HELLO!!! I'm back from holiday! Did ya miss me? Any way this chapter is crap 'cause I banged it up really quick so I could post something after my two weeks away. I'm also really sorry about all the he's and him's in this chapter they get really annoying after a little bit.

The little boy sat curled in a little ball on his bed. He dared not move a muscle despite his mind screaming at him to run and hide. His mind knew what was going to happen. The same as every night.

Three minutes ago he had come crashing through the front door drunk from hours of bar hopping. The same as every night.

The boy's mother had been up in a flash trying to calm him down. But he didn't listen. Instead he just started yelling and backhanding her across her pretty face. The same as every night.

He continued on his rampage through the house, slowly making his way to the boy's room. The small figure shivered in fear. He didn't know why he was so afraid. He should be use to this by now. The same thing happened every night. But for some reason he always had a thread of hope. Hope that one day he would come home sober and hug his son and tell him that he was loved and that father was near. But father had died a long time ago. Now all that existed was him. The monster his loving daddy had turned into.

CRASH!!!

The vase in the hall just out side his room. It wouldn't be long now. Soon he would come charging through the door and hell would begin. Well, not quite hell. Beatings were okay really. The boy found that if he collapsed and when limp he would stop punching him thinking he was unconscious. He had discovered this strategy when he had been forced to watch his mother being beating. He had hit her so many times she had blanked out and he seeing she was no longer able to feel the "treatment" had given up.

No the beatings where tolerable. He had done much worse. It was odd really. Most adults get more abusive the drunker they are. Not true for him. When he was drunk he got sloppy. He never came up with new "games" to play when he was drunk. All he did was take wild punches. It was the only time he was predictable. But when he was sober...

He did have a name or at least he use to. He use to be daddy. Or Josh as the boy's mother called him. She still did. Call him Josh that is. Although no longer in a loving way a wife usually talks to her husband. Now it was usually in a pleading manner between sobs.

"GET UP BOY!!" Grate. The boy had been so preoccupied with his thoughts he hadn't realized he had come into the room. Not that it really mattered. The same thing was going to happen. The same as every night.

SMACK!!!

His head snapped to the right as pain exploded in the boy's left cheek. He didn't noticed it. He was use to it by now. A few more hits and he would fall to the ground in mock-defeat. 'Now is a good time. Not to soon to let him catch on'. But for some reason his body would not listing to him. 'Don't be stupid! Fall down before he gets angry!!' But he stayed up. His body rocking back and forth with the hits. It was as if the boy subconsciously refused to give him the pleasure of thinking he won. As if he was taking a stand.

Taking a stand got people killed.

He loved it when the boy would fall down. It made him seem big and strong. If a four year old boy could stand up to him then that was saying something.

When the punches started to get stronger the boy realized his mistake and quickly dropped to the floor. It didn't stop. The hits continued to come 'What?! He is meant to stop! Why isn't he stopping?' It didn't matter that the boy seemed dead to the world.

He had stood up and that was enough to keep him kicking at the boy well past the time he had fallen down. He kept on kicking even when the boy was no longer conscious. Even when a puddle of blood was slowly beginning to form under the small figure.

For the first time ever little Ash was unable to crawl away.

*~*~*~*

Ash woke up in a cold sweat. That was the worst dream he had had in eight years. No not a dream, a nightmare. Ash shuddered. It had taking two years to get rid of the haunting memories. The last thing he needed was them returning.

Looking at the clock Ash realized he had over slept. It was nearly ten o'clock. Josh could have been here at anytime from six. One thing Ash remembered without pain was that his father had always been an early bird. Although that hadn't always been a good thing. Sometimes he would start his "games" a bit earlier. But most of the time the mornings had been a good time when he became daddy.

Ash was brought out of his day dream by the front door slamming open with so much force it's a wonder it didn't fly of it's hinges.

The reality of what he was about to sacrifice hit Ash for the first time. For all he knew he would die. Beaten to death by his own father.

"Delia! Ashura!" The yell was as loud as thunder and Ash was positive it made the foundations rumble. "Where are you? If you've run off I swear I'll..." Josh trailed off as he made his way into the living room where Ash was sitting. "Hello Ashura" Josh's voice was so sickly sweet it sent shivers down Ash's spine. "For a moment there I thought you'd been a cowered and run off".

"What and miss the pleasure of your company?" Ash was surprised, and just a little bit proud, at how steady his voice was. It made him seem brave when in fact it was taking all his self control not to wet himself.

An evil grin crept over Josh's face. He knew the effect he was having on his son. All this was turning out perfect but there was something missing...

"Where's your mother?"

This had been the part that Ash was dreading "She wasn't quite so keen to see you".

The smile fell from Josh's face. "Where is she?"

"It doesn't matter. The fact is she's gone but I'm here"

"It doesn't matter that you're here! I want the both of you!" Despite himself Ash flinched at the anger in his father's voice.

"Well you can't have the both of us" The teen's voice quivered in fear but despite that he kept on with the plan he had come up with. "I won't let you harm my mother."

"Oh? And how are you going to stop me?"

"I want to make a deal with you..." Ash looked at his father for a response but the latter didn't move so Ash continued "I'm willing to go with you without a fight and without reporting you to the police if you leave mom and my friends alone".

"Well that sounds like a sweet deal" Josh's voice was lighthearted and Ash hoped this was a good sign "There's just one thing the problem"

Ash swallowed. This wasn't going to be good. "And what's this problem?"

Suddenly Josh's eye's became hared as stone and his voice filled with rage "I don't make deals." With movements faster than Ash could see Josh grabbed him in a vise-like grip "So I better teach you a lesson shouldn't I? You want to make sure you don't make the same mistake twice".

Oh no! What will happen to Ash!? Stay in tune to find out!

Kawaiipikachu: Thank you I did enjoy my holiday and I'm glad you like my story (I hate it!)

Marshmellow13Dragon: I meant that I came home two weeks from Monday and I wasn't going to be putting up another chapter before then.

Deystar: I'm very sorry about all grammar and spelling mistakes but I'm dyslexic and the computer doesn't always pick them up and sometimes when it dose I chose the wrong word and then sometimes I get all confused because it's an American program and it thinks words are spelt wrong but there just spelt the British way (eg color and colour) Anyway I'm glad you like it and I hope you do write some of your own stories.

Joanna: Don't worry about not reviewing the last chapter I don't mind (even though I love it when I get review's!).

Shippo123: I hope the two weeks weren't to long for you. I didn't update as soon as I got back because I had lots of home work and didn't have any time to write anything.