He Suffers

Day 10 (Seclusion Day 2)- Growing Pains

A large portion of Arthur's childhood was stolen from him. He was plagued by a demon that terrorized him ruthlessly. From the moment Penny brought that monster into their home, his life completely changed. Arthur believed that the man's name did not deserve to be mentioned.

For three years, Penny's boyfriend made random visits to their apartment whenever he wanted something from her. Whether it was for pills, money, or a quick hookup, nothing was ever enough. The man was always a destructive predator no matter what.

The worst part was that Arthur had to overhear all their exchanges. Even if he hid in his bedroom closet, he could still hear his mother's cries of pain through the walls.

The boy spent a lot of time in that dark closet. Why did his mother choose to bring that toxic person into their lives? And why did she let him stay? Arthur was never able to get the answers to these questions, but it was something he constantly thought about as he sat by himself in the dark.

The thing that confused Arthur the most was why his mother let him face the same wrath too. Arthur was robbed of his innocence and forced to adapt to the harshness of his reality.

Arthur watched as his closet door was flung open with excessive force. The man towering over him was nothing but an evil shadow with an angry face. The scared child was dragged out of his bedroom. He prepared for the worst as he clenched his eyes shut.

***

The next day, Arthur sat in the corner of a classroom, sulking at his desk.

Arthur never enjoyed his days at school. As much as he tried, he couldn't catch a break from his problems at home. The other kids chose to pick on him for his bruised skin instead of asking if he was okay. He used to be able to hide his arms with long-sleeved shirts, but there was nothing he could do about the marks on his face.

Fitting in was a hopeless wish. He was a loner. No one wanted to be around the loner.

As the last bell rang for the day, a sense of dread overcame him. He hoped Penny's boyfriend wouldn't show up tonight. He got on the school bus and kept his fingers crossed the whole ride home.

***

Arthur arrived back at the apartment and entered the living room. Penny was sitting on the couch, staring at the wall while humming to herself. She turned her head to look at her son.

"How was school today, Happy?"

"I wish you'd stop asking me that. You know I hated it."

"Oh, it can't be that bad! You should enjoy it more. School is supposed to be fun. You know, one day when you're an adult, you'll have to work at a stressful job like I did."

He groaned under his breath as he set his backpack on the floor.

"My goodness, I almost forgot it's your birthday today!" she exclaimed. "What would you like as a gift?"

Arthur almost forgot about it too. His mother rarely ever talked about the day he was born, oddly enough.

"I want to know who my father is," he requested.

Penny rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip. "That's not a gift, silly."

Every time he tried bringing up the subject, she instantly shut it down. He envied seeing the other kids at school with both of their parents.

"Why won't you tell me, mom? I feel like a big part of me is missing. I just want to say hi to him."

"Happy, please stop asking me about this. It's all very complicated stuff and mommy doesn't want to talk about that right now." There was that same answer from her again.

Penny went to the kitchen counter and retrieved a small sack of coins from the drawer. She returned to Arthur and handed him the bag.

"Here. This is just a small chunk of my savings. Go to the candy store and pick out whatever you like."

"Fine."

He turned around to leave, but then stopped when his abuser suddenly barged through the entrance. The unwelcome man saw the cash in Arthur's hand and snatched it from him.

"Right on time," he sneered. He looked at Penny. "Where's the rest of it?"

"I can't give you any more," she replied. "I already paid you this week."

"I thought I taught you a lesson on disrespecting me," he shot back at her. "Unless you want to be reminded again?" The menace slowly began approaching her.

"No, please don't. I'm sorry honey. I just need more time—"

He cut her off with a hard slap. He grabbed her by the collar of her dress and shook her. "Why can't you ever make this easy for me? Huh? You always want to do this the hard way!"

She began to sob. He threw her onto the floor and kicked her repeatedly until she was a pitiful, heaving mess on the ground. Then, he wrapped his hands tightly around her neck. She struggled to breathe. She was seconds away from dying.

Arthur had to make a decision. He could either escape while the man was distracted, or try to save the only member of his family.

Arthur was sick of dealing with this burden for three long, agonizing years. He would never get that time back. With his mind made up, Arthur jumped on the monster's back and bit down hard on his ear.

The assaulter let out a roar and flung Arthur off of him. "You're gonna pay for that, you little bitch!" he bellowed.

The man grabbed Arthur and dragged him across the living room.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Arthur yelled. He struggled to break free, but he couldn't escape from the tight grasp on his arms.

"Let's play a little game," the crazed man said to him. "If you scream, you lose."

"Mom, help me!" Arthur wailed. He was mortified to see the man yanking him toward the radiator on the opposite wall, which was hissing with steam.

"Please!" Arthur begged. He yearned for his mother's attention. He ached for her acknowledgment. All he wanted was for her to see him.

Penny still laid sobbing on the floor, unresponsive as if she were deaf to her son's cries. Her boyfriend tied Arthur's arm to the scorching radiator.

Arthur let out a long, piercing shriek.

The heat from the exposed pipes scalded the boy's skin, tracing all the way across his shoulder and upper back.

"You lose!" The man shouted.

Arthur's head was struck by the blunt force of a kitchen chair. His vision went black.
___________________________________

Arthur paced around in his small and empty cell, uncontrollably wheezing as this newfound memory introduced itself to him.