In a world of choice (𝐻𝑒𝓃𝓇𝓎 𝒷𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝓍 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓇)

3-Truth be told.

Henry spun around looking startled and antagonistic.
I'm not sure I should have just saw what I saw...
I opened my mouth ready to explain, when his look softens slightly, but the anger in his eyes remains.
We stair at each other, silent for a while before I hold out, arms trembling, the clean sheets.
He takes them from me wordlessly. And sets them down on the bed.
I'm about to say something, but decide against it and turn around and slowly walk out of the door.
"Goodnight Henry..." I say under my breath as I shut the door.
I lean on the door once it's closed, "oh Henry..." I whisper to myself.
I'm about to head into my own room when I start to hear quiet sobs come from Henry's room, I contemplate going in to see if he's alright but I think it's probably best to leave him be right now.
My hand trails on the door knob as I walk away into my own room.
I change into my silken dark blue nightdress and slide into bed.

{Le time skip: 2 hours}

I couldn't sleep.
All I could think about was Henry and those marks on his back...
There had been no sounds from down stairs so I assumed our fathers were still asleep.
I took a deep breath and stepped out of bed. I threaded my arms through my light gray kimono and silently opened my bedroom door.
I took another deep breath and and quietly as possible, acknowledging the fact that he could actually be asleep, knock on Henry's door.
It's not even been 2 seconds before I hear a low, "yeah?" From inside.
I open the door to a dark room, only illuminated by a dim lamp next to the bed of which Henry is laying in, his head leaning on his right arm that's propped up on the head board.
He looked as if he hadn't been to sleep yet either.
I closed the door behind me and leaned on it, trying to find the right words to say to him.
"So, umm, earlier. I uhh-."
He looks away awkwardly so I stop talking and look down.

He looks at me angry again, "You've come to pity me, right?"
I'm taken aback slightly by his tone, "No, no..." I stammer quickly, "I just wanted to talk, not necessarily about that, but if you want to talk to me about it you can though..." I look away awkwardly, not really sure what to say in this current situation.

He stares at me for a few seconds, as if trying to figure me out. As if trying to decipher my true intentions. He breaks from his stony masque and lets out the smallest of smiles at me, sighing as if giving up.

I make a gesture with my hand towards the bed, asking if I should sit down.

He nods, and I move forward and sit on the end of his bed.

I watch him for a few moments before he starts to speak,

"My dad just gets... angry sometimes if I'm late back home, or don't finish the farm work in time. Things like that... But sometimes he does it for the little things as well, like if he's had a bad day at work... I'm just a punching bag to him..." He says trailing off, looking into the darkness.

More like a whipping post really... I think before scolding myself about thinking such a thing.

I turn my head to look at him and ask with concerned eyes, "Henry, does anybody ese know about this?"

He thinks for a moment and then replies with, "Only Hockstetter knows he does this, but the rest of the guys know he aint...," Henry struggles for a word, "... The nicest."

I don't know what to say to him, who would? I reach out and tentatively hold his right hand, before saying, "I know it's not the same thing but..." I let go of his hand and shrug the kimono and the left night dress strap off of my left shoulder revealing a vaguely old scar resembling a 'D' on my upper shoulder, standing for the first initial of my older brother Dylan. Henry's look darkens and he leans forward slowly, I faintly flinch when I feel him brush his fingertips against the scar.