The little boy stared at his cup and plate of food. Canned milk and frozen chicken nuggets. The toddler slowly reached for the food but then recoiled with distaste.
"D-dad...?" the blonde stammered to the unruly man sitting next to him, whom was eating an oven-cooked chicken wing. The man turned his head. "...c-can... I have something warm to eat?" he asked, softly.
He knew what was coming next.
The man slapped him across the face and the boy went tumbling to the floor. The blonde looked up at his father with fear and slight resentment. "I just asked..."
"No." his father stated. He obviously wanted to turn the subject. And the boy didn't like the silence.
"Dad? ... Why did mom leave? Why did she take Serenity? ... where did she go?" the toddler asked in a small voice.
"She left because she didn't love you."
"Wh-what...?" the boy looked up at his father with tears.
"She didn't love you. You're a little brat and a whiner, and a crybaby, nobody wants you, especially not her," the man growled, "you're useless."
"B-but I..." the boy stammered.
"You're a bad boy and a disgusting child. She didn't want to have to deal with you anymore."
"...b-but... I didn't... mean to be... please, dad... can... can you make mom come back? ... Please? I take back what I did... I didn't mean to be bad. I just want mom and Serenity to come home... I want my momma..."
"You don't deserve her!" The man smacked the boy again, this time harder than he ever had before.
"O-ow!" the blonde cried, tears starting to run down his crimson cheeks.
"Go to your room, you snot-nosed brat! You don't get any dinner!" the man knocked the plate and glass from the table, and the boy watched it as it fell to the floor, making a mess.
"...y-yes, dad..."
"NOW! BEFORE I BEAT YOU!"
The toddler scurried off to his room, new tears burning down his throbbing face. He ran in, shutting the door behind him, making the room immersed in shadows, and nearly tripped over a few toys, but made it to the small twin bed and climbed up on it. There he curled up, hugging his arms around his knees, and he started sobbing.
"...I just wanted to see mom again... I just wanted to see Serenity again...!" the boy cried.
"Joey, be a good boy and take care of daddy, okay?"
"...mom... don't go!"
"Bye bye, Joey!"
"DON'T GO! DON'T LEAVE ME, MOM! DON'T TAKE SERENITY AWAY! DON'T...!"
He sat bolt upright and looked around frantically, bringing hands to his eyes and rubbing he tears from them.
"Oh. It was only a dream..."
The teen threw his legs over the side of the bed and looked around, warily. "A nightmare... a dream... a memory..."
Joey chuckled softly.
"Oh well..."