Something to Believe In

by klainerholly

Isaac Lahey has been abused by his father for as long as he can remember, and his dad would have Isaac believe it was his own fault. By chance, Isaac meets Grace and a friendship begins to blossom. Feelings come to the surface when he is charmed by her pretty face and sarcastic remarks and he feels he can open up to her, but how can Grace save a boy that refuses to be rescued?

A/N: This is a brand new Isaac fic I've started on, this is just the prologue and a full chapter one should be up within the next few days. Hope you guys like it, please feel free to leave a comment or review :)

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Breathe. Breathing is easy. Stop panicking. You're panicking.

Isaac raised trembling hands and covered his face, fingers pulling at his hair and clawing at his tightly shut eyelids. His mind swirled with rapidly moving thoughts that caused his forehead to overheat and tears sting the back of his eyelids.

Why are you crying? Pull yourself together. No wonder you're a disappointment.

Children could be heard playing on the street, their cries coming together with the laughter and chatter of neighbouring families to create a cacophony of happy noises Isaac did not associate with his own childhood. The only sound that reached his ears was his own heart smashing against his ribs and his heavy breathing coming in short, shaking gasps.

This is your own fault. You screwed up again. Why can't you do anything right?

The familiar feeling of fear gripped his chest, choking his heart and blocking his lungs so he could physically feel his anxiety trying to crush the life from him. A pair of strong hands grabbed at his throat and threw him roughly against the wall, causing a whimper to escape Isaac's lips. He forced himself to open his eyes, immediately recognising the silhouette of his father even through blurred teary vision. Hot breath could be felt against Isaac's cheek, carrying the unmistakable stench of hard liquor as his father shouted profanities at him.

He wouldn't be like this if you were a better son.

'Whatever I did… I- I'm sorry,' Isaac pleaded, his voice broken and desperate. He closed his eyes once again and tried to shut his mind off, only vaguely feeling the pain of being shoved down the stairs. He did nothing, having learnt long ago that it was easier not to fight back. It registered somewhere in Isaac's mind where he was headed, and when his father ordered him to get in the freezer he did not object. He let the tears stream freely down his frost bitten cheeks and let out a sob, knowing he was locked in and his father could no longer hear. 'Please,' he said to himself, his voice no more than a whisper. 'I'm sorry.'

You deserve this.