(Still work in progress)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It doesn't help, you know. Cradling the rotten pictures, tracing their faces, looking into their eyes... wishing they would come back.

It doesn't help.

Crying yourself to sleep, hoping for mercy... dreaming a life.

It doesn't help him one bit.

"Get your ass down here right now or there will be consequences, boy!" A man roared, his voice gruff and muffled by the door Ambrew leaned back on.

Knees pressed against his chest, he closed his eyes. No more. No more crying. And shouted, "I'm coming!"

Keep them inside. Don't let them show. Don't react. Just let it be.

"I told you he's useless," Samius Gun said as she approached her boyfriend who was waiting at the bottom stairs. "We should have just left him with that pile of trash,"

"Gladly if I have been given a choice," George said roughly, facing away with his thick hairy arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed.

Soon, a clicking sound could be heard, and Andrew was in their view at the top, slowly making his way down, step by step by step.

"Yes, sir?" softly, he said, hand gripping onto the wooden railing for dear life as he kept eye contact with the older man, afraid of what might happen if he breaks it.

"Come here!" George growled as he grabbed the brunette by his hair and roughly dragged him outside. The younger tripped twice on the creaky wooden floor, where, after seconds passed, he was then thrown to the ground. His frail body collided against the cold hard tiles on the porch.

Close your eyes, keep them inside.

It wasn't anything new. Bruises and soreness? They're just an addition to the old ones; whenever they expire they get renewed. But this time it's like a bonus when he got a sharp kick to the face.

Don't let them show.

"You just keep coming back for more, huh?" he said harshly, his boot colliding with Ambrew's stomach. "What did I say about those clothes? Should I make you wash them by hand instead?"

Ambrew was coughing as pain erupted in his stomach like spikes jabbing his abdomen, slowly positioning himself to kneel on the floor so he could breath, but this only angered George more. The older man once again grabbed his hair and jerked Ambrew's head up, laughing at how pathetic he looked with a bleeding nose.

George leaned in closer until their faces were mere inches apart, breath stinking with the strong smell of alcohol and cigarette as he chuckled with a smirk playing on his face. "You don't cry anymore. You've finally grown up, little baby?" George taunted and inched closer, "Well that's too bad. I like to see you cry. It makes you so pretty," running a finger down Ambrew's cheek. "Everyone's pretty when they show their weaknesses. Sadly, you don't do that anymore, do you?" He chuckled. "No matter. Although you've given up on showing me, your eyes are still just as beautiful as ever. So much hatred. So much vengeance. So much fear. Fear of me. Fear of what I might do. Ah, there's just so many!"

You failed.

George jerked Ambrew's head back down, letting go of the boy, and stood up from his squatting position. "Tonight, I think it's best if you spend some time outside. You know, get some fresh air. You're always the nature type," he said. His mouth... wide in a smile.... a wicked smile. 

Ambrew turned his head to see older man walk away, spotting his blonde girlfriend leaning against the doorframe with a matching smile on her face. Her thin body covered only by a huge shirt that fell midway on her thighs.

"Oh, and one more thing,"

He felt it.

The knot that tightened in his stomach as George made a U-turn to face him.
And when he saw George bringing his foot back and aimed, he knew it was lights out. "Sleep tight,"
The sharp pain to his head once more made everything numb, feeling that his nose just broke, thus blackening his vision.

Just let it be.