What I wrote here is more of a, well, public service announcement. If you don't like to read this sort of thing, then turn away your eyes and just read the paragraph at the bottom. I know it's dumb and a sore attempt to aproach this subject through Nightmare Before Christmas fanfiction, but it's a start. This is not for me to improve or brag about a talent I might posses. I'm just trying to help and reach out.
Cobwebs tangled between Jack's long fingers. A size medium shirt was dragging from his shoe. A toy truck almost caused him to yelp when he slide on it. Halloween seemed to come faster as the years flew by. Scaring children was easy and harmless fun. Quieting himself, he cracked the door open to see his victim.
A young, small boy with curly blond hair and a freckled face kneeled by his bed with his hands pressed together and his head bowed. His mouth moved rapidly as if he had to get to or away from something. That something soon became clear when the bedroom door burst opened.
Jack held back a gasp and watched as a tall, shadowy figure stumbled into the room. The little boy's dark eyes got wide as he jumped under the covers. The bed sank down towards the floor as the figure pounced onto the bed.
The first punch sent a chill through his bones, and by the time the last was thrown, he could feel the tears running down his cold cheeks. The little boy's cries were like arrows. The figure yelled a few select words and stumbled back out.
The room now stank of old sex and bad liquor and stale cheetos. The blond boy with the freckled face lay bleeding tears of blue and black. His room was littered with posters of superheroes and failed test. A bear with a missing eye and a lair's smile sat with happiness on his shelf.
He found it difficult to make it across the room. There was no way to describe the pressure beating down on his shoulders. Witnessing such a crime killed him, if that was even possible. Knowing he was only comforting to the fearless and the damned, what home could he make for this boy in his room of lost innocence and pain?
Gripping the boy's shoulder with his long fingers, he tried not to scare the boy. Oddly, he succeeded. The boy did not turn around and did not stop crying, but his little fleshy fingers wrapped around one of his own. Jack cooed phases like 'You'll be ok' and 'Bad guys always get caught'. He then asked the only question he had on his mind, 'Does your mommy and daddy know of this?'
The boy's body stopped shaking and his breathing slowed. Turning, the boy threw his arms around Jack's small frame. Answering, almost in a whisper, he looked up at Jack. 'Mommy knows. Mommy knows because Mommy sometimes helps Daddy. Mommy sometimes helps Daddy beat me. I deserve it. I've been bad. I'm a bad boy.'
I know one of the first things you want to do if you think a child is being abused is to run to the police and lock the abusers(to match current lingo) ass in jail. But DO NOT JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS unless you know the full story. Of course you have the right to be suspicous if a classmate, friend, or a child you know shows up with bruises and cuts. Children fall down with their normal rowdy play. But if a child is bruised constanly and admits to sometimes being beaten, do something! Do not confront the attacker unless you want to be a victim yourself. If you still a child yourself tell your guardian or conslulor about your suspicousions. Just don't sit in hiding and watch. Even Jack came out and help. So can you.