Are You Okay?

Chapter Twenty-Two

Disclaimer: curse words and violent activity.

Zack POV

"Hello, Zachary. I have a surprise for you."

Standing in my room were my father and three of his favorite men.

The ones who beat me.

I see them three times every year. My birthday(present), Christmas(present), and New Years(to give a taste of what the new year will bring).

All the times I've seen them they either held me down or hit me. They've whipped, punched, kicked, and broken me so hard, sometimes it was difficult to put myself back together. (A/n me but with words and basically all the kids I know)

Quickly, I mentally pulling up the date, checking to see if it was my birthday.

April 18th. Nope.

My birthday was three months ago.

My fathers voice pulled me out of my mental shock, snapping me back into reality.

"I've put up with you for too long! Clothes on your back, shoes on your feet! The food in your stomach and the little knowledge in your brain! I do EVERYTHING for you, and how do you repay me!?! With DISRESPECT! But that won't happen anymore! I will break you, in the body, the soul, and the spirit! I will leave my mark on your back and your blood on my whip. I, am the master! And since you can't respect me, since you just abuse what I give you, you will be no more. I will KILL you. Slowly and painfully. You will feel what I feel everyday I have to put up with you. I will hurt you so much, you will be down on your knees, begging for forgiveness. But there will be none of that. There will be NO MERCY!!!"

And with those final words, my father lunged at me, hands outstretched and a manic look in his eyes.

Panicked, I ran.

I ran out my room, down the hall, and down my stairs. I threw open my door with my father right on my heels, never letting up for fear of him catching me.

I ran around the house and took a second to look over my shoulder. My dad and his three men were still coming, never letting up.

Before I could turn forward again, however, I tripped and fell onto our perfectly mowed backyard. I moved to get up, trying to get to my feet before they arrived. Sadly, I was too late.

When I tried to get up, a strong foot kicked me back down, causing me to sprawl onto the ground.

"Get up!" My father shouted.

I made no move to get up, not wanting to face my fate.

"I said get UP!!!"

With a yank by the next of my t-shirt, I was on my feet and held by my father.

Quickly, he started for the small woods behind my house, dragging me after him.

After he found a small open area a few minutes in, we stopped.

My father threw me against the ground, my head hitting with a crack.

I heard another crack to my side but didn't have the strength is willpower to move to see.

Suddenly, pain burst across my side and wood hit it, hard. (A/n Edward Covey did this to Frederick Douglass, class. If reading it makes you feel uncomfortable, I've done my job.)

"Worthless. Piece. Of. Shit."

Every word brought a strike on me, building up my pain.

"You. Deserve. To. Rot. In. Hell!"

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack.

"Goodnight, Zack."

Confused, I crawled over to a near by tree and propped myself up against it.
After I successfully got myself in a seated position, I looked up at my father, my eyes going big as I saw what was in his hand.

He pointed the small, silver machine at my right foot and pulled the trigger. A shriek escaped my lips as the bullet dug into my foot, blood pouring from the wound.

Next, he shot my right leg, then my right. He did this same process on my left side, taking his time between firing. By this time I was struggles to keep my eye open, my body now slumped against the ground.

"Bye, Zack. I never loved you."

And with that, everything went dark, and I never opened my eyes again.

A/n

I lied. Now, go read the epilogue, the story isn't over!