Three days later, Johnny came to school again, with no excuse for his absence. He avoided everyone all day, even Abbey. Whenever he saw her coming, would get up and walk somewhere else. The notes she passed him during class weren't returned, or, she suspected, even read. The only time she could even get close enough to talk to him was after school. Nny walked home on his own, his hands pushed deep into his pockets. Abbey ran to catch up to him.
"Nny! Nny, wait up. Come on, talk to me here." She grabbed his shoulder, turning him around. For a second she didn't say anything. There was a look in his eyes, a haunted look like an old, dying man should have, not a sixteen year old boy.
"Nny, what happened. Where have you been?"
"The basement."
"It was your dad, wasn't it, who put those marks on you, wasn't it. You have to tell somebody about this. You can get help, Nny, I'll back you up, I saw-"
"Don't you get it!" Nny exploded. "Stay away from me. My life is fucked up, I don't know why but it is. And there's nothing at all you can get by being around me!"
'Good, Nny. Keep going. Just scream. Feels good, doesn't it? Go on!' But Nny didn't. He was tempted, but instead he turned around, nad stalked off, leaving Abbey to stand and stare.

That night, Nny decided to run away. Go back to California. Go back to where he had at least had some shadow of a life. Maybe one of his friends would take him in for a year. Maybe… Johnny balked. He couldn't remember what his friend's name had been.
He was trying to remember when someone tapped on his window. He looked out into the blackness, but didn't see anyone.
'open it. Let's see who came to see us.'
Hesitantly, Nny did so. It was Abbey. Like always, she was dressed all in black. There was a wrapped package in her hands.
"What are you doing here? You have to go, if my Dad finds you in here again he'll kill me."
"I came to fix that problem. Look. I got these for me, but I thought you needed them more."
She held the bundle out to him. He opened it, fearing what he would find.
It was the knives. In the semi-bright light cast only by the stars, they twinkled brightly, the promise of blood like a drop of honey on their blades.
"Shit, you brought these…"
"For you. You've done it once, and God knows that bastard deserves it."
"NO! I'm not GOING TO!"
"Shh… he's asleep, right?"
Footsteps fell in the hall. It sounded as if his mother was coming as well.
"Not anymore. You have to get out of here! Come on he'll kill me if he finds you in here."
"I'm not leaving. If you won't do it, I will. You have to stand up for yourself, Nny."
'yeah, Nny, you have to kill them, kill them ALL!'
"NO!"
Johnny heard his door open, saw in the dim light his father standing there and screaming. He couldn't hear the words, or couldn't understand them. All he could hear was Eff screaming in his mind, telling him to kill, telling him of the joy, telling him… Somewhere along the line someone had hit him, he fell back onto the floor, the knives falling to the ground beside him. He saw his father hit Abbey, and Eff screamed at him to do something.
And he did. Gripping one knife by the smiley on it's blade he swung it through the air. It sliced through his father's throat like it was tissue paper.
good Nny, now the others
i killed him
his mother was screaming
abbey was cheering
stop the screaming Nny
hurts my ears
swing the knife again
good boy, Nny
look at the blood
all the blood
remember all the times she hit you
you're justified
what goes around comes around
oh God I killed them both
i'm gonna be sick
not yet Nny
you're not done yet
not yet Johnny-boy.
one more
one more and then you're done
one more?
one… NO!
too late, Nny…

One more chappie and then you can be done reading. This is dedicated to Tyko. Sorry, you're dead.