《A twist of fate》 Chapter 1 ¡°Family is supposed to be our safe haven. Very often, it''s the place where we find the deepest heartache.¡± I feel a hand tighten around my wrist, sending flashes of pain throughout my body. I groan with pain. I hear him growl and put his face in front of mine. ¡°Be quiet and stop making such pathetic sounds.¡± The voice cuts through my thoughts, icy with contempt. Dark eyes meet mine, black pitless, with no space for love, only deep dark malice. I nod, feeling sparks of pain fly up my arm. Satisfied with my silent response, he turns around and resumes walking down the narrow path, a path that once brought joy to me but now, only pain and despair. *** Entering the house, I look up at the man I once called father. A man who was once my only sense of comfort. Sensing my stare, he looks down at me, his mouth tightening at the edge recognizing the sign of his anger, I hurriedly avert my gaze. That''s when the sound of laughter fills my ears. I know who it is, my stepmother, dread coils in my stomach. She enters the room, her pink frilly dress bellowing after her, her snobby son hot on her heels Her blue eyes land on me, and a sinister smile plays on her red rouge lips. I¡¯ve always felt that they look like blood. She turns to face my dad, and he looks back at her, nodding, and before I can protest, he abruptly pushes me in front of my stepbrother. I slowly look up, tentatively, and find myself staring into his face, his eyes rock up and down my face, and he licks his lips, anticipation decorating those slimy features. I feel myself shake with a combination of fear, anger, and pain. My shakes become uncontrollable, wracking my body with violent trembles. I hear my stepmother stride closer and feel her hand grab a fistful of my short hair. Long nails dig into my skull like the claws of a wild beast. She speaks, her voice high-pitched and unnerving girlish, ¡°Jack, apologize to your brother, be a good boy.¡± her voice is taunting I can''t help but try to seek warmth from him, my father. I turn around until he is in my field of vision. I''m aware I would have begged him to help, but now, as I look into his face. I know that my pleas would be left unanswered. His black eyes meet mine briefly, something close to emotion flickers there, then disappears. I know that my body can''t take another beating. I look into her blue eyes and realize that she has no intention of letting go, whether I apologize or not. I breathe in and say ¡°I will apologize¡± Her sinister lips curl, ¡°as long as he apologizes first¡± Her smile disappears, replaced with a snarl showing off her teeth. She lifts her hand as it comes down. The last thing I think of is that maybe, it would be a mercy to die. *** ¡°Jack woke up¡± I opened my eyes to find my mother on top of me, concern in her eyes, relief washes over her quickly replaced by anger. ¡°You almost killed him¡± Her voice is matter of fact, and my father says ¡°No, Tessa almost killed him,¡± he thinks about this and then adds ¡°Jack wouldn''t have died¡± his voice is softer. My mother gets up, knowing what''s about to happen. I leap up ¡°Please¡± my voice breaks ¡°Please don''t fight because of me please¡±. My mother grits her teeth. I wait until they both nod, and I sit down. It doesn''t take me long to realize that something is off. "What''s wrong?" I ask, my dad moves to the couch and approaches me carrying something with a pink frilly dress, My stomach turns. It is my stepmother. I had lost control of my power, the power that I had inherited from my father. It had turned my stepmother into a blob of blood. I swallow and gaze at my dad. "You lost control," he states grimly.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. *** I wake up to the sound of my mother and father arguing ¡°Jack may be a smart boy but sending him to school may be dangerous¡­¡± she audibly swallows ¡°For him and the people around him¡± My father chuckles ¡°And I thought that you would be happy that your son can finally get an education¡± I hear a chair clatter against the concrete floor ¡°Are you insulting me Derek?¡± My father laughs and I hear him get up. ¡°Yes I am insulting you Maria'''' a pause ¡°What are you doing?'''' My father''s voice is soft. My mother, hearing this, laughs ¡°Well it was good seeing you, but this is my house, Derek, I am the one who pays the bills here. So I think I have the right to control who''s allowed in my house, and at the moment, I want you out.¡± the whole world seems to hold its breath waiting for my dad''s response. I open my eyes and get up into a sitting position, to find that my dad has lifted his hand up, I clear my throat. My parents both stare at me, for a second I expect my father to ignore me and start hitting Mum like he usually does, but instead he puts his hand down and they both stare at me. ¡°How are you feeling Jack?¡± my mother asks. I open my mouth only to feel a sharp pain in my head. I automatically put my hand on my temple and slowly rub it, closing my eyes. A couple of seconds pass, and I open my eyes again to find that my parents have gotten closer, my mum sits down next to me, and seeing the worried look in her eyes, I force a smile ¡°I¡¯m fine mum, really¡± my father gets closer, anticipation written over his sharp elfish features. I look at him then at mum ¡°I heard what you guys were talking about'''' my mother sighs a suffering sound and looks at me expectantly. I look at my Father. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind going to school¡± A sharp intake of breath from my mum, a smile begins to form on my father''s lips ``But, I won''t go unless mum agrees to it¡± I look at my mother and she smiles, happiness written in her eyes my fathers eyes gleam with menace, as he turns towards my mother. ¡°I see, well then Maria, I will send Jack to school¡± My mother opens her mouth only to be interrupted by my father who says, ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding, this is not an option.