Do You Want to Know? - Hazbin Hotel

Chapter 20: Change

"He's not normal. He's never been. There's something seriously wrong with him and you know it. I should've gotten rid of him the day he was born."

"Don't you talk about my baby that way! He's a smart, gentle child and maybe you would know that if you spent half a moment's attention on him!"

"What's the point? The fucker doesn't talk! He doesn't play with other kids, he's got no friends! He's got no interests, no ambitions, that thing has no redeeming qualities!"

"Now that is enough! You don't know a damn thing about your own son and you sit here and blame him for it? That boy was a gift from God, and all I've done his entire life is try to keep him safe. Safe from this awful world, safe from the people that see him as a worthless bastard child because of what he is and where his mother's from. And safe from you!"

"Shut your fucking mouth, you worthless bitch! It doesn't matter what either of us do, he's not right. If you can't find some way to get rid of the useless little half-breed, I will."

The boy slowly closed the door to his bedroom, wondering what it was that he did so wrong to upset his father like this. He'd done everything he was ever asked. He helped Momma around the house, he did as his father told him, he went to school and was graded well, he didn't start fights. And he did have a friend, even if it wasn't one of the other kids. So why-

The boy's thoughts were interrupted by a crashing sound from the other side of the house. Jumping up from where he was seated on the floor, the boy opened the door a crack to listen again.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HIM!" His mother sounded scared, and that made him scared. He didn't know what to do. Another crash could be heard from downstairs. He wanted to hide, but Momma wasn't yelling anymore and suddenly everything went quiet.

The boy ran down the stairs from his bedroom into the kitchen below in a panic. His mother was on the floor, but she was slowly starting to get up. At least she wasn't too hurt. When the child looked at his father, he could tell he was in trouble. He should've stayed in his room.

The man in front of him stared silently for a long moment as the boy's mother stood from where she had been thrown to the floor. He smelled like the drinks that he kept in bottles on a high shelf. He was always angrier after drinking any of those.

Eventually, he turned and left the room without saying a word. The boy considered just going back to his bedroom, hoping his father would forget he was ever here. But his mother didn't give him the chance.

She leaned down to his level as she often did when she said something very important. Her voice was shaky as she told him, "Honey, I need you to go get your shoes and coat, okay? Go put them on."

The boy was confused, the sky was dark and it was far too late to be going outside. But the urgency in his mother's voice told him this was something he'd better do without question.

By the time he'd put his coat and shoes on, the child's father had returned. He was holding something, but the boy didn't have a chance to take a look. His mother stood between the two as the man said, "Move."

His mother started backing up slowly, keeping the boy behind her. She started being really nice to his father all of a sudden, saying "Honey, why don't we talk about this in the morning? I'll make you a nice breakfast, maybe some grits and eggs the way you like?"

But the man wasn't convinced. He was slowly approaching them as they backed up, and soon the boy was sandwiched between his mother and the back door. "I'm warnin' you,'' his father growled. "I'll fucking kill you too, don't you try me."