Tom, a young man with a dark past, finds himself in yet another abusive relationship. First it was his parents, now it's his boyfriend, Braden. He's ready for things to change, and they do when he escapes the grasp of his abusive lover and meets Mar...
Tom blinked before pushing himself out of bed, remembering the horrible nightmare that he had just awoken from. He automatically spun around to see the empty space in the bed beside him that belonged to his boyfriend, Braden. "Must've left for work early." Tom though to himself. Not a day went by that he didn't think about leaving, but deep down he knew that he couldn't. He probably never would, either. He had tried once before, but unfortunately he didn't think things through and had to return later that night. Braden left a few good bruises on him for that one.
Tom stretched as he pulled his favorite hoodie over his head. He always had to wear long sleeves and jeans so that no one could see the bruises and scars, even in the hot summer months. Not that he left the house regularly, just when Braden wanted him to do the shopping. Even then he was kept under surveillance in case he "tried anything". Trying things was the main reason he had so many permanent injuries. Pretty much the only escape Tom had from his horrible life was the tree. The trailer park they lived in was only a few minutes away from Tom's childhood home, which meant that the Wishing Tree was still within walking distance. He could only go when Braden was gone, though. Tom took one last look in the mirror before he opened the bedroom window, and jumped out.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
After walking for about 10 minutes, Tom arrived at the tree. No one else knew about it other than him. It was his special place. He jumped up and grabbed the lowest branch, pulling himself up onto it. He had called it the "Wishing Tree" ever since he was a child . Sure, it was childish, but it was special to him. Tom ran his smooth hand over the carvings that he had made into the bark over the years.
There is something incredibly relaxing about being left to your thoughts in the middle of nowhere. The nearby river added to this, filling the area with the pleasant music of rushing water. Since it was nearing the end of summer, all the leaves were beginning to turn different colors, which made the forest even prettier than it usually was. It wasn't long before Tom drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
*A few hours later* Tom jolted himself awake, almost falling out of the tree that he soon realized he was sitting in. "Shit!" Tom thought out loud. He could kick himself for making this mistake again. Braden was sure to be furious. He jumped down, landing gracefully on the forest floor. The thick layer of leaves on the ground crunched loudly as he ran. Maybe he could make it back before Braden's shift was over.
He made it back 15 minutes after his boyfriend had already arrived at their small house. Tom's heart dropped when he noticed his small black car in the driveway. Braden was waiting for him at the front door already. The short brunette smiled nervously as he stepped up onto the porch. He could tell that there were a few beer bottles scattered on the living room floor behind him. "Hey, b-babe." Tom cooed, hating the way his voice wavered when he was scared. "Where the hell were you!" Braden countered. "I've told you a million times not to leave the house without my permission!"
"Babe, I'm sorry!" Tom pleaded as his muscular lover carried him bridal style towards the bedroom. Braden just ignored him like usual and threw him harshly onto the mattress. That morning when Tom woke up from that nightmare, he realized that he had awoke to a nightmare, not out of one. His life was a nightmare, and always would be.
