Bullied by Patrick Connolly

Author:Patrick Connolly
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Publish Green

Chapter VII – Six years later - Fear Becomes Anger

Walking, fishing pole in hand, along the Susquehanna River with its heavy growth of high grass, I watch the winding and worn path for the snakes that I see here occasionally. Whenever the high grass is lower to my right, I look out on the river that is moving along at a peaceful rate on this chilly overcast day. The forest here is exciting to explore, even for a fourteen-year-old boy, and I look at the trees, their bark and different shapes of leaves. There are birch trees and oaks growing to my left where the forest deepens. I feel safe because I frequently go fishing here.

Suddenly, I hear a crunching sound to my left and behind me. I look around but I cannot see what is making that noise, but it scares me so I walk faster. It should be safe here because it is only a few blocks from home. I hear a different noise that sounds like something moving through the high grass, this time directly behind me. Looking at the grass behind me, I can see a large shape still hidden from my view. Whatever it is, it is watching me.

I start to run but my legs do not move very fast for some reason and I can hear something running behind me. Turning my head to the left, I see it. It is a big lion chasing me. I feel sudden rage. I turn and punch the lion several times; and he falls down. Possessed by my anger, I continue to punch him. With every punch, I enjoy the sound and the warm feel of the impact of my fists against his nose, head or body and the sight of his blood from the punches. Finally, he stops moving and is dead.

Suddenly, I wake up in a rage and look out the window next to my bed. The sky is still dark and I can feel the cool breeze on my face from the partially open window. This nightmare is a different version of the same one I have had for years. Usually, the lion eats me alive as I scream, then I wake up, usually cold, sweating and shivering in my bed. From now on, when I have it, I would run away from the lion until he got very close, then I turn in a fit of anger, and kill him with my bare hands, and it feels good to do so.

As I recently turned 14 years old, I am still in the ninth grade, my first year in high school but really in the same school since the age of four. I still wake up with that pain in my center and knowledge of what is ahead that day. Just as I do in the dream, I try to avoid violence any way I can, but when I cannot, then I have to kill the lion, whoever he is. As I recently learned, man is born with a survival instinct that is a normal part of being human.

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