Thanks for the wonderful comments. This is my first fan fic ever and I was
kind of worried. Thanks so much!!!
Chapter 5 – Fear of the Dark
By: Blade
All disclaimers still apply
Warning: Child Abuse Follows and bad language
'He was running. Someone was chasing him, but he couldn't see his attacker. He fled down a tunnel but it was dark. Pitch black dark. Knowing he had no choice he ran into the dark. But as he ran farther into the tunnel everything became dark. He no longer knew in which direction he was running. He no longer knew where the person was that was chasing him. As he stood there looking around something grabbed him from behind. He tried a scream but a strong hand clamped over his mouth. Out of no where someone else started beating him over and over again. Finally he heard someone say, here put the boy out of his misery. Light from somewhere gleamed off something above him. He just barely made out something swinging towards his head…'
Maurice woke up with a start. 'It was only a nightmare. It was only a nightmare.' It was pitched black around him and he didn't know at first where he was. He started to panic as his nightmare came back to him. His breathing became erratic and he started thrashing around, really causing pain to shoot through his badly abused body. He tried screaming but he couldn't catch his breath. He was really scared now. He heard someone, who had obviously heard his distress, trying to open the closet that he was locked in. Suddenly his father's figure stood in the doorway. Maurice desperately tried to make his way past his dad, but unfortunately, with his dad in the doorway, he was sufficiently blocked.
"What is your problem?" His dad yelled angrily.
"I...had...a...nightmare." Maurice struggled out between breaths. "Please don't…make me…stay…in there."
"Well I can give you plenty of nightmares out here if you don't quiet down in here." His father said shoving Maurice back in the closet slamming the door behind him. Maurice couldn't get back to sleep after that. Trying to be quiet, Maurice suffered in silence. The dark kept creeping in on him. His body hurt all over and he was sure that he would die that night. The longer he stayed in that closet, the more scared he got. After about two hours, his breath started coming in short bursts. Finally after three hours in the closet, Maurice passed out.
The next morning, his mom came to retrieve Maurice as before, it took a few minutes for her to rouse him but eventually he came around with a start. "Are you alright?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he lied. He didn't want to tell her he was still scared of the dark. His mom ordered him to take his bath just like yesterday, but this day was a bit different than the day before. Obviously his dad hadn't appreciated him being asleep when he got home the day before, so today his dad had left a list of things he had to get done before he got home. Maurice looked at the first item. Scrub the kitchen floor, the bathroom floors, dust all furniture, and scrub the toilet and tub. 'Well that doesn't seem too hard. What do I need to get started. Mop and Bucket should do for now. This shouldn't take too long.' So he made his way into the kitchen and started pulling out the mop so he could get started when his mother came into the room. "I'm sorry Maurice, but your dad left specific instructions that you are to be doing your work manually." Maurice looked confused for a moment, 'Manually? Do they think that that the mop is automated?' His mother pointed to the bucket and sponge lying in the far corner. "I went ahead and mixed the solution for cleaning. You can get started anytime. But I'd hurry, you have a lot more things to do before your dad gets home."
Maurice put up the mop back up and headed to the bucket and sponge. His aching body, especially his back protested him crawling on the floor not to mention the scrubbing. 'This is going to be a long, pain filled day.'
***************
Maurice was on the last item when he heard his dad come home, early. He tried to quickly finish scrubbing the bath tub but his knees, arms and back hurt so much he couldn't go very fast. 'I should have known he'd come home early. He probably just wanted to catch me working so he could have an excuse to punish me more.'
"Didn't I make it clear enough that you were suppose to have this finished when I get home?" His dad barked.
"I've worked hard all day. I even worked through lunch trying to get it done. I'm on my last chore," Maurice pleaded wearily. He felt like he was about to fall out.
"You lazy brat, you probably took your time all day long, and now you want to waste my time begging to give you more time?" His dad's voice was rising to a dangerous level.
