Joe awoke as the sun's rays burst through his bedroom window and warmed his face. He sat up slowly, his back sore from the whipping coupled with the box springs he had slept on. He stretched to try and work out the kinks but ended up freezing and groaning. He closed his eyes. How was he going to get through this? Did he want too? There was no way for him to return to the Hardys without putting them in danger. He had to face it. He was stuck with the Moodys for the rest of his life. His father would never allow him to leave once he reached twenty-one.
The rest of my life? Joe thought smiling grimly. Why not just go ahead and get it over with? Only this time, I will make sure no one is around to rescue me, he added silently, remembering Laura pulling him out of the water.
"Good morning, Joesph," Austin's voice snapped Joe out of his reverie. "Before that organ you consider a brain has a thought, I wanted to warn you. Killing yourself, or even trying to kill yourself, will result in the same scenario."
Joe had no need to ask what he meant. Should Joe try and kill himself, the Hardys would be infected with the poison. "Understood," Joe said softly, his last hope for escape shattered..
"Understood what?" demanded Austin, staring hard at him.
"Understood, Father," answered Joe obiedently.
"Breakfast is in ten minutes," Austin said. "If you are late, you will do without."
Joe hurriedly dressed and rushed downstairs. He arrived at the table seconds before Charles entered the room. Charles set a plate filled with biscuits, gravy, grits, eggs and bacon before Austin and one with a solitary biscuit, a scrambled egg and one slice of bacon before Joe. Ami was a late riser and would receive her breakfast in bed.
"You're too big," Austin ragged on Joe. "You look more like an athlete than a businessman. You must lose weight and Charles will see that you do."
"Yes, Father," Joe said meekly, picking up the slice of bacon and popping it into his mouth.
"How dare you?" Austin demanded. "In this house, we say grace. Charles, remove his plate." Charles took Joe's plate away. Austin said grace, forcing Joe to do likewise, then began eating.
"May I be excused?" Joe asked, not looking at his father.
"You may not," answered Austin. "I have arranged for you to attend Brushnell Academy," he informed Joe. "You will begin tomorrow. As my son, you have certain standards to uphold, including being a perfect student. Extra-curicular activities are expected and you will join the fencing club, nothing else"
"Yes, father," Joe agreed.
"You are not allowed to go anywhere after school. Charles will pick you up after classes. Do not keep him waiting."
"But what about fencing?" Joe asked.
"You will not interrupt while I am speaking," Austin snarled. "It seems the Hardys were lax in teaching you manners. But fear not, you will learn. Go to your room and wait."
"Y..yes Fa..father," Joe said, rising from his chair as fear gripped him.
"And stop that infernal stuttering. You will speak clearly or you will be punished!"
Joe nodded. "What did you say?" Austin demanded a verbal answer.
"Yes, Father," Joe replied, speaking very slowly to get the words out through his fear.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Go to your room," Austin issued the command once again.
Joe walked from the room at a brisk pace, knowing if he ran he would be punished for that as well. He hurried upstairs to his room and sat down on the floor by the window, pulling his knees to his chest and hugging them as he rocked. The assault of childhood memories long buried surfacing to stoke his fear.
"What have I told you about interrupting?" Austin shouted at the cowering child. "Don't...you..ever...interrupt...me..again..or..you..will..get..ten...times...this," he said, striking Joe on his face to puntucate each word. By the time he left, Joe could no longer see out of his left eye and his lip was bleeding. Joe coughed and out fell two of his baby teeth.
Joe lay still, letting his tears flow freely as he uttered not a sound.
Joe whimpered involuntarily as his father entered his bedroom a little later. "I see you remember what happened the last time you interrupted me," Austin said. He removed the belt from his waist. "I don't want to soil your new shirt. Take it off," he ordered.
At the manor next door, there was an audible gasp and Callie screamed for Frank and Mr. Hardy to come in from the next room. "He just told Joe to take his shirt off," she said as the others piled into the room behind the Hardys.
"Please..." they heard Joe beg feebly. "Not my back."
A whirring noise was heard and a yelp of pain from Joe. "Now," Austin ordered. "Unless you want it twice as bad?"
There was a moment's silence then Austin's voice came through once again. "My, how red the welts still are. Thirty lashes does leave a beautiful display, doesn't it?" A thwacking sound occurred and then Joe was heard.
"Yes, Father," Joe said.
"Turn around," Austin ordered. Joe did as he was told and he felt the belt crash down onto his already molested back.
"Aiihhhh!" Joe screamed in pain as the belt came down swiftly time and time again. Tears streamed down his face as he fell to his knees, the lashing from the leather belt continuing.
Fenton grabed Frank, holding him still as the sound of Joe's beating continued through the speakers. Finally, nothing but whimpers could be heard by the group.
