A Way Home

His Story Part III

"Get back out there!" Ko Jin hollered when he appeared in the doorway. Bloody. Smelly. Dirt stained.

Mucus a mix of blood beneath his nose. His ribs kept piercing into his lungs at every breath. The entire effort up the steps felt like a million daggers burrowing into his skin. Sehun sucked in air through his teeth the entire way, an arm securely wrapped around his torso.

He yearned for a shower. To clean and scrub himself of the blood and whatever gross things he'd lain in.

He wanted breakfast to console his empty stomach. So that his innards would stop gnawing at itself.

"I just want to eat, please." His voice trembled.

He was thirsty. Desperate to quench the sensation drying his throat.

"I said get out!" Ko Jin bellowed. Angrily reaching for his glass of water he threw it at Sehun. He ran back outside just in time to hear the cup shattering against the door.

Wincing and hiccupping, Sehun retreated back to the shed. Sitting and drawing his knees up. Hugging himself.

He wiped his face as his eyes welled up. He sat like that for an hour and jolted to attention when the storm door slammed shut. The sound of impending footsteps made his heart pitter patter in fear.

Looking up to see Ahjin glaring down at him. "What a pitiful sight."

Was she here to take him back into the house?

Sehun cried out when she twisted his ear bringing him to his feet. "How dare you fucking laze here! If you live here you pay your dues, you lazy son of a bitch!"

"It hurts! It hurts!" Sehun whined stumbling alongside her slouched. "Please, I'll walk. I can walk."

Relief burst through him when she let go, but the next slap was the sharpest.

"You're whining?" she questioned with the exact same threatening demeanor as her husband. Slapping him again, "You're whining?!"

Sehun pressed a hand to his face sobbing. It stung so bad. Every part of his body was on fire.

"What a girl." Ahjin's eyes ran up and down over him disgusted. "Your mother gave birth to the wrong thing." Smacking the back of his head, "Get going! The pigs aren't going to wait all day!" As Sehun stumbled away she banshee screamed, "And pick up the chickens!"

His chest heaved as he cried and pushed himself forward. Every breath a painful take. The hollow sensation in his stomach was a sword stabbing his guts. He could hardly lift up the little bowl in the large silver pail by the pig pen. Sobbing freely now. His woeful cries creating an unusual melody of squealing and snorting hungry pigs.

Finally managing to raise his arm, Sehun threw their liquid and solid mixture of food over the wooden gate. His stomach growled. His hand paused midway as he lifted the bowl out of the pail. Staring into the brown mix. Spotting grains and a mix of vegetables. A round slice of orange floated at the surface.

Only desperation and hunger could explain what he did that day.

Sehun hesitated then lifted the bowl to his lips. Gulping greedily the pigs' food. It flowed so fast into his panging stomach the first thing he sank into was how it made his stomach swelled. Because he'd eaten so fast, he puked a stream of pale brown. The gushing liquid landing at his feet.

He gulped for air and heaved bent over. Bubbles popped inside his stomach and then stopped. It growled again. Feeling ready, Sehun dipped the bucket into the pail and held it to his mouth again. Eating, drinking the pigs' meal as he listened to them snort behind their post. Stomping their feet and shaking their heads, causing a fuss.