"I'm sorry, it won't take but a few minutes," pleaded Maurice.
"Finish then!" His dad yelled, "But tonight, you're going to regret wasting my time."
Maurice finished the tub with tear filled eyes. He could hear his mother trying to calm his father down and assuring him that Maurice had worked hard all day, but it was to no avail. Maurice knew tonight was going to be really bad.
After he was finished he emptied and cleaned the bucket he had used and put away his supplies. He headed to the living room to ask his dad if there was anything else he had to do before supper. 'I'd hate to do any thing else that would piss him off.' His dad was sitting in a recliner leaned back watching a baseball game, drinking a Jack Daniels. 'Great he's getting drunk. That's all I need. He doesn't know when to quit when he's drinking.' "Dad, I'm finished with my chores. Is there anything else you need me to do before supper?"
"Yeah, you can do one thing for me." His dad slurred, "Get the hell away from me! Go to your room and for once stay out of my sight, you worthless brat!"
Maurice quickly tried to make his way to his room with his head hanging low. He ran straight into Mikey who was standing in the doorway to the living room waiting to talk to Dad. "Great Mo, you've gotten Dad mad. Now he will never let me go spend the night with Tommy."
"You want to spend the night with Tommy? Fine. Go. Hell spend the rest of the week and weekend with him. It'll give me and Maurice time to bond. Don't you think so Maurice?" His dad scoffed looking straight at Maurice. "Anyways, Mikey aren't you supposed to be ignoring your brother?" He turned and muttered to himself, "At least this way I'll get one of you out of my hair." Mikey lowered his head and headed to his room to pack his things. Maurice also quietly turned and headed once again to his room.
"Hey Mo, maybe you should get into trouble more often. It sure takes a lot of the heat off of Mom and me," Mikey muttered as soon as they were out of hearing range from the living room. Maurice just kept walking to his room, dreading tonight's punishment, and even more dreading that linen closet that was sure to follow.
***************
Supper was almost a mirror image to last night's. The only difference was that Mikey was missing, and this time Maurice had not worn a shirt per Dad's orders from last night. He did notice that his dad was still drinking. 'Maybe he'll drink so much and pass out. Yeah Fat Chance!' Despite missing lunch, Maurice was not hungry. He sat at the table just pushing the items around his plate not eating. After his mom and dad had finished eating, Maurice automatically started cleaning up the dishes.
It didn't take long to wash the dishes for the three of them. 'I guess it's time to face the inevitable.' After washing all the dishes he made his way into the living room mentally preparing him self for the punishment. His dad came up silently behind him and grabbed his arm. Maurice knew he was headed for the couch again. His dad caught him by surprise by spinning him around and landed a vicious punch to his stomach. Maurice's legs buckled from under him, but his dad still had hold of his arm and held him up. Another punch to his stomach followed, and then a back-handed slap across the face. His dad let go now throwing Maurice onto the floor. Maurice was crying now trying to figure out what happened to the belt lashing he was supposed to get. He didn't have to wonder long. Instantly he felt fire across his back and shoulders and his dad laid into him. After only five lashes Maurice passed out.
****************
Maurice woke some time later in that dark closet. He tried to move but excruciating pain flared along his back, and he quickly passed out again from the pain.
The next thing he knew, it was light and his mother was shaking him and was wearing a very worried look. Maurice was only partially aware of what was going on and for some reason he couldn't answer her question of 'Are you okay?' His mom started to pull him out of the closet, the pain shot through his abdomen and back causing him to pass out once again.
****************
'He was running… it was dark. He couldn't out run the guys behind him, he knew that. He ran once again to the darkened tunnel. It was so dark, but there wasn't any other choice. As soon as he entered he felt hands all over him. They had hold of his arms and legs. He couldn't move. He just knew they were going to kill him. They put something into his arm. "Leave me alone, please." He kept saying it over and over, "Just leave me alone".'
