I feel a hand tighten around my wrist, sending flashes of pain throughout my body. I groan with pain. I hear him growl and put his face in front of mine.

“Be quiet and stop making such pathetic sounds.” The voice cuts through my thoughts, icy with contempt. Dark eyes meet mine, black pitless, with no space for love, only deep dark malice. I nod, feeling sparks of pain fly up my arm. Satisfied with my silent response, he turns around and resumes walking down the narrow path, a path that once brought joy to me but now, only pain and despair.

***

Entering the house, I look up at the man I once called father. A man who was once my only sense of comfort. Sensing my stare, he looks down at me, his mouth tightening at the edge recognizing the sign of his anger, I hurriedly avert my gaze. That's when the sound of laughter fills my ears. I know who it is, my stepmother, dread coils in my stomach. She enters the room, her pink frilly dress bellowing after her, her snobby son hot on her heels Her blue eyes land on me, and a sinister smile plays on her red rouge lips. I’ve always felt that they look like blood. She turns to face my dad, and he looks back at her, nodding, and before I can protest, he abruptly pushes me in front of my stepbrother. I slowly look up, tentatively, and find myself staring into his face, his eyes rock up and down my face, and he licks his lips, anticipation decorating those slimy features. I feel myself shake with a combination of fear, anger, and pain. My shakes become uncontrollable, wracking my body with violent trembles. I hear my stepmother stride closer and feel her hand grab a fistful of my short hair. Long nails dig into my skull like the claws of a wild beast. She speaks, her voice high-pitched and unnerving girlish, 

“Aluk, apologize to your brother, be a good boy.” her voice is taunting

I can't help but try to seek warmth from him, my father. I turn around until he is in my field of vision.

I'm aware I would have begged him to help, but now, as I look into his face. I know that my pleas would be left unanswered. His black eyes meet mine briefly, something close to emotion flickers there, then disappears. I know that my body can't take another beating. I look into her blue eyes and realize that she has no intention of letting go, whether I apologize or not.  I breathe in and say  “I will apologize” Her sinister lips curl, “as long as he apologizes first” Her smile disappears, replaced with a snarl showing off her teeth. She lifts her hand as it comes down. The last thing I think of is that maybe, it would be a mercy to die.

***

“Aluk wake up” I  open my eyes to find my mother on top of me, concern in her eyes, relief washes over her quickly replaced by anger.

“You almost killed him” Her voice is matter of fact, and my father says 

“No, Tessa almost killed him,” he thinks about this and then adds “Aluk wouldn't have died” his voice is softer.  My mother gets up, knowing what's about to happen. I leap up “Please” my voice breaks “Please don't fight because of me please”.

My mother grits her teeth. I wait until they both nod, and I sit down. It doesn't take me long to realize that something is off.

"What's wrong?" I ask, my dad moves to the couch and approaches me carrying something with a pink frilly dress, My stomach turns. It is my stepmother. I had lost control of my power, the power that I had inherited from my father. It had turned my stepmother into a blob of blood. I swallow and gaze at my dad. "You lost control," he states grimly.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

***

I wake up to the sound of my mother and father arguing “Aluk may be a smart boy but sending him to school may be dangerous…” she audibly swallows “For him and the people around him” My father chuckles

 “And I thought that you would be happy that your son can finally get an education” I hear a chair clatter against the concrete floor 

“are you insulting me Derek?” My father laughs and I hear him get up. 

“Yes I am insulting you Maria'' a pause “What are you doing?'' My father's voice is soft. My mother, hearing this, laughs “Well it was good seeing you, but this is my house, Derek, I am the one who pays the bills here. So I think I have the right to control who's allowed in my house, and at the moment, I want you out.” the whole world seems to hold its breath waiting for my dad's response. I open my eyes and get up into a sitting position, to find that my dad has lifted his hand up, I clear my throat. My parents both stare at me, for a second I expect my father to ignore me and start hitting Mum like he usually does, but instead he puts his hand down and they both stare at me. “How are you feeling Aluk?” my mother asks. I open my mouth only to feel a sharp pain in my head. I automatically put my hand on my temple and slowly rub it, closing my eyes. A couple of seconds pass, and I open my eyes again to find that my parents have gotten closer, my mum sits down next to me, and seeing the worried look in her eyes, I force a smile “I’m fine mum, really” my father gets closer, anticipation written over his sharp elfish features. I look at him then at mum “I heard what you guys were talking about'' my mother sighs a suffering sound and looks at me expectantly. I look at my Father. “I wouldn’t mind going to school” A sharp intake of breath from my mum, a smile begins to form on my father's lips ``But, I won't go unless mum agrees to it” I look at my mother and she smiles, happiness written in her eyes my fathers eyes gleam with menace, as he turns towards my mother. “I see, well then Maria, I will send Aluk to school” My mother opens her mouth only to be interrupted by my father who says, “I think you’re misunderstanding, this is not an option.” he turns to leave only to stop and say “I want Aluk ready tomorrow in the morning, I took the liberty of enrolling him at Redcrest high”,  he walks out the door leaving us in shock shell silence.

***

Waking up that morning was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The time that it took felt like over a decade but once I finished I made my way to the dining room.

“Ahh, look at that it seems like Aluk is ready for his first day at school” my fathers voice interrupts my thoughts. I looked up alarmed to find him sitting in…. MY SEAT. I stare at my mother, her eyes are down, her face is filled with pain, and there on her right cheek is a new bruise. My father having followed my line of sights states “me and Maria got into a bit of a hustle but everything is settled now”, my fathers voice is guttural I know that he saw the disbelief in my eyes because he turns to my mother his eyes turning into slits “Isn't that right Maria?” His voice is as soft as a caress, my mother's eyes widen with fear she turns away from him, her golden brown hair falling into her green eyes, she nods.

My father gets up with a self satisfied smile on his lips, “well that's settled” he checks his phone  “We have to leave now unless we want to be late.” I don't answer…

***

Walking out the door is the second hardest thing I did, but what's even harder is having to sit right next to my father, I am literally cursing my whole entire being, and not only that  but my stepbrother is sitting right across from me his pale blue eyes burning holes into my head, I can tell he wants to kill me, honestly I can't blame him I would want to kill me too. As if reading my thoughts I feel my fathers hand land on my head making me jump, ignoring this, he starts to stroke my hair, the same way he used to do when I was a 5 year old.

I still remember how he would sit me in his lap across a warm fire and he would read my favorite book (the westing game) changing his voice to fit the characters description, I would close my eyes giving myself to the opportunity to take everything in while snuggling closer to him, I do that now, I move my self closer to him only stopping myself before I put my head on his chest. His eyes burn into my head. I don't allow myself to turn. Not when  I can still feel the ghost of his hand stroking my hair. He reaches his hand out and strokes my face, I jump back like I have been electrocuted, he laughs his eyes filled with amusement at my reaction, my cheeks burn, my (stepbrother) stares at us.