Gradence | White Lilies

"Sinner" | Chapter 4

"Credence…..where have you been?"

Credence didn't move, he didn't breathe, he was completely frozen. Petrified. But he had to speak, he had to try. He had to make her believe him.

"I-I was buying paint Ma…I-I'm so sorry for being so l-late…I lost track of t-time…..", he looked down, hoping his mother would let it go, but he knew she wouldn't.

"Credence, dear, don't lie to your mother.", she said in a way too calm voice. It was scary.

"I-I'm not lying…", his legs started to shake in fear and he gripped on the fence of the stairs to keep himself standing.

"ENOUGH!", she yelled as she got up.

He flinched at that and she started walking towards him. As she got closer he started backing away in fear, closer to the wall.

"M-Ma….please…", he begged, he begged for his mother to understand him, to spare him.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds, as if she was trying to suppress her anger.

"Credence, I know you were with him.", she started to speak, still way too calmly.

Credence looked down. He knew that it was over, he knew that if he kept pushing it  it would turn out even worse for him, so he kept quiet.

"You didn't need any new paints, or canvas, dear. Nice idea hiding them under the bed though.", she smiled a bit, but there was no kindness in that smile.

At those words Credence looked up at her, now he was even more scared of what was coming.

"You thought I wouldn't find them, didn't you?", she smiled again in a way that made Credence shudder, "And your sketchbook-", she took Credence's smaller sketchbook out of her robe's rather large pocket and flicked through it, "-it's filled with him."

As she said that she tore a few pages out of the sketchbook, crumpling them in the process. Credence swallowed a lump as his eyes filled up with tears.

She threw the sketchbook on the floor rather roughly and with anger. Credence flinched again.

"I know you like him, Credence.", she started.

"I-I don't-Ma, please!..", Credence tried to defend himself but he was cut off by Mary Lou's firm slap across his face.

"DON'T LIE!!", she rose her voice once again, "I saw you two in the garden! I saw the way he looked at you, they way he held your hands. I SAW the way you liked it!"

Credence looked down, his hands covering his red cheek, his lips pressed together in a thin line, fighting not to cry.

Mary Lou extended her open hand towards him in a demanding way. Credence slowly lowered his hands down and silently unbuckled his belt, he slid it out and handed it to his mother with a shaky hand. She gave him a pleased smile as she took it.

He knew what he had to do next, he started climbing up the stairs and towards his room. His mother followed him.

In his room, on his knees. With his palms open and extended towards his mother, Credence was waiting for his usual beating. But when his mother wasn't starting, he knew she had something else, far worse, in plan.

"Take off your shirt, dear.", she demanded, stiff smile still on her face.

Credence looked up at her blankly. He was confused, but most of it, he was scared.

"I won't repeat myself, Credence!", the smile dissappeared and it turned into what it really was, an utterly angry expression, "You are a sinner. And sinners must be punished!"

Credence blinked a few times, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

He slowly started to take off his clothes. Fist his overcoat, than his waistcoat, and finally his shirt. He looked at his mother with a hurt look, on which she responded with a glare.

"Turn around.", she ordered.

He did as she said, realizing what she was about to do to him. He was terrified. But not so much from the pain as much as from his mother's hatered.

Soon, before he even thought, his back was struck with immense ripping pain. It was more than he ever received. He whimpered and his mother struck him again, and again and again…

"M-Ma….i-it hurts…p-please!…", he cried out, begging his mother to stop. But she wasn't stopping.

"It should hurt."

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Credence was left on the floor, his eyes filled with tears and his back left with 5 deep and painful wounds.

He couldn't calm himself down, it was too much for him. But he managed to get to the bed. Still sobbing and still very much hurt, he laid down on the bed on his side, with tears streaming down his face. He looked at the darkness and solitude of his room. It felt so cold, and so so lonely.

"..M-Mr. G-Graves….", he managed to mutter the words out between the sobs.

"P-Please…h-help me…"