"Just leave me alone" he said out loud. He heard voices around him and still felt the hands on him and whatever it was in his arm, but he was scared to open his eyes not wanting to know what was going on. He instantly he heard a familiar voice. "Come on baby, just open your eyes. You're okay."
"Mom?" Maurice whispered as he cracked open his eyes to the surprise that it was light outside. He looked around. He was laying on a gurney and had an IV in his arm, and his mom stood off to one side of him with two other people in a uniform he didn't recognize.
Noticing where Maurice was looking his mom quickly added, "Maurice these people are EMTs, they are here to help you. You were more injured in the fight at school than we originally thought." She said this in a way, that Maurice knew better than to contradict her. 'Yeah, she doesn't want Dad to get into trouble.'
"This was done at school?" One EMT stated not really sounding convinced. The EMT had also noticed the faded bruises on her cheek.
"Well part of it. He was wrestling with his brother yesterday and sustained more bruising," she lied. "But most of his injuries were made at school. I have a note from the Principal around here somewhere stating his suspension following the fight. We also had him doing a lot of chores yesterday as punishment. I guess we pushed him too far too fast, and he just got exhausted."
'Yeah leave it to mom to have an excuse for everything.'
"Well we will have to carry him to the hospital. He looks like he's just exhausted and dehydrated. You might want to find that note from the Principal and bring it to the hospital. I'm sure Social Services would like to have a look at it." The EMT stated as they started pushing the gurney outside. "Oh, Mrs. Boscorelli, has Maurice been eating much lately? He looks mighty thin."
"He hasn't been eating very well lately. I think he was just so mad at us for grounding him for fighting it was his way of rebelling. I figured that when he got hungry he would eat."
They were at the back of the ambulance by then. The two EMTs lifted the gurney easily into the ambulance. "Do you want to ride with us or are you going on your own. They will probably keep him for a couple of days to make sure he's okay."
'Well thank goodness for small favors. Dad can't beat me in the hospital.'
"I'm going to stay here. My husband is going to meet you there anyway." His mother answered. 'Yeah she probably doesn't want to have to explain her bruises as well as mine.'
"You're not going to the hospital at all?" the EMT asked.
"Why, I'm sure you know how to take care of him," she gave one last look at Maurice and turned and when into the house.
One EMT climbed in the back with Maurice while the other closed the doors and headed to the driver's side.
The ride to the hospital was interesting to say the least. The EMTs kept asking Maurice questions like "what happened" and "How are you feeling?" It was all Maurice could do to stay awake, much less answer questions. 'Will they please leave me alone? How do they think I feel?' By the time they arrived at the hospital and carried Maurice in, he noticed his dad, shooting daggers at him with his eyes, standing at the front counter. 'Mom must have called him before she called the ambulance. Of course she probably had to get permission to call them or something.' They carried him into an examination room and transferred him to the bed there. The EMT told him to stay put until a doctor came to check him out. 'Stay put? Like I could get up if I wanted to, I'm so sore and tired I don't think I could get out of this bed if the building caught on fire.' Just a few minutes later a guy in a white coat came in. 'The doctor I presume.' "Mr. Maurice Boscorelli, I'm Dr. Westlake, and I will be your doctor for the time being." 'Boy I'm good!' "The EMTs told me that you have been virtually unresponsive and that they had a hard time waking you to begin with. Do you want to tell me what happened?"
"My mom already told the EMTs what happened, ask them." Maurice said in a very low voice.
"Oh, so you can talk!" The doctor smiled trying to calm the young man.
"The EMTs said that you haven't been eating. Do you want to tell me why?"
"I haven't been hungry." Maurice stated in a very small voice.
"Do you want to tell me how you got all those bruises?"
Maurice just turned his head towards the wall signaling to the Doctor that he was not answering anymore questions. The doctor got the hint, he just put on a small sad smile and said in a cheery voice, trying to ease Maurice's fears. "Okay, let's find out what is wrong with you."
