Bryce Beattie by Oasis Zombie

Author:Oasis Zombie
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-02-08T23:26:54+00:00

32 - Betrayal Pains

The blow caught me in right in the stomach. Air exploded out my mouth and my diaphragm refused to take in more.

I dropped to my knees.

It hurt bad.

In the dim light, I could make out Carl’s form hovering over me. He was holding an aluminum baseball bat.

He had misjudged the distance in the dark and had hit me with his hands when he swung.

It still hurt, though.

One of Carl’s boys lit an oil lamp.

Another hurt was welling up inside me. I looked up at Beth’s sobbing face. She had betrayed me. Led me into a trap.

I couldn’t believe it.

Maybe I had wanted to believe she was really going to come with me. Maybe I just really wanted out so bad that I didn’t think about what was going on. I should have listened to my gut.

I gasped for air. It came in tiny spurts. I was sure I was going to pass out.

Carl laughed and circled around in front of me. “You probably thought this was your big moment, huh?”

My breathing came a little easier now.

“Here’s the thing. I’m the head of this family. If you had just realized that and accepted it to begin with, we’d be friends now.”

Anger bubbled up inside me. Carl had never given me any sort of chance. Now he was lying to everybody and himself to ease his guilt.

Beth covered her face and fell to her knees. Through her sobs, I could hear her trying to say “I’m sorry.”

How could she do this to me? The pain inside was greater than the pain I felt from the blow. She was supposed to be my only friend.

Carl crouched down and got in my face. “It’s too late for this to work out now. Your crimes are too much for the family to forgive.”

Crimes? Nobody believes that. Does he think we’re idiots? I narrowed my eyes and shook my head.

Carl slapped me with his open left hand. “Even when you can’t talk, all you give me is attitude.”

Carl stood back up and circled behind me.

My breathing was a little easier now, so I forced myself to stand, too. I turned to face him.

“So what happens next?”

Carl toyed a little with the bat in his right hand. “You get punished, and then you hit the street.”

My stomach and my face throbbed. More than that I felt utterly alone. Beth had betrayed me, and no one was going to stop Carl’s rampage.

A motion and a light caught my eye.

A candle flickered in the skylight visible over Carl’s shoulder.

Paul’s signal.

Does he know what going on? Is he in on this? Doesn’t matter. I’ve got to take a chance.

I winced and stooped a little. If I could fake it long enough maybe I could get the box cutter…

Carl slapped me again.

He’s too close to swing the bat.

I stumbled one half step to the side and then one forward. I hoped it looked convincing enough.

Carl laughed again.

I jammed my right hand into my pocket, took a step forward, and reached for the bat with my left.

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