Page 33 of Michael's Awakening
Chapter Thirteen
Michael
“Mama, no! Please!” I put my arms up in front of my face to shield the blows that she was inflicting.
“You little bastard!” The belt came down and smacked across the back of my head. “You’re worthless, just like your father!”
Pain spread through my skull as the belt came down on me again, this time at the back of my neck.
“I’m sorry, Mama!” I screamed between large gasps, my eight-year-old body quivered as the pain deepened. “I don’t know what I did, but I’m sorry!”
The blows stopped and my mother bent down, roughly grabbing my face. “You exist. That’s what you did.” She spat at me and then her eyes clouded with a sense of calm. The calm before the storm. “Go to the basement.”
My eyes widened with fear. “No! I don’t wanna go down there, please.” Sobs overtook me as I stared up into the cruel eyes of the woman who was supposed to protect me.
Why didn’t she love me? I always tried to be a good boy.
“Are you disobeying me, boy?” She clutched the belt in her hands again and reared back her arm.
I scrambled to my feet and took off toward the basement. Opening the basement door, I slowly made my way down the creaky, wooden steps. As I descended the stairs, my eyes gradually began to adjust to the darkness. The air was musky and I heard the faint sound of water dripping. My stomach went through spasms as I reached the bottom step and approached the area that had become my worst nightmare.
Along the wall, there hung a chain that was connected to a pair of hand restraints, and I solemnly walked toward it.
Any moment now, my mother would be down there.
I sat down with my back against the wall and put my head in my hands, taking deep breaths. Thinking of the impending pain I was about to suffer, my stomach lurched and I threw up the little food I had eaten for lunch. Fear gripped my chest as I saw the mess I had made, it would only make my punishment worse. My breaths quickened and gasps began to fall from my lips as panic filled every cell in my body.
Tears pooled in my eyes and I bowed my head and said a silent prayer.Please just let me die this time. Take me away from here. Please send me an angel to take me to the light.
The sound of the door creaking open caused my heart to stop and my breath to hitch in my throat. As the footsteps drew closer, I tried to brace myself for what was about to happen.
My mother came into view… and she was holding a small whip.
I flung out of bed as sweat drenched my quaking body. Fuck, that was a bad one. The red numbers on my alarm clock flashed that it was five in the morning.Damn.Rubbing my hand down the side of my face, I took a deep breath.
Would I ever be free of these damn nightmares?
They were more than just nightmares, though; they were memories. Memories that would forever haunt me.
Images from my dream were still present in my mind as I tried to grasp reality. I didn’t even know what day it was as I tried to rub the sleep from my eyes and clear my hazy vision. Grabbing my phone, I squinted as the bright light illuminated the dark and glanced at the date. Wednesday, October twenty-ninth.
Reality slowly began to creep back up on me the longer I was awake. Going back to sleep was definitely not going to happen, so I got out of bed and started a pot of coffee. Recollections from the night before with Gabriel came back to me and replaced the horrible images from my nightmare.
I had spent most of yesterday with my angel.
He’d still been in a pouty mood from Monday night, when I picked him up from work yesterday, but I’d soon changed that. I’d taken him to a nice meal on our lunch breaks, and then picked him back up after work.
We still hadn’t had sex again, but our tongues were now perfectly acquainted with each other. I grinned at that thought.
Today was going to be rough for Gabriel. It was the anniversary of his mother’s death. I really wanted to be there for him, but I didn’t want to impose on time with him and his family. Also, it was still too early in our relationship for me to meet his family, ifrelationshipwas even the right word for what we were.
It was apparent I wanted him and no one else. So for me, I was already exclusive with him. However, he was still waiting for me to tell him the truth about myself, and you can’t have a relationship without trust and honesty.
Drinking a cup of coffee, I stood in my kitchen and looked out the window. The sun was slowly starting to rise, bringing the world to life as its light touched even the darkest of places. I knew Gabriel was the sun in my life. The changes he had already made within me were astounding.
I no longer looked at the world as a large pit of despair; I saw beauty now. Hope.
My heart had finally found a reason to beat again. What would I do if Gabriel turned away from me? When I’d been submerged in darkness, nothing could hurt me. I hadn’t cared about anything, so nothing had the power to break me. But now that Gabriel was gradually awakening me, he now possessed that power.