Tbc…
**************
More to come! Tell me what you think so far!
Chapter 5 – Fear of the Dark
By: Blade
All disclaimers still apply
Warning: Child Abuse Follows and bad language
'He was running. Someone was chasing him, but he couldn't see his attacker. He fled down a tunnel but it was dark. Pitch black dark. Knowing he had no choice he ran into the dark. But as he ran farther into the tunnel everything became dark. He no longer knew in which direction he was running. He no longer knew where the person was that was chasing him. As he stood there looking around something grabbed him from behind. He tried a scream but a strong hand clamped over his mouth. Out of no where someone else started beating him over and over again. Finally he heard someone say, here put the boy out of his misery. Light from somewhere gleamed off something above him. He just barely made out something swinging towards his head…'
Maurice woke up with a start. 'It was only a nightmare. It was only a nightmare.' It was pitched black around him and he didn't know at first where he was. He started to panic as his nightmare came back to him. His breathing became erratic and he started thrashing around, really causing pain to shoot through his badly abused body. He tried screaming but he couldn't catch his breath. He was really scared now. He heard someone, who had obviously heard his distress, trying to open the closet that he was locked in. Suddenly his father's figure stood in the doorway. Maurice desperately tried to make his way past his dad, but unfortunately, with his dad in the doorway, he was sufficiently blocked.
"What is your problem?" His dad yelled angrily.
"I...had...a...nightmare." Maurice struggled out between breaths. "Please don't…make me…stay…in there."
"Well I can give you plenty of nightmares out here if you don't quiet down in here." His father said shoving Maurice back in the closet slamming the door behind him. Maurice couldn't get back to sleep after that. Trying to be quiet, Maurice suffered in silence. The dark kept creeping in on him. His body hurt all over and he was sure that he would die that night. The longer he stayed in that closet, the more scared he got. After about two hours, his breath started coming in short bursts. Finally after three hours in the closet, Maurice passed out.
The next morning, his mom came to retrieve Maurice as before, it took a few minutes for her to rouse him but eventually he came around with a start. "Are you alright?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he lied. He didn't want to tell her he was still scared of the dark. His mom ordered him to take his bath just like yesterday, but this day was a bit different than the day before. Obviously his dad hadn't appreciated him being asleep when he got home the day before, so today his dad had left a list of things he had to get done before he got home. Maurice looked at the first item. Scrub the kitchen floor, the bathroom floors, dust all furniture, and scrub the toilet and tub. 'Well that doesn't seem too hard. What do I need to get started. Mop and Bucket should do for now. This shouldn't take too long.' So he made his way into the kitchen and started pulling out the mop so he could get started when his mother came into the room. "I'm sorry Maurice, but your dad left specific instructions that you are to be doing your work manually." Maurice looked confused for a moment, 'Manually? Do they think that that the mop is automated?' His mother pointed to the bucket and sponge lying in the far corner. "I went ahead and mixed the solution for cleaning. You can get started anytime. But I'd hurry, you have a lot more things to do before your dad gets home."
Maurice put up the mop back up and headed to the bucket and sponge. His aching body, especially his back protested him crawling on the floor not to mention the scrubbing. 'This is going to be a long, pain filled day.'
***************
Maurice was on the last item when he heard his dad come home, early. He tried to quickly finish scrubbing the bath tub but his knees, arms and back hurt so much he couldn't go very fast. 'I should have known he'd come home early. He probably just wanted to catch me working so he could have an excuse to punish me more.'
"Didn't I make it clear enough that you were suppose to have this finished when I get home?" His dad barked.
"I've worked hard all day. I even worked through lunch trying to get it done. I'm on my last chore," Maurice pleaded wearily. He felt like he was about to fall out.
"You lazy brat, you probably took your time all day long, and now you want to waste my time begging to give you more time?" His dad's voice was rising to a dangerous level.
"I'm sorry, it won't take but a few minutes," pleaded Maurice.
