The Darker Shade

The Darker Shade: Chapter 12

Chapter 12...

(6yrs old)

"Jacky boy..." A soft whisper wakens me, I slowly open my lids. It's my mother standing by the window of my old bedroom, opening the curtains. The sun cascades in making my pupils dilate. She nears me "Good morning, birthday boy. I was hoping to have a special breakfast with you today. Would you like that?" She asks smiling. I furrow my brows, she was different today. "Breakfast?" she nods and looks at me "Yes silly boy, it's your favorite. Go wash up and It'll be waiting." As she walks out of my room I look around in utter confusion. Most mornings she was passed out from the night before or still too drunk to remember to make anything... but today. I shake my head as I sit up and rub my eyes to make sure this wasn't a dream. I walk into the bathroom and wash up, brushing my teeth and tippy toeing to look into the mirror my mom shouts "Jack, Breakfast is ready!"

I walk down to the kitchen and see a plate sitting on the table. She walks over and lays two stacks of waffles over the plate. "Sit down baby boy." A feeling comes over me and I look up smiling "Thank you, mommy." She grins and sits beside me. "Jacky, I know mommy hasn't been here for you, but that will change. I promise." I nod with excitement. Her promise meant everything to me. Suddenly the door slams, "Where the fuck are you, Rita?!" I drop my fork down and she leans in whispering "Stay here, Jacky." She leaves the kitchen and walks down the hall to where he stands. I hear her plead "John, not today. Please, Its Jackys day. Let him enjoy..." The echo of a slap comes across the room. I hold my fork tight, sliding out of my seat and underneath the table. He yells "Where's Jacky boy hiding? Come out for your old man. Let me wish you a happy birthday." I see only his work boots as he stomps into the kitchen. My fist clenches tightly around the fork, he flips the table up and I jab his hand. "AHHH!!" he screams from the sting and I run. "FUCKING KID! GET OVER HERE NOW!" his voice is filled with anger. I attempt to hide in the closet. The sound of his footsteps near, each one creaking against the wooden floors, one after the other, he opens the closet door. I look to his hand and he wraps the belt tight around his fist. He grips my hair and tugs me out of the closet. My cries fill the room and I toughen up, turning to look him straight in the eyes. He grins "Oh, growing into a tough little fucker aren't you?" I breathe hard, sticking my chest out. There was nothing tough about me, I hated when he'd beat me. I hated him, but it was at this moment that my heart became cold. He takes me by the wrist and the belt strikes me, once, twice and a third time. I grind my teeth as the tears silently stream down my face, one after each strike.

Once he was done he cursed his way out of the door with murmurs of his endless disappointments. He hated us, perhaps as much as we hated him. I stared at her lying in her own pool of blood as it seeped from her broken nose, her eyes bruised. It was then that I realized that promises are only meant to be broken. She finally wakens and I look at her with pure anger for what she's allowed me to endure, resentment beginning to brew in my heart, my soul. She sits up and looks at me, wiping the blood from her nose. As she reaches her hand out to touch me, I flinch. A single tear drops and she attempts to stand. She fumbles, her hands sliding against the walls as she tries to hold herself up. She looks back at me when she reaches the cabinet in the kitchen and pulls out a bottle. Popping off the cap she whispers "Happy fucking birthday" and swigs back the drink.

(16yrs old)

"We can't keep him." My foster mother says as she speaks to the children and family services of Michigan. I listened to her argue with them trying to convince them there was something wrong with me. Shaking my head at her lies, reality was that she was pissed off I'd threatened her after catching her in bed with one my older foster brothers. She was a disgusting excuse for a woman and I made sure she knew it. She hung up the phone and I stood against the wall waiting for her to come out. "Here's the deal whore." She looked at me startled. "You want me out, trust me I want out. You give me a cut of what they are giving you and I'll keep shut." She looked at me confused. "That's black mail." She was a dumb cunt "No shit. You want your money though I'm sure and in a few months I'll be gone." She laughed and rolled her eyes at me. "Do you really think you'll get that scholarship to Princeton?" her laughter drowned the room. "A little prick like you couldn't make it anywhere." I stepped up to her, my face inches from hers. "Listen bitch, I will get out of this shithole and make something of myself. If you want to continue your little affair then that's the deal." She gulps and looks to the door as the sound of a key enter. I grin and step back to the door, raising my brows. She looks between the door and myself. "Fine!" I smile and grab my backpack pulling the door open "Hey Dan, Just leaving to the library. Be back later." I put my headphones on and walk outside, a wry smirk grazing my lips.

