At the End of All Things by Stony Graves

Author:Stony Graves [Graves, Stony]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blood Bound Books
Published: 2012-01-29T08:00:00+00:00

24

Daniel Moyer began to question his manhood. Several incidents lined up to testify to his lack thereof, beginning with his near voluntary submission to Harlan’s perverse needs.

Here ye here ye, the court has reached a verdict, Ruth’s cold voice whispered, Daniel Alvin Moyer, you are found guilty of cowardice, the acute lack of a spine.

Daniel clenched his fist and punched his knee. He hated waking up in the mornings anymore. Across the room, he heard Harlan snoring. The mere fact the man still drew breath insulted and belittled Daniel; it was proof that he lacked whatever bits of DNA made a man a man.

Becca slept soundlessly on the floor in front of Harlan. Harlan had wrapped a dog leash around the girl’s neck after her first escape attempt. He kept her naked most of the time, but at night, Harlan allowed Becca the courtesy to wrap herself in a blanket. The girl cried a lot, shallow, mournful sobs that haunted Daniel.

Your sentence is continued existence, Judge Ruth decreed. Bailiff, impose my sentence.

Daniel had lost his nerve the night he meant to slice Harlan’s throat in his sleep. He had made it all the way to the edge of the couch—small, gleaming potato knife in his hand. Daniel remembered the terrified shakes that overcame him as he stared down at Harlan. The biker’s mouth hung open, strands of drool dripped across his beard, drying in a white crust. He lay on his back, legs sprawled, and his disgusting penis lolled onto his thigh.

More than anything he could remember, Daniel wanted to plunge the little knife into Harlan’s Adam’s apple. He would be too stunned to react, too scared to do anything about or to Daniel before he succumbed. It would be so easy, Daniel had thought then. One quick thrust and presto, no more Harlan Pruitt!

But Daniel’s terror stayed his hand.

In Daniel’s mind, the court bailiff, Davenport, slapped cuffs on his hands.

Of course, it was Davenport. Who else?

It’s all your fault to begin with, Jake! None of this would have happened if you hadn’t been banging my wife!

Once a coward, always a coward. Besides, do you think I’m the first to lay the pipe to Ruthie? No sir, many have proceeded me. Hell, even Principal Price copped a BJ from her at the faculty Christmas party back in ’05. Face it, Moyer, Ruth was way too much woman for a worm like you.

Daniel pushed thoughts of Jake and Ruth from his mind as best he could. They both had preyed on his sanity more and more since the night he failed to slay Harlan.

The Smiling Man.

Daniel tried not to think about The Smiling Man. He had failed him. Even after oaths were sworn and promises made, Daniel had failed. He had lied, telling himself The Smiling Man wasn’t real, just a figment of his imagination. Somehow, denying his savior was easier than abiding his savior. But hadn’t that been humanities pattern from the beginning of time? Never mind the signs to the contrary—Barbara Hanes, Benny Hanks .

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