"Finish then!" His dad yelled, "But tonight, you're going to regret wasting my time."
Maurice finished the tub with tear filled eyes. He could hear his mother trying to calm his father down and assuring him that Maurice had worked hard all day, but it was to no avail. Maurice knew tonight was going to be really bad.
After he was finished he emptied and cleaned the bucket he had used and put away his supplies. He headed to the living room to ask his dad if there was anything else he had to do before supper. 'I'd hate to do any thing else that would piss him off.' His dad was sitting in a recliner leaned back watching a baseball game, drinking a Jack Daniels. 'Great he's getting drunk. That's all I need. He doesn't know when to quit when he's drinking.' "Dad, I'm finished with my chores. Is there anything else you need me to do before supper?"
"Yeah, you can do one thing for me." His dad slurred, "Get the hell away from me! Go to your room and for once stay out of my sight, you worthless brat!"
Maurice quickly tried to make his way to his room with his head hanging low. He ran straight into Mikey who was standing in the doorway to the living room waiting to talk to Dad. "Great Mo, you've gotten Dad mad. Now he will never let me go spend the night with Tommy."
"You want to spend the night with Tommy? Fine. Go. Hell spend the rest of the week and weekend with him. It'll give me and Maurice time to bond. Don't you think so Maurice?" His dad scoffed looking straight at Maurice. "Anyways, Mikey aren't you supposed to be ignoring your brother?" He turned and muttered to himself, "At least this way I'll get one of you out of my hair." Mikey lowered his head and headed to his room to pack his things. Maurice also quietly turned and headed once again to his room.
"Hey Mo, maybe you should get into trouble more often. It sure takes a lot of the heat off of Mom and me," Mikey muttered as soon as they were out of hearing range from the living room. Maurice just kept walking to his room, dreading tonight's punishment, and even more dreading that linen closet that was sure to follow.
***************
Supper was almost a mirror image to last night's. The only difference was that Mikey was missing, and this time Maurice had not worn a shirt per Dad's orders from last night. He did notice that his dad was still drinking. 'Maybe he'll drink so much and pass out. Yeah Fat Chance!' Despite missing lunch, Maurice was not hungry. He sat at the table just pushing the items around his plate not eating. After his mom and dad had finished eating, Maurice automatically started cleaning up the dishes.
It didn't take long to wash the dishes for the three of them. 'I guess it's time to face the inevitable.' After washing all the dishes he made his way into the living room mentally preparing him self for the punishment. His dad came up silently behind him and grabbed his arm. Maurice knew he was headed for the couch again. His dad caught him by surprise by spinning him around and landed a vicious punch to his stomach. Maurice's legs buckled from under him, but his dad still had hold of his arm and held him up. Another punch to his stomach followed, and then a back-handed slap across the face. His dad let go now throwing Maurice onto the floor. Maurice was crying now trying to figure out what happened to the belt lashing he was supposed to get. He didn't have to wonder long. Instantly he felt fire across his back and shoulders and his dad laid into him. After only five lashes Maurice passed out.
****************
Maurice woke some time later in that dark closet. He tried to move but excruciating pain flared along his back, and he quickly passed out again from the pain.
The next thing he knew, it was light and his mother was shaking him and was wearing a very worried look. Maurice was only partially aware of what was going on and for some reason he couldn't answer her question of 'Are you okay?' His mom started to pull him out of the closet, the pain shot through his abdomen and back causing him to pass out once again.
****************
'He was running… it was dark. He couldn't out run the guys behind him, he knew that. He ran once again to the darkened tunnel. It was so dark, but there wasn't any other choice. As soon as he entered he felt hands all over him. They had hold of his arms and legs. He couldn't move. He just knew they were going to kill him. They put something into his arm. "Leave me alone, please." He kept saying it over and over, "Just leave me alone".'