I studied till late, my new found love for literature had proven to be my key out of this god forsaken life. For a poor kid in the city of Detroit with very little resource I did all I could to keep my grades of high standard. I talked to no one, made no friends. I was a ghost, merely making my way. Once I'd found out of the opportunities to get a scholarship at Princeton I went for it. I'd sent my letters, followed by an essay and all the credentials required. I did extra community work, helped with editing on the school paper, and even tutored. There was no doubt that I was an ambitious kid, I pushed myself, making it as far as skipping a year ahead. All the kids looked at me as the weird one, all enjoying their senior year before college. I didn't care, to me this was a pass time but soon It would all be over.

I arrive back at my foster home, opening the door I see Dan and Lisa sitting at the table. My first thought was, bitch caved. She holds an envelope in her hand "What's going on?" she looks to Dan and passes it to me. I crease my brows and open, my eyes follow each word of the letter and a large smile fills my face. "I'M IN!!!" Dan shakes my hand "Congratulations Son!" I take his hand as he calls me son. Lisa stands beside him "Good for you Jack." I look at her, my grin smug. I walk away from them both and go into the room I shared with my foster brother. "Hey man, I heard about what you said to Lisa. Thanks for not saying anything to Dan." I looked at him like he was a fool "Where you stick your dick is on you, frankly I could care less about you two fucking." He purses his lips and walks out of the room. I sit back and look at the letter once more. Reading over each word, I think of my mother and father and for a moment I wish they could see me. But it was an unrealistic thought, for this was all my doing.

(26 yrs old)

"FUCK!! Yesss... keep going." I tugged her hair back, gripping it in my fist. Her ass was perched against my pelvis. My slaps echo as I take her hard and fast from behind. "GOD YESSSS" I bring her lips to mine and whisper "Such a good little whore." She moans and with one last thrust my seed fills her "FUCKKK!!"

As my pace slows I pull out of her and stand up. "That's it?" I look back at her, "What?" nearing one of my book shelves "I didn't..." She trails off "Cum." I finish her sentence and turn to look at her "I know you didn't but you served your purpose. You can get the fuck out now." She throws a pillow at me and jumps out of my bed. Grabbing her dress in a hurry, curse words escape her lips, I sit down holding a video camera in my hand, grinning as I press play. Her head lifts and she turns to me. "What is that?" she nears me and attempts to grab it from my hand "This?" I pull back. "This is me fucking you on video and for all of SIP to see." She stands and steps back slowly. I lay on my propped elbows, "I wonder what your husband would think of this?" She shuts her eyes. "You can't do this. This is..." "Black mail, I know." Smiling, her look of shock and anger rising as she glares back at me "You can make sure this never gets seen." "How, what do you want?" I laugh at her quickness to please "Always eager, Chief Editor." "Jack I can't, I'm only his wife." I smirk ominously and walk over to her. Bringing my hand to her jaw I grip tightly, my lips inches from hers "You can and you will or else." A tear brinks and she nods. I lick her lips "Good girl." Walking passed her I smack her ass "Now hurry along, I need to prepare for my promotion on Monday." She does as I ask soon leaving my apartment. I watch her go and take out the videotape from the camera. I walk into my office and open a small vault I have hidden. I place it on top of several other videos I have, each filled with some sort of sexual act from multiple women, hell some are of more than one woman at a time. A wicked grin claims my lips as I shut the vault tight and think of my new found future in Seattle Independent Publishing.

(Present day)

My eyes open slowly; I feel a rush, lights flashing over me one after the other, each light moving to the next. I move my hand and I have a mask on, "He's awake, we need to rush him into the OR!" I pull at the mask, "SIR," "Where...?" I attempt to speak when they stop my hands. I shake my head as they put it back "Where am I?" "Sir, look up!" they push my face forward and bring bright lights over my pupils. "They're dilated, he's losing more oxygen!" My hands only move to a minimum as I try to feel my chest, my stomach. I hear a cry "Jack? Jack...!" My eyes slightly open I lift my head as far as I can and it's Elizabeth at the foot of the bed. She's here, she's with me "Jack, I love you so much!" Her words slip from her lips and I throw my head back, my body beginning to convulse "WE'RE LOSING HIM! MA'AM YOU NEED TO STAY HERE" I try to stretch my hand out for her but the doors close. The lights are heavy; they move my body over a man wearing a mask stands over me. He puts a needle in my arm and begins to count backwards. My eyes slowly close but I feel reluctant, fighting to keep them open but soon... see black.