Adopted by the Devil - Matt Murdock (BOOK ONE)

Chapter 21

Jasper walked the dark streets alone, gripping onto his backpack as he made it to the park. He sighed shakily, hesitantly walking onto the woodchips and crossing the playground to the swings. He put his hands in his pockets, finding the business card and playing with it. The edges were sharp, small paper cuts etching into his fingertips as he fumbled with it before sitting down on the swing as he pulled it from his deep pocket. His eyes drifted down to the crumpled paper, his thumb rubbing against the name and phone number on the cardstock. He huffed, sniffling as water dripped onto the small paper.

"Why'd you have to leave.." he whispered, wiping his cheeks as he gripped onto the sheet. He pulled his phone out and dialed the number printed.

Ring

Ring

"Leave a message after the tone"

Jasper exhaled before beginning. "Hey mom, it's uh, its your son. Jasper? Yeah its me, I can't believe you remembered I existed." he began, his voice stuttering and shaking as he spoke. "I wanted to call to tell you, I wanted to yell and scream about how you left and never looked back and how you basically robbed me of my childhood but I'm not gonna." he stated, looking up at the light overhead. He couldnt see the stars but he could see the light post so he looked up at that. "I don't need you in my life. You havent made me any bit of the person I am and hey maybe thats good cause I'm not a good person. I yell and scream and curse and get into fights, I don't even know if I could be in a relationship without fucking it up. I don't want you showing up. It'll fuck with Lizzie and she doesnt need that. She's turning out to be good and I cant have you messing with that." he explained, clenching his jaw to keep the tears back. "Have a good life Mom." he finished before hanging up. He sighed shakily and ripped the paper before getting up and walking off.

He sighed shakily and walked to the trailer park. He found the key to his dads trailer and played with it as he walked towards it. He sighed shakily as he approached the door and unlocked it. He ripped the police tap away as he entered the dark trailer. His foot knocked against a beer bottle and he froze, the glass rolling against the ground as he walked a step more into the abandoned home. He closed the door and sniffled as he made his way into the bedroom. He collapsed onto the bed, pulling his rough knees to his chest as tears fell. He stayed like that for a few moments before he pulled his phone out.

Jas: Hey Mel

....

Mel: Hey dork, whats up?

Jas: kindof in crisis lol

Mel: what happened?

Jas: you know, the usual depression, pushing people away, that stuff. Sorry I'm trauma dumping

Mel: it's okay, do you want me to call you?

Jasper sighed shakily, staring at the text message. He gulped and hesitantly texted back.

Jas: please, I think you're the only one I can talk to about this.

After a few minutes, his phone rang and he picked up, holding the phone to his ear. "H-hey" his voice cracked.

"Hey bruiser," Mel's voice was soft and sleepy. He smiled a bit. "What's going on Jas?" she asked gently. Her voice felt like a hug. He sniffled, wiping his nose.

"I uh, well for one, my mom is back in town." he whispered, laying his head against the pillow. "I left her a really long message about how I don't need her and I don't know if it was too much." he admitted.

"She's a piece of shit for leaving you and your sister with your dad," Mel said gently. "I wouldnt forgive her." she stated. "What else?" she asked.

"I uh, ran into Jake," he whispered. "He..." he muffled a sob with his sleeve. "He filmed it, the whole thing he has it on video..." he shuttered.

"I'm gonna kill him." Mel stated, her voice sharp in contrast to the rest of the conversation, made Jasper flinched a tad. "Jake brown is an asshole who honestly deserves the heap load of charma coming his way, even if it comes with my fist to his throat." she insisted. He broke a small chuckle, sniffling as he did so.

"Mel? Can I ask you something?" he asked quietly, his hand shaking slightly. Mel exhaled on the other line.

"Yeah, what is it?" she inquired, a small amount of shuffling coming from the static. Jasper stayed silent on the other end before speaking again.

"Am I a bad person?" he whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I think I am," Mel almost immediately spoke.

"Jasper don't say that-" The door of the trailer slammed open with a large crash, the screen door falling off its hinges. Jasper jumped, his phone fumbling from his grip as a gun safety cricked off.

"Don't you fucking move, son." Jasper froze, his hands shakily rising up as he stared down the barrel. He couldn't look his father in the eye as Harrison walked forward and grabbed his collar. "We've got something to speak of, Jasper." Harrison snarled, his breath fanning against Jasper's face. Jasper became paralyzed, his heart rate rising as his breathing became uncontrollable.

"Jasper? Jasper are you there?" Mel called, her voice becoming the only sound in the room. Harrison chuckled and grabbed his phone off the floor.

"Who's this? Jasper finally got a little girlfriend?" He asked, watching Jasper's expression change from frozen to petrified as his eyes widened. He couldn't breathe.

"Who the hell is this?" Mel snapped. "Where's Jasper," she demanded. He chuckled darkly, pressing the gun against his son's head. Jasper shook his head, his breathing fast as tears ricocheted down his face.

"I'll have him call you, you know if I don't kill him," he stated before hanging up.