"Just leave me alone" he said out loud. He heard voices around him and still felt the hands on him and whatever it was in his arm, but he was scared to open his eyes not wanting to know what was going on. He instantly he heard a familiar voice. "Come on baby, just open your eyes. You're okay."
"Mom?" Maurice whispered as he cracked open his eyes to the surprise that it was light outside. He looked around. He was laying on a gurney and had an IV in his arm, and his mom stood off to one side of him with two other people in a uniform he didn't recognize.
Noticing where Maurice was looking his mom quickly added, "Maurice these people are EMTs, they are here to help you. You were more injured in the fight at school than we originally thought." She said this in a way, that Maurice knew better than to contradict her. 'Yeah, she doesn't want Dad to get into trouble.'
"This was done at school?" One EMT stated not really sounding convinced. The EMT had also noticed the faded bruises on her cheek.
"Well part of it. He was wrestling with his brother yesterday and sustained more bruising," she lied. "But most of his injuries were made at school. I have a note from the Principal around here somewhere stating his suspension following the fight. We also had him doing a lot of chores yesterday as punishment. I guess we pushed him too far too fast, and he just got exhausted."
'Yeah leave it to mom to have an excuse for everything.'
"Well we will have to carry him to the hospital. He looks like he's just exhausted and dehydrated. You might want to find that note from the Principal and bring it to the hospital. I'm sure Social Services would like to have a look at it." The EMT stated as they started pushing the gurney outside. "Oh, Mrs. Boscorelli, has Maurice been eating much lately? He looks mighty thin."
"He hasn't been eating very well lately. I think he was just so mad at us for grounding him for fighting it was his way of rebelling. I figured that when he got hungry he would eat."
They were at the back of the ambulance by then. The two EMTs lifted the gurney easily into the ambulance. "Do you want to ride with us or are you going on your own. They will probably keep him for a couple of days to make sure he's okay."
'Well thank goodness for small favors. Dad can't beat me in the hospital.'
"I'm going to stay here. My husband is going to meet you there anyway." His mother answered. 'Yeah she probably doesn't want to have to explain her bruises as well as mine.'
"You're not going to the hospital at all?" the EMT asked.
"Why, I'm sure you know how to take care of him," she gave one last look at Maurice and turned and when into the house.
One EMT climbed in the back with Maurice while the other closed the doors and headed to the driver's side.
The ride to the hospital was interesting to say the least. The EMTs kept asking Maurice questions like "what happened" and "How are you feeling?" It was all Maurice could do to stay awake, much less answer questions. 'Will they please leave me alone? How do they think I feel?' By the time they arrived at the hospital and carried Maurice in, he noticed his dad, shooting daggers at him with his eyes, standing at the front counter. 'Mom must have called him before she called the ambulance. Of course she probably had to get permission to call them or something.' They carried him into an examination room and transferred him to the bed there. The EMT told him to stay put until a doctor came to check him out. 'Stay put? Like I could get up if I wanted to, I'm so sore and tired I don't think I could get out of this bed if the building caught on fire.' Just a few minutes later a guy in a white coat came in. 'The doctor I presume.' "Mr. Maurice Boscorelli, I'm Dr. Westlake, and I will be your doctor for the time being." 'Boy I'm good!' "The EMTs told me that you have been virtually unresponsive and that they had a hard time waking you to begin with. Do you want to tell me what happened?"
"My mom already told the EMTs what happened, ask them." Maurice said in a very low voice.
"Oh, so you can talk!" The doctor smiled trying to calm the young man.
"The EMTs said that you haven't been eating. Do you want to tell me why?"
"I haven't been hungry." Maurice stated in a very small voice.
"Do you want to tell me how you got all those bruises?"
Maurice just turned his head towards the wall signaling to the Doctor that he was not answering anymore questions. The doctor got the hint, he just put on a small sad smile and said in a cheery voice, trying to ease Maurice's fears. "Okay, let's find out what is wrong with you."
Tbc…
**************
More to come! Tell me what you think so far!