I took one step back towards the still open door debating on turning on my heal and dashing out of here and just take my humiliating punishment tomorrow in solitary.
Before my foot even made contact with the floor to make a full step back the door slammed shut with a threatening force that made the air rushing past it hit me in the back of my head swirling my hair around in front of me, I didn't dare turn around much less speak but I couldn't give off a submissive vibe in front of Fang or he would be merciless at school I had to strategize this and pick every response with planed precision between who would give me worse hell.
"Where were you Maximum?" spoke a forced calm voice behind me I knew he would get more mad if I gave him an excuse then just blame myself like I knew he would so what was the point.
"Guess I lost track of time" I whispered but there was strength behind my words as I glared at the floor letting my hair hide my eyes so no one could see my internal battle or fear.
I plummeted forward and was yanked back violently as he grabbed a fistful of my hair yanking me back and forth like a rag doll yelling with each word "You can't do anything you'r just pathetically useless i asked you one thing be on time today that we have company but you couldn't do that now could you?!"
He released me with a final shove his breathing was labored with barely contained rage taking a step towards me I kept my eyes down and stayed on the floor until a little voice snapped me out of my trance. "Maxie? Are you ok?" came a little voice at the top of the stairs.
I whipped my head back and looked with fear at the four year old with a wolf stuffed animal dangling in one hand and the other grabbing the hand rail one foot above his little head he looked confused and shocked but met my eyes with determination.
"Get you'r ass in you'r room Ari, Maxie missbehaved and we are just having a little talk now go" spoke Jeb with very minuscule control over his anger, but Ari never took his eyes off me just froze on the stairs in shock and fear.
That was a snapping point for Jeb he couldn't tolerate two disobedient children he started speed walking at the stairs screaming at Ari letting the dam break and unleashing all his anger in front of him for the first time ever.
I didn't think only reacted he couldn't get hurt he just couldn't not while i was alive I dove for Jeb's feet and wrapped my body around his foot right before it reached the first step and held on for my life, no not my life Ari's.
"Ari get out of here Now!" I screamed but it came out more as a plead as Jeb let out an animalistic roar and picked up his foot with me dangling around it like I weighed nothing and kicked his foot at the stair slamming me between his foot and the sharp impact with the 90 degree angle of the stair as he kicked repeatedly Ari was brought out of his trance and took a step towards me.
"Ari leave!" I didn't mean for it to come out harsh but he turned and ran to his room as I coughed a splatter of blood flew out of my mouth but I refused to loosen my grip until I knew his attention would be completely on me again almost on cue as i thought that he knelt down on my chest and punched me in the face over and over left, right, left, right following through with the punch every time using his whole momentum every swing to put his body weight into every punch I heard Iggy's voice ring through the air I almost forgot they were here, almost.
"Enough, Please shes had enough." His voice was full of panic almost hysterical to my shock Jeb stopped I knew he wasn't done, not even close I would feel like I got hit by a bus for getting in his way I knew it, this just felt like a small mini van.
I let go of his foot he bent over and grabbed me by my shoulder digging each individual finger in my my sensitive skin walking over to the basement door he opened it and tossed me down the stairs I hit at least seven on the way down before I came to an abrupt halt on the cold bottom but it was like an ice pack for my face I released all my muscles and reveled in this small comfort for a brief second before I felt a lump of skin fall on top of me with an "Ophh" followed by a second lump of skin three seconds after but that one didn't make a noise.
"Get off" I wheezed out trying to breath "shit" squeaked Iggy trying to scramble off me and bent down and tried to reach out his hand to help me up but his hands were still bound and so I hoisted myself up and clenched my stomach but made no sound as I silently went to stand against the wall where i knew Jeb would expect me waiting for him when he decided to come finish me off for the day.
"Max are you ok?" spoke Iggy, Fang's been rather quite a little voice in the back of my head hoped it was out of guilt but I shook it out as soon as it popped up were all stuck in this shitty predicament its no time to think vengeful.
"I'm fine"
"No you'r not now let me clean up you'r face at least" he said while he reached out to touch my face I looked at him and turned my voice to icy no bull shit tone.
"Iggy it's pointless he's not even close to done yet now back off" He looked hurt but backed off and went to stand by the opposite wall I started to feel bad for him i remembered he said it was his first week in this family this was all new to him.
"Look Iggy I'm sorry this is new to you but you need to learn to adapt and i mean fast got it?" I didn't even give him a chance to respond before continuing "When he comes down here which he will I'm gonna need you to not intervene you'r gonna see some gruesome things but if you shut up you will only have to watch it and not live it got it?"
"Max that's not gonna happen I can't just sit here and watch him kick the shit out of you for nothing I mean it's completely bullshit!"
"You will only make it worse Iggy thanks for trying to help but I promise he will only get madder and stay longer now when he comes down he will focus on me and then if were lucky leave now I need you to shut it Ig." I finalized as I heard the door creak open.
"Max I ca.."
"Shut it!" I whisper shouted as we all started to hear slow heavy footstep he was taking his time to build up tension and looking at Ig I could tell it was working.
