Broken Home

10 | I Don't Wanna Know

The thing about nightmares is he hadn't experienced one this vivid in years. He couldn't wake himself up to make it stop. His body forced him to watch everything. He couldn't get to his son. That's what hurt him the most.

FP stood in front of Hal and Charles. As much as he wanted to get to his son and desperately shove Hal away, his body physically couldn't. He had to listen to his son's cries for him and watch every wound Hal inflicted on his boy.

FP screamed at Hal. "I swear to god, Hal, if you don't leave him alone I will kill you!"

Hal slowly turned to look at him. A sinister smile took over his face. He pointed behind him.

FP felt two hands grab him by the shoulders. He tilted his head back to stare up at his father. He felt himself freeze at the sight.

"Stop!" He heard his younger self scream. "Stop! I'm sorry! I won't talk back to you again!"

FP followed that voice. In Charles's place was now himself at his age. Forsythe hovered over him. He picked him back up by the collar like he used to always do.

"You know better than being disrespectful, boy." Forsythe spat. "You respect your father. Do you understand? I said: do you understand!"

"Yes, sir."

FP watched himself tremble in fear. His father walked past him to leave the trailer--to the bar, no doubt.

As soon as Forsythe was gone, he crawled over to himself. He was so young. The fear in his eyes was like no other. He laid there helpless.

"FP!" He recognized that voice; he turned to see Alice. "Oh my god!" She shrieked from the door. She ran to his side. He moved aside to let her get to him.

Alice came as soon as she saw Forsythe storm out. "What did he do to you?"

FP stared at her taking care of him. They were both so young. Yet, so much pain sat on their shoulders.

FP's body lets him wake up from the nightmare when it thought he saw enough. There's a ring of sweat on his collar that gives him the shivers, so he pushes himself off the bed and walks out to the bathroom and splashes his face with water.

He decides to get a glass of water before trying to go back to bed. He finds that Gladys is awake in the kitchen. He doesn't acknowledge her as he heads to the fridge. She can feel him ignore her and normally she wouldn't care, but she had to be on his good side.

"Couldn't sleep either?" She glances over at him. He doesn't say anything as he pours water into a glass. "Would have been nice to sleep next to you. You know how cold it gets out here."

"There are extra blankets in the closet." FP walks right past her again to go back to bed.

"I've been thinking...about us. Maybe we wouldn't have to go through with this custody battle if we gave it one more try." This stops FP before he turns the corner; he gives her a look of disbelief. "Think about it. Jughead and Jellybean could have two parents around."

"You left us. You were the one who couldn't give them that."

"We were always fighting, FP. You think any of that was doing us any good? We needed time apart to breathe. Wouldn't you say so?"