"NO!"
He stands up, knocking his plate off the table, a brown streak of gravy shit-staining his slightly crumpled trousers.
"30 YEARS I'VE HAD THIS BULLSHIT, YOU WANT A TANTRUM? I'LL GIVE YOU A PROPER FUCKING TANTRUM"
Granny opens her mouth to speak.
"now Felix..."
"DON'T YOU FUCKING START EITHER, NONE OF YOU STAND UP TO HER!"
Gravy, dripping, he stands - trampling half chewed sprouts and bread sauce into the carpet - and walks towards the Christmas tree, leaning forth to grip its piney boughs. The tree shakes, needles dropping, baubles swaying, as he lifts it, ripping the fairylights from the socket, flimsy branches scratching loudly against textured yellow wallpaper.
"Felix! No!"
"ITS TOO LATE!"
He curls his lips back and lifts the tree over his head, a rain of needles bouncing off his blinking eyelids, takes a deep breath and hurls it towards the window with all of his force, hissing through his teeth. An explosion of green and glass, a horrible twist of tree-lights tentacle across the room.
He looks down at his palms, perforated by sickly smelling bright green pine needles. Nobody moves.
"You see? you see what you've done?"
"I've gone mad and it's all your fault."
