Creatures in the Dark

Chapter Five

"Since you can't be trusted here, I'm sending you off to your grandparents in the city."
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Stephan felt numb at his words. A cold feeling spread through his body.
No
He couldn't leave. What about Nightmare?
He couldn't just abandon her.
No
No
NO

Stephan attempted to sit up and reach for his father, but the pain made it impossible to move.
"N-no!" He shouted. A burning feeling ripped through his throat and he began violently coughing.
It hurt.
Everything hurt.

His father turned and glared back at his son. "Yes, you are. You are simply a child with no say in what happens." Jack said in a cold tone. "You have proven that you can't be trusted, so I simply have to place you somewhere else. I don't need you getting in my way."

Getting in his way? What did he mean? Stephan forced himself to sit up and glare back at his father. The pain was almost unbearable, but the feeling of pure rage coursing through him made him move.

Jack smirked at the look of anger on Stephan's face. The kid had guts. It was clear they shared something. "Don't give me that look, boy. This is all your fault. If you had kept your ass away from that humanoid woman, you wouldn't be in this situation." He crossed his arms. "Now all you can do is live out your mistakes. Look at you. Your face and body is mutilated. Those scars will haunt you for the rest of your pathetic life."

"How about you shut the fuck up, old man." Stephan shot back. His voice was raspy and dry, the look of pain was displayed across his face as he spoke.

"What the hell did you just say to me you little shit?" His father spoke, sauntering over towards the hospital bed. A look of anger crossed his father's face as he stared at Stephan. He raised his hand and swung down with force. A loud smack echoed through the room followed by a cry of pain.

Jack had slapped Stephan across the bandaged portion of his face and it really hurt.

A nurse came rushing in after hearing the boy scream. She, followed by two male nurses, approached Jack and informed him that he has to leave the room.

"The hell with all of you." He cussed at the nurses. "And you-" he turned to look at his son, "-you will be picked up by your grandfather. I don't ever want to see your pathetic ass again." He said before storming out of the room.

The nurse came over to him and began to check him over. "You poor thing.." She muttered softly as she checked the boy's injuries.
Stephan simply said nothing. A cold numbness consumed his body and mind. His father's words were stuck in his head on repeat.
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Stephan was kept in the hospital until he was able to move without large amounts of pain. He also had to work on moving normally.

He had regained full movement of his hands, but his arms and legs movements were still limited. His muscles had wasted away as he sat and healed, so he had to work to regain most of his physical abilities.
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Stephan walked out of the hospital in a new pair of clothes provided by his grandfather. The older man had stopped by a few times in the week leading up to his discharge.

He still had a slight limp as he walked, but he was able to move at a relatively normal pace.

Stephan sighed softly as looked around outside. His grandfather was parked out front waiting for him in his car. Stephan walked over to the car and got in. His grandfather gave him a kind smile.
"Hello, Stephan." He said in a soft tone.

"Hey, gramps." Stephan gave a weak smile. His grandfather was a kind, old man. His once brown hair was now a silvery-white. His brown eyes held a look of care and compassion. His face was full of wrinkles, yet he still had an air of youth to him.