What a father should be, chapter 12
Billie Joe burst through the door, and cringed. Everything seemed unreal, as if in a dream. He gazed at the stairs he had been thrown on, kicked on, taunted on, raped on. Billie started to shake as every painful memory came flooding back. Brad didn't waste a moment, and pulled Zach up to face Billie. Untying his hands and legs, Brad held Zach underneath his forearm painfully, the boy now only in his boxers and blood seeping from his lip. Billie turned and walked stealthily towards Brad, ready to launch himself at his stepfather. Brad pulled a knife and held it to Zach's throat, smirking at Billie, who had no option but to recoil.
"Let him go. NOW!" Billie yelled, watching Zach cry helplessly and feeling constant pain. Billie felt terror running through himself, and wanted so badly for Zach to be in his arms, rather than dangling under Brad's cruel fingertips. Brad poked Zach's already tender, healing young body and sent pain through his shaken mind.
Zach squinted at Billie. Everything was rushing past his ears, reverberating and echoing. Zach saw his outline and tried to fall onto his eyes, tried to see his tattoos, anything that would let him know for sure it was the hero he thought it was. Zach could only see blurrily, and rasped slowly:
"Billie..."
Billie started to cry, and frowned at Zach whose eyes were half closed. Billie was confused at first, but then saw Zach not standing, but stumbling under Brad's hold. He immediately felt what Zach was feeling. He knew it well and knew how horrible it was.
"YOU FUCKING DRUGGED HIM!" Yelled Billie, furiously glaring at Brad, who beamed and smirked down at Zach, who slowly and shakily outstretched his small hand toward Billie.
"Where..." He whispered, searching around for Billie's hand. Something to hold that would give him warmth. But it never came. Zach felt the coldness seeping into him and he groped emptiness. Billie burst into tears as he watched the six-year-old desperately searching for comfort Billie could not give him. He witnessed Zach shiver under the cold metal knife.
Zach felt his heart break. Why didn't Billie help him? Why was he just standing there? Zach realized with deep hurt that Billie must not love him anymore. Tears trickled down Zach's bruised face as he stayed silent. What had he done? Why did no one ever love him? He loved Billie Joe with all his heart... Why wasn't he protecting him?
"Please Brad... Please... I'm the one you want, please just let him go..." Billie said, tears now streaming down his face as he held his own hand out, wanting to hold Zach's, who had slumped back onto Brad with defeat.
"He's my son..." Billie pleaded, looking at Brad with desperation. Brad grinned.
"You're my son Billie. Should you fuck him then?" Asked Brad, sliding his free hand down Zach's boxer shorts. Zach whimpered in fear and attempted to turn around, trying to defend himself as he felt the confused pain again. Billie clenched his fists.
"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH HIM!" He screamed, as Zach heard Billie's yells echoing in his brain. Zach finally cried out shakily, knowing Billie was there.
"Help me!" He squeaked, trying to squirm away from Brad. Brad turned him around and kneed him in the stomach, before letting Zach drop to the floor crying in familiar pain and shock. Billie Joe couldn't take it anymore as he watched Brad stepping on Zach's ribs, making him wail. He could not believe anyone could be so cruel. Billie Joe wildly flew on top of Brad, smashing him clean through the glass table behind him and onto the floor. Billie's face and hands lacerated from the glass, but he kept beating Brad uncontrollably. He couldn't stop and he was scaring himself. Zach heard yelling and turned to see nothing but darkness as he fell unconscious on the carpet, while Billie and Brad fought, each determined to kill the other, only a few feet away from him.
"Let him go. NOW!" Billie yelled, watching Zach cry helplessly and feeling constant pain. Billie felt terror running through himself, and wanted so badly for Zach to be in his arms, rather than dangling under Brad's cruel fingertips. Brad poked Zach's already tender, healing young body and sent pain through his shaken mind.
Zach squinted at Billie. Everything was rushing past his ears, reverberating and echoing. Zach saw his outline and tried to fall onto his eyes, tried to see his tattoos, anything that would let him know for sure it was the hero he thought it was. Zach could only see blurrily, and rasped slowly:
"Billie..."
Billie started to cry, and frowned at Zach whose eyes were half closed. Billie was confused at first, but then saw Zach not standing, but stumbling under Brad's hold. He immediately felt what Zach was feeling. He knew it well and knew how horrible it was.
"YOU FUCKING DRUGGED HIM!" Yelled Billie, furiously glaring at Brad, who beamed and smirked down at Zach, who slowly and shakily outstretched his small hand toward Billie.
"Where..." He whispered, searching around for Billie's hand. Something to hold that would give him warmth. But it never came. Zach felt the coldness seeping into him and he groped emptiness. Billie burst into tears as he watched the six-year-old desperately searching for comfort Billie could not give him. He witnessed Zach shiver under the cold metal knife.
Zach felt his heart break. Why didn't Billie help him? Why was he just standing there? Zach realized with deep hurt that Billie must not love him anymore. Tears trickled down Zach's bruised face as he stayed silent. What had he done? Why did no one ever love him? He loved Billie Joe with all his heart... Why wasn't he protecting him?
"Please Brad... Please... I'm the one you want, please just let him go..." Billie said, tears now streaming down his face as he held his own hand out, wanting to hold Zach's, who had slumped back onto Brad with defeat.
"He's my son..." Billie pleaded, looking at Brad with desperation. Brad grinned.
"You're my son Billie. Should you fuck him then?" Asked Brad, sliding his free hand down Zach's boxer shorts. Zach whimpered in fear and attempted to turn around, trying to defend himself as he felt the confused pain again. Billie clenched his fists.
"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH HIM!" He screamed, as Zach heard Billie's yells echoing in his brain. Zach finally cried out shakily, knowing Billie was there.
"Help me!" He squeaked, trying to squirm away from Brad. Brad turned him around and kneed him in the stomach, before letting Zach drop to the floor crying in familiar pain and shock. Billie Joe couldn't take it anymore as he watched Brad stepping on Zach's ribs, making him wail. He could not believe anyone could be so cruel. Billie Joe wildly flew on top of Brad, smashing him clean through the glass table behind him and onto the floor. Billie's face and hands lacerated from the glass, but he kept beating Brad uncontrollably. He couldn't stop and he was scaring himself. Zach heard yelling and turned to see nothing but darkness as he fell unconscious on the carpet, while Billie and Brad fought, each determined to kill the other, only a few feet away from him.
