Ben turned a corner and came out onto Mainstreet. He was late.
He was supposed to be at school in two minutes and his school was still three blocks down the road. He started running.
He raced down the street, almost knocking down an old lady in the process.
Two blocks to go.
When he was just a block away from school, he suddenly tensed.
He felt like he was being watched, but since he couldn't spot anybody, carried on running.
He arrived just in time to see his teacher Mrs. Dubb close the classroom door behind her. He quickly reopened it and slipped inside.
„You're late!", Mrs. Dubb croaked. Ben knew he was doomed.
Mrs. Dubb was just about the meanest Teacher in the universe. She would probably give him detention for a week.
„Sorry Mrs. Dubb, it won't happen again...", he mumbled and hastily sat down, ignoring the mocking grins from his classmates.
When he opened his desk, he found it filled with old chewing-gums.
He fingered out his Mathsbook and put it in front of him, opening it up at the page Mrs. Dubb had just named.
On the top of the page somebody had scribbled the word 'Loser'.
He quickly erased it so Mrs. Dubb wouldn't see, but it was too late. His teacher was already standing behind him, an angry look on her face.
„What did I tell you about writng in our school's books, Mr. Allan?", she rasped.
„But it wasn't me...", Ben stammered.
„Come, come. I'll have to ask you to stay here after school today."
She turned and left, leaving Ben ready to burst into tears.
At the end of the day, after everyone had left, Mrs. Dubb put a pile of books in front of him and told him to erase everything anyone had scribbled inside them.
When he finally finished, it was already dark outside.
He started to walk home, but turned around as as soon as he'd gone a few meters, the feeling of being watched came back and made him scan the darkness for human beings.
Nobody.
He was alone.
When he got home, he opened the front door and quietly slipped inside.
He took off his shoes and tiptoed down the hall.
When he passed the kitchen, he saw his mother lying face-down on the table, a bottle of alcohol in her hand. He sighed. Every day.
Just as he was putting his foot on the first step of the staircase, his father came out of the living-room:
"Where've you been?", he asked.
"School...", Ben said in a half-truth.
"So you got detention again huh? What' you do this time you idiot?", he was screaming now, "'Think you can do whatever you want you spoiled brat? Huh? Answer me!"
The first blow hit Ben right in the face, then a second and a third.
Ben turned and tried to run, but his father caught him and continued hitting him.
He finally managed to break lose and scrambled back outside.
He ran to the shed, stormed inside and locked the door behind him.
The boy collapsed against the wall, and fumbled to find the light-switch.
He slowly sat down on the floor and touched his finger to his nose.
It was bleeding.
He found some paper towels and managed to stop the bleeding.
When he finally got himself to calm down a little, he slumped against the wall, buried his face in his hands and started sobbing.
He continued crying, until hours later he slowly drifted off to sleep in his three-sizes-too-small clothes, thinking about running away, but knowing, that he could never evade his father.
His life was never going to change... Ever.