Chapter 7
Scipio gasped in pain as his father lashed at his back.
"YOU WORTHLESS SCUM!" he cried. "YOU UNOBEDIANT FREAK! YOU BASTARD!" Scipio's father whipped Scipio's back with his leather belt, causing Scipio to burst into tears.
"FATHER! PLEASE STOP!" Scipio screamed in pain. His father hit his bare back one more time, reopening the scars Scipio had gotten years ago. Scipio made a break for it, jumping up the long staircase. He made it to his room, which no longer had his belongings or even a bed. His room consisted of bare walls, no carpet, and a skeleton of a cat. Scipio gasped, approaching his cat's bare skull.
"No," Scipio whispered. He crawled over to the skeleton, cradling it in his arms. He wanted to scream, his father was a damn bastard from –
A thump came at his window, jumping him out of his mind. Samantha's brown haired head appeared.
"Sam?" Scipio whispered, dropping the skull and running to open the window.
"Scipio! What…happened?" she gasped at his welted bare chest, and almost fainted at the sight of the skeleton.
"Your dad is the devil…" whispered Samantha. She didn't look frightened, though. She looked almost use to that type of abuse.
"Come on, let's go. My dad is going to be coming-"Scipio stopped as a furious knock came at his door.
"LET ME IN SCIPIO, OR YOUR BACK IS AS GOOD AS RAW!" Scipio jumped at his father's voice, and practically hurtled himself out the window. Samantha helped him get down on the rope. Hornet and Prosper were at the bottom. Scipio had the cat skeleton in his hands.
"I couldn't leave…my cat…" Scipio gasped. He had no shirt on, and looked quite hurt.
"Scipio… your back…" gasped Prosper in horror.
"The…the cat…" Hornet fell backwards, and actually DID faint at the sight of the gruesome cat. Prosper caught her in his arms, lifting her up.
"Hornet…?" Prosper stared hard at her pale face. She was still breathing. Samantha and Scipio exchanged looks of embarrassment at the sight of Prosper holding Hornet.
"Let's go, Prop you can carry Hornet. We need to leave!" Samantha said. She began running down the side of the canal, her friends fallowing.
"Samantha, how'd you guys do it?" Scipio demanded as they reached Ida's house. Ida was waiting at the door.
"Scipio…? What's wrong with Caterina? What…is that a cat?" they filed into the kitchen, ignoring all Ida's questions. Victor was waiting in the kitchen.
"WHAT is a dead cat doing in here…? Hornet…?" Victor gasped. Prosper waved a hand in Hornet's face. She awoke a few minutes later, helping Prosper tell what happened.
"Caterina… why did you faint? Poor Prosper had to carry you all the way here!" exclaimed Ida. Mosca and Riccio smirked evilly at Hornet and Prosper's flustered faces, (they had joined them moments ago.)
"Prosper carried me?" asked Hornet, looking at the ground in embarrassment.
"It's OK Ida, I'm fine!" Scipio muttered as Ida spread ointment all over his back.
"Scipio, I'll get your dad in jail if it is the last thing I do!" Ida said, almost to herself. "One thing is to yell at children, but to physically abuse them! Oh, Samantha, shouldn't you be going to see your dad?"
"Actually, he's my foster parent. Well, not really parent…but still. He doesn't care, as long as I get home to do my chores…" Ida nodded. Victor got up and grabbed the phone.
"I'm calling the police. That horrible man is going down! Scipio, you're not going back there…" muttered Victor. He sounded very grave, as he spoke on the phone.
"Sam, will you be OK going home?" asked Scipio as Samantha pulled on her jacket. Samantha just nodded.
"Bye, everyone…" Samantha left. Scipio looked concerned.
"Sam- wait!" Scipio left his kitchen seat, rushing after Samantha.
The moon shone on Scipio's bare back as he stopped.
"Samantha, you don't want to go back- do you?" Scipio asked. Samantha wiped a tear from her eye.
"I'm fine, Scipio. My…parent is expecting me. He doesn't like me late," Samantha was about to leave, but Scipio pulled her arm.
"Sam, does your foster dad abuse you, too?" Scipio whispered. Samantha looked frightened, now.
"I-, I have to go Scip," Samantha turned and ran. Her long, brown hair swirled back as she ran, leaving Scipio alone with his confusion.