We hear so often these days about DNA bringing historic justice. Sad it didn’t ...

    The Coldest Case

  • LC Ahl (Lucy)
    on
    May 12, 2025
    Mark, Thanks for this info. I'd love to read his obit. I was working at KGPR when ...

    The Coldest Case

About us

  • coffeehousewriters3@gmail.com

Donate to Coffee House Writers

Coindrop.to me

Follow us

© Copyright 2018-2025 Coffee House Writers. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s administrator and owner is strictly prohibited. Privacy Policy · Disclaimer