Whumptober+ Short Stories - Volume 1

Prompt 10 & 26 - Bruises/Broken Ribs

"Get up, Creed."

Ignore them...

"I said get up!" Angrily, Zeke lashed out with his boot-clad foot, kicking his downed target in the side. Creed grunted in pain, but remained obstinate. Don't give them the satisfaction, he told himself, remaining in the same kneeling position as he readied himself for the next attack. Off to the side, Zeke growled in irritation and stepped back. "Stupid little..." He muttered as Morven, acknowledging the unspoken command, came forward. Reaching down, he grabbed Creed by the front of his jacket and yanked him up, pushing him back against the wall with one hand. "Hey. You listen to him when he's talkin'." He told the younger man in a warning tone.

"Like I care what he has to say." Creed retorted, trying to force Morven to let him go by prying his hand off. The muscular dude chuckled deep in his throat as he raised his other fist in preparation for a blow. "I'd get to care if I was you." He said before punching his victim in the abdomen with incredible force. Creed gasped as pain flooded through his entire body from the single strike. Morven grinned and pulled back his hand, then hit him again. And again. And again. By the time he let go of his victim's jacket and allowed him to fall to the ground once more, Creed was in so much pain he could hardly breathe. Crumpling against the hard-packed earth, he coughed hard, tasting blood as he did so. From somewhere nearby, he heard Zeke's voice saying something to the rest of his gang, though he couldn't tell what exactly. Then the sounds of many footsteps receding as they dispersed, leaving him alone in the alley.

Creed lay where he had fallen for what seemed like hours. He didn't know how much damage had been done to him, but it was something he felt he needed to know. Eventually, he managed to pull himself into a sort of sitting position against the wall, but couldn't bring himself to get up. Feeling around on his aching torso with both hands yielded a great deal of discomfort, though he discovered that the ribs on his left side were mostly broken to some extent. Everything else felt heavily bruised or bloodied or both, but he couldn't find any other broken bones. That was something, anyway.

Letting his arms fall to his sides once again, Creed leaned his head back against the wall and sucked in a shaky breath. He already knew his phone was busted; he had seen Zeke grind his heel into the screen himself. The area the alley was in was mostly unpopulated, which had been a stupid decision on his part. He sighed and closed his eyes.

At this point, I'm not going to last...

I'm as good as dead.