"Clean yourself up, boy," Austin ordered, tossing down the belt. "You are meeting a friend of mine this evening. And you will be on your best behavior. One word or movement I do not like and you will find yourself sleeping standing up for the next two weeks."
"Yes, Father," Joe whispered, then waited until he had been left alone with the door shut before falling face down on the floor and weeping.
The rest of my life? Joe thought smiling grimly. Why not just go ahead and get it over with? Only this time, I will make sure no one is around to rescue me, he added silently, remembering Laura pulling him out of the water.
"Good morning, Joesph," Austin's voice snapped Joe out of his reverie. "Before that organ you consider a brain has a thought, I wanted to warn you. Killing yourself, or even trying to kill yourself, will result in the same scenario."
Joe had no need to ask what he meant. Should Joe try and kill himself, the Hardys would be infected with the poison. "Understood," Joe said softly, his last hope for escape shattered..
"Understood what?" demanded Austin, staring hard at him.
"Understood, Father," answered Joe obiedently.
"Breakfast is in ten minutes," Austin said. "If you are late, you will do without."
Joe hurriedly dressed and rushed downstairs. He arrived at the table seconds before Charles entered the room. Charles set a plate filled with biscuits, gravy, grits, eggs and bacon before Austin and one with a solitary biscuit, a scrambled egg and one slice of bacon before Joe. Ami was a late riser and would receive her breakfast in bed.
"You're too big," Austin ragged on Joe. "You look more like an athlete than a businessman. You must lose weight and Charles will see that you do."
"Yes, Father," Joe said meekly, picking up the slice of bacon and popping it into his mouth.
"How dare you?" Austin demanded. "In this house, we say grace. Charles, remove his plate." Charles took Joe's plate away. Austin said grace, forcing Joe to do likewise, then began eating.
"May I be excused?" Joe asked, not looking at his father.
"You may not," answered Austin. "I have arranged for you to attend Brushnell Academy," he informed Joe. "You will begin tomorrow. As my son, you have certain standards to uphold, including being a perfect student. Extra-curicular activities are expected and you will join the fencing club, nothing else"
"Yes, father," Joe agreed.
"You are not allowed to go anywhere after school. Charles will pick you up after classes. Do not keep him waiting."
"But what about fencing?" Joe asked.
"You will not interrupt while I am speaking," Austin snarled. "It seems the Hardys were lax in teaching you manners. But fear not, you will learn. Go to your room and wait."
"Y..yes Fa..father," Joe said, rising from his chair as fear gripped him.
"And stop that infernal stuttering. You will speak clearly or you will be punished!"
Joe nodded. "What did you say?" Austin demanded a verbal answer.
"Yes, Father," Joe replied, speaking very slowly to get the words out through his fear.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Go to your room," Austin issued the command once again.
Joe walked from the room at a brisk pace, knowing if he ran he would be punished for that as well. He hurried upstairs to his room and sat down on the floor by the window, pulling his knees to his chest and hugging them as he rocked. The assault of childhood memories long buried surfacing to stoke his fear.
"What have I told you about interrupting?" Austin shouted at the cowering child. "Don't...you..ever...interrupt...me..again..or..you..will..get..ten...times...this," he said, striking Joe on his face to puntucate each word. By the time he left, Joe could no longer see out of his left eye and his lip was bleeding. Joe coughed and out fell two of his baby teeth.
Joe lay still, letting his tears flow freely as he uttered not a sound.
Joe whimpered involuntarily as his father entered his bedroom a little later. "I see you remember what happened the last time you interrupted me," Austin said. He removed the belt from his waist. "I don't want to soil your new shirt. Take it off," he ordered.
At the manor next door, there was an audible gasp and Callie screamed for Frank and Mr. Hardy to come in from the next room. "He just told Joe to take his shirt off," she said as the others piled into the room behind the Hardys.
"Please..." they heard Joe beg feebly. "Not my back."
A whirring noise was heard and a yelp of pain from Joe. "Now," Austin ordered. "Unless you want it twice as bad?"
There was a moment's silence then Austin's voice came through once again. "My, how red the welts still are. Thirty lashes does leave a beautiful display, doesn't it?" A thwacking sound occurred and then Joe was heard.
"Yes, Father," Joe said.
"Turn around," Austin ordered. Joe did as he was told and he felt the belt crash down onto his already molested back.
"Aiihhhh!" Joe screamed in pain as the belt came down swiftly time and time again. Tears streamed down his face as he fell to his knees, the lashing from the leather belt continuing.
Fenton grabed Frank, holding him still as the sound of Joe's beating continued through the speakers. Finally, nothing but whimpers could be heard by the group.
"Clean yourself up, boy," Austin ordered, tossing down the belt. "You are meeting a friend of mine this evening. And you will be on your best behavior. One word or movement I do not like and you will find yourself sleeping standing up for the next two weeks."
"Yes, Father," Joe whispered, then waited until he had been left alone with the door shut before falling face down on the floor and weeping.