Rescuing Atticus

Breaking me in

Song: Alive -Daughtry

"Welcome to my home...guess we need to get started on working you out."I like how he just talks so smooth like not caring what anyone thinks.

"Working out...why?" I can only imagine what the hell he is even thinking about. Hell I can't even do two push-ups or even ten jumping jacks without huffing.

"Don't ask questions...you just do whatever I ask you to do...and we are already running late so let's go." He stands up and walks past me out the room.

I follow him to another part of the house. There is a mat on the main part of the floor. Marcus is punching at a bag, working up a sweat. I bet one punch to my head like that would kill me in an instant. I shake off the very thought.

I don't ask question as we both get on the mat with him. I watch as the two of them bow to each other and I feel like I should do the same thing so I do. They start a work out session and I try my best to keep up. I have to stop halfway through and that was a mistake on my part. "Get your ass up...we are not done." Zane says with a stern voice.

I force myself back up. I can barely breathe and that is when Marcus hits me in the gut with those guns of his, holy shit I think I died...I feel everything inside of me tighten up.

 Zane steps back and smirks. "Hit him back don't let him treat you that way."

I force myself to stand straight back up and swing at hi and of course miss, nearly falling over my own two feet. Marcus swings and jabs me right in the side the second time I fall flat on the mat and hold my insides hoping nothing is going to fall right out of me.

"You are weak...boy. We will have to toughen you up." They both smirk at each other and then leave me there until I am ready to get up on my own. I watch as my blood drips on the mat. I really don't think I am cut out for this.

Later in the afternoon, Phillip comes to get me. "Zane is waiting for you in his office."

I groan and get up. I find my way though the house and into his office. I knock before going in. "You wanted to see me sir."

"Yes...I want you to meet Marcus in the workout room. You are to stay there every day until you learn how to hit back do you understand?"

I nod; he looks up at me with that glare. I try so hard not to roll my eyes because I know it will be disrespectful. "Yes sir." I don't ask why even though inside I know this is pointless...what makes him think that I will ever be big or even strong enough to fight back.

I go back to the room and Marcus is standing there on the mat waiting for me. I step onto the mat already knowing that he is going to kick my ass and within seconds I am kissing the mat. He jerks me back up before punching me again.

Zane walks in and I feel my hands being cuffed and he jerks me up in one motion. He attaches my hands above my head to some hook hanging down. I can barely touch the floor. He grabs my chin and forces me to look at him. "Once you can get past the pain...you won't feel it anymore." He punches me  several times in the stomach and leaves me there hanging.

For the next few days, I am used as a punching bag. He only lets me down to eat and then get a few hours of sleep, then drags me right back for another round of kicking my ass. I haven't yet figured out why I stay...why do I let him do this to me. So this is why I am really here...so he can punch the shit out of someone. This has nothing to do with me working for him. I should have known there was some trick to this shit.

By the end of the week, I am done. I just can't take any more. I beg him to stop. "Please...I'm out...I can't..."

"Can't what...you lasted for five days...and now you want to give up. I don't think so." He reaches up and takes the chain down...I fall to the floor with a loud thud. "Get your fucking ass up."

I force myself up. The pain is so surreal. I thought my step-father kicked my ass, hell this is nothing compared to him. "Now hit me...show me what you got...you fucking hit me." He repeats and I swing at him and hit him; I punch him over and over in the stomach and he lets me get it all out not that I am even really hurting him...but he lets me do it.

He laughs out loud, then reaches to grab the sides of my face, forcing me to look at him. "That's the spirit my boy...this is what I want...now let's get to work." And he was right...I was mostly scared that everything would just hurt to much and now that I know what it feels like it's not so bad.

For the next month he shows me how to fight...how to block...how to defend myself. He forces me to eat every meal and then some, making sure that I have all the proteins and every other vitamins in me to buff me up. He works me out day and night and I don't give up; every time I fall I get right back up only to fall back down again and again. I go until I can't physically go any more.

Marcus has does exactly what he is told and never gives into me. One day...one day I will be strong enough to kick his ass but for now I will never win against the giant of a man that he is. Hell I'm not even sure that I can ever beat Zane...he is not as big as Marcus but he is one bad mother.

I walk into the workout room and he is waiting for me. "I have a surprise for you...we are going out tonight."

"Going out..." I want to ask where to but I don't ask questions. "OK."

I get in the car with him and we go into town. We are in the alley way where I got my as kicked the last time. I look around and he tells me to get out. I open the door and step out and then I see the guys walking into the alley way. I look at the car and I already hear the click of the doors...I am locked out.

 I hear Tony's laughter echoing down the alley... "What do we have here...I heard you wanted to see me?"He steps closer to me and messes up my hair with his hands. "Look at you...we thought you gone and died. Where the hell have you been?"

"Nowhere." I look down at the ground.

"I heard you wanted to kick my ass...what makes you think you can do that." He pops his neck and I guess that is his way of telling his friends to hold me down. They each take a hand and push me up against the building. He rears back and punches me in the ribs...I did not make a sound, nothing like I did the last time I was here. His punch was weak compared to Zane and Marcus.

I let him hit me in the face. I felt the blood in my mouth. I glance up and feel Zane watching me from the car...waiting to see what I will do.I snap. I fight my way free and I hit...kick...and use my new skills to fight them till they can't stand back up and then something inside of me wants to kill them.

And I would have if he hadn't opened the door and yelled, "That's enough."

I stop to the sound of his voice. He walks over and smiles. He doesn't have to say a word to me; I know deep down he is proud of what I have become. I will never let anyone ever defeat me again...I will stand tall... I will fight.I will make him proud of me.