Hollow Grace

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ᴏɴᴇ - ꜰᴜᴇʟ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀᴇ

Warning! This text contains scenes of violence, inappropriate content and situations. The author does not share the characters' actions and opinions. The author tells a story that may not always be pretty

The uninvited guest continued to hammer on the door with his fists. Raine stood silently by the entrance for a few seconds, racking his brains about what to do. He gestured to his sister and Evan to stay back. They obediently waited nearby, quiet as mice. Evan was anxiously mulling over how to proceed if the aggressor somehow will force his way into the house: should he protect Nova, or assist Raine? Despite his height and build, he was still terrified. His body betrayed him in such moments, and he could already feel it slowly petrifying with dread.

"Who is it?" Raine barked roughly, listening to what was happening behind the door. The pounding ceased briefly, and an enraged male shout could be heard.

"Open up, you scumbag! I know that pansy is hiding at your place!"

Evan flinched, squeezing Nova's hand in his. The familiar insults and voice grated on his ears, forcing him to take a step back. It was his father. He'd found him. It wasn't hard to guess why he'd shown up.

"It's Billy!" Nova exclaimed in a near whisper. "What the heck is he doing here?"

"He's come for me..." Evan said in a despondent voice. "He finally noticed I wasn't home..."

"Open up, you piece of trash!" Holden Sr. roared, and the blows resumed with renewed force. This time the door shuddered, and Raine had to brace it with his weight.

"Go sleep it off, you drunk!" Raine yelled. "If you don't scram, I'm calling the cops! Or I'll shoot you down like a dog! Get lost!"

Morgan had neither a weapon nor a permit to carry one. It was just a bluff, which might sober up a fearless drunk. But the words didn't have the desired effect. Instead, he continued to batter the house even harder, striking with his hands and feet.

"I'll flay you alive, just you wait! You little rat! Come out, you cowardly nothing, I'll teach you a lesson! I should have beaten you every day! Come out, you disgrace!"

Evan winced as if every blow landed on his own body. The aggressive curses were no less wounding. In two weeks, he had managed to forget what it was like to fear for his safety, almost believing that everything was leaved behind. Two minutes were enough for him to come crashing down into the former abyss of despair and helplessness. Nova, realizing that the man behind the door was going to harm Evan, stepped in front of him and shielded him with her body.

"Go upstairs, honey, go... Hide somewhere so he doesn't find you," the girl said quietly. "We won't give you to him."

Hide. As a child, he would hide under the bed when strangers knocked on the door and his parents weren't home. That's what his mother had taught him. But no one had taught him what to do if his own father was breaking down the door with the desire to kill. Evan had no doubt that his father wouldn't rest until he got to him. He had always only beaten him when his son was nearby. To travel across town at night for this... there had to be a compelling reason.

"I won't go... I won't hide," Evan retorted. "I'm not a child anymore..."

"We'll call the police, everything will be alright. He won't do anything to us," Nova continued persistently nudging the boy towards the staircase leading to the second floor. "Come on, be a good boy."

"The police won't come," Raine stated drily. "They have their hands full right now. By the time they get here... blood will be spilled."

"Don't tell me you're going outside!"