"Maxie, Maxie, Maxie" taunted Jeb "Why do I have such a disappointment as a daughter?" he reached the bottom of the stairs and started to walk towards Fang much to my surprise but then he just grabbed his bound hands and hung them on a hook from the ceiling so his feet barley touched the ground but he just maintained eye contact never backing down but staying silent, smart.
"First you'r inexcusably late" now he was hooking Iggy's hands to the ceiling just like Fang's "Then you try to restrain me, you'r parent" now he was walking towards me he yanked my hands together tying them with no slack he was lifting my hands up to the ceiling but turned me around to face the wall then hung me up like the rest I suddenly understood what he was about to do it's only been done one other time it's only for when I really fuck up my breath speed up.
His hand slithered under my shirt slowly then he pulled out a pocket knife from his back pocket and cut up the back in one fluid motion my shirt fell off and dropped to my feet in front of me discarded to not soften the blows I stare down at it and feel tears in the back of my eyes starting to well up but I refused to cry from pain ever i was stronger then pain.
"What are yyyou doing?" stuttered Iggy damn it I told him to shut it Jeb's head casually rolled to its side to look at him before he smiled and reached into his other back pocket and pulled a long black handle out slowly letting the multiple stands of thin leather fall to the floor not breaking eye contact with Iggy but his smile grew when he saw the realization and horror in Iggy's eyes then he looked at Fang.
"You should take pointers from this one stay quite and quit intervening in whats not you'r business it's not like you could care about this bitch so bud out and watch the show." with those final words Jeb turned his attention back to me whip in hand I heard the whistle before i felt the pain so I tensed up every part of my body in anticipation of the pain that i knew all to well that would follow. *Crack*
Blood splattered the floor like rain drops I bit my lip and waited for the next and the next and the next I counted 15 before my vision started seeing black dots dance in front of it and my knees started to shake violently that's when he finally stopped, whistling he walked to my bathroom washed off his whip with care and stuck it back into his pocket he then proceeded over to Fang and unhooked him. "You can get the others he stated while waving his hand nonchalantly at us before continuing upstairs whistling the same damn cheerful tune.
Fang speed walked over to Iggy and had his down in two seconds flat he then speed walked over to me and stood directly in front of me and with one hand unhooked me I crumbled under my own weight but he caught me by just barely putting his hands under my armpits making sure not to touch my back he then slowly pulled me to my bathroom slid open the bathroom curtain and turned on the water I already took a shower this morning so the water was ice cold he cursed under his breath and whispered to me "Deep breath" and stepped in with me.
He turned me so my back faced the shower head and my front was facing him as he held me up I violently gasped as the water hit me digging me fingers into his upper arm shaking harder from the pain then from the cold "I know shhh I know" he said soothingly as I realized with a start a single tear escaped my eye and was rolling down my face but then got lost in the shower water at least it wasn't in front of Jeb I sighed deeply getting use to it now the cold was actually numbing it up a bit now to a more tolerable level of pain.
Fang pulled me out of the shower I stumbled my feet drunkenly after him trying to take some of my weight but failing miserably I just looked down in shame he asked "any towel" I scoffed and shook my head no slowly he looked sad and sympathetic before he put his wall back up and went back to emotionless he pulled me to my mattress on the ground hey at least i get that slowly putting me down he looked almost embarrassed as he looked at anywhere but me and nervously rubbing the back of his head.
"I don't suppose you can change you'r clothes?" he mumbled I felt my face turn slightly pink as I scowled at him I took a deep breath in and with all my strength pushed myself on my side and tried to reach for a small pile of laundry thrown by the side of the bed I almost had a hoody in between two of my fingers before Iggy walked over and picked it up and tossed it to me I was mad he didn't let me do it myself but I was thankful.
"Thanks" I spoke up daring a little more volume this time he shrugged "I mean it's the least I could do you know?" I stated not looking at me he glared at Fang "Why did you say nothing we could have each taken a couple hits or something to tire him out instead of her taking all of them" he hissed motioning to me I flinched but Fang looked right at him head on "Wouldn't have helped none, I'v lived this longer then you Ig trust me even she knows there's no distracting a mad man once he decides he wants to release his rage on you he will, period."
Iggy looked mad but couldn't think of anything else to say so glared at the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest cursing under his breath.
Fang looked back at me "So you need help changing? I promise not to peak" he smirked with a wink its not like he would see anything more then he is right now with me in jeans and a faded red bra I buried my head in my bed took in a long breath and released it even slower then broke and whispered "please help" I felt his weight on the bed then he pulled me up by my arms and scrunched up the sweater as much as he could before with a gentleness i didn't even know existed in humans placed it over my bruised head then slowly helped me pull my arms through and pulled it the rest of the was down barley letting it touch my skin.
"Boys time to go" yelled a gruff voice I didn't recognize must be their guardian I wonder where he was during all of this they both looked at me one last time then drudged up stairs at the last step i heard Fang's voice drift down "Be safe."