¡± he turns to leave only to stop and say ¡°I want Jack ready tomorrow in the morning, I took the liberty of enrolling him at Redcrest high¡±, he walks out the door leaving us in shock shell silence. *** Waking up that morning was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The time that it took felt like over a decade but once I finished I made my way to the dining room. ¡°Ahh, look at that it seems like Jack is ready for his first day at school¡± my fathers voice interrupts my thoughts. I looked up alarmed to find him sitting in¡­. MY SEAT. I stare at my mother, her eyes are down, her face is filled with pain, and there on her right cheek is a new bruise. My father having followed my line of sights states ¡°me and Maria got into a bit of a hustle but everything is settled now¡±, my fathers voice is guttural I know that he saw the disbelief in my eyes because he turns to my mother his eyes turning into slits ¡°Isn''t that right Maria?¡± His voice is as soft as a caress, my mother''s eyes widen with fear she turns away from him, her golden brown hair falling into her green eyes, she nods. My father gets up with a self satisfied smile on his lips, ¡°well that''s settled¡± he checks his phone ¡°We have to leave now unless we want to be late.¡± I don''t answer¡­ *** Walking out the door is the second hardest thing I did, but what''s even harder is having to sit right next to my father, I am literally cursing my whole entire being, and not only that but my stepbrother is sitting right across from me his pale blue eyes burning holes into my head, I can tell he wants to kill me, honestly I can''t blame him I would want to kill me too. As if reading my thoughts I feel my fathers hand land on my head making me jump, ignoring this, he starts to stroke my hair, the same way he used to do when I was a 5 year old. I still remember how he would sit me in his lap across a warm fire and he would read my favorite book (the westing game) changing his voice to fit the characters description, I would close my eyes giving myself to the opportunity to take everything in while snuggling closer to him, I do that now, I move my self closer to him only stopping myself before I put my head on his chest. His eyes burn into my head. I don''t allow myself to turn. Not when I can still feel the ghost of his hand stroking my hair. He reaches his hand out and strokes my face, I jump back like I have been electrocuted, he laughs his eyes filled with amusement at my reaction, my cheeks burn, my (stepbrother) stares at us. chapter 2 ¡°Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word.¡± He has changed not the way he talks but the way he looks, he isn''t as pale as he used to be and there aren''t any bruises on his face as for his hair¡­¡­, he cut it I know that he did that because he knows I loved his shoulder long hair so much it was his way of saying that he won''t allow me to control him anymore. His reaction was what ticked me off though, when I stroked his hair he moved closer to me seeking warmth, but the way he reeled back from me like he got electrocuted, it ticked me of entirely I wanted to humiliate him so I touched his face ignoring the fact that I used to do that before I started hitting him, I had forgotten just how deep the scars are¡­ and so I had laughed when he had reeled back fear and humiliation written clearly on his face. I watch him know his eyes on the floor, his brows bunched together. Cassius''s eyes watch Jack, his face mirroring a smirk. The car stops, and the door opens ¡°sir we have arrived at Redcrest high¡± the doorman says his voice snapping me out of my thoughts. I look at him This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°alright will be out in a moment¡± he nods, and walks away. I turn my attention back to Cassius who has gotten his bag, he looks at me and says imperiously ¡°bye Father, Thanks for dropping me off ¡± he jumps out sending a feverish look Jack¡¯s way. I turn my attention back to Jack his eyes are down and he''s still looking at the floor, as if sensing my stare he looks up and meets my eyes. His Gray eyes landing on my black ones, we stare at each other, I lift my brows up ¡°Jack are you planning on leaving or do I have to carry you to class?¡± he winces slightly and quickly shakes his head, he gets up to leave. As he squeezes past me I wrap my hand around his wrist, his eyes quickly snap to my face filled with fear. ¡°Calm down, I''m not going to hit you, I''m just trying to say goodbye properly¡± I lean in and give him a kiss on his forehead. I pull back not missing the look that crosses his face¡­. He quickly turns away and jumps out, not turning back. Chapter 3 ¡°A father¡¯s love should be a source of comfort and stability, but a bad father brings chaos and uncertainty.¡± Every step I take into the school seems to suck a breath out of me. I can feel prying eyes roaming over every inch of me but I don''t dare look up or turn around to the force behind me. I forgot that his touch could make me feel so much but so little at the same time. *** ¡°Hey I''m talking to you¡± Cassius voice snaps me out of my thoughts I tentatively look up. ¡°Cassius, what do you want?¡± My voice comes out drained. I''m exhausted. School really is tiring and boring. He sneers at me ¡°just because my Father pities you now doesn''t put you above me¡± I look into his eyes those blue eyes just like the coldest of seas, I feel a shiver work its way down my spine. I really want to punch him the mere violence that radiates from that though could have killed everyone here dead. The thought snaps me back to the present ¡°Okay Cassius, your right I¡¯m just a charity case, now can you please leave me alone¡± my voice comes out raw, but desperate. Silence fills the room. I don''t dare look up, holding my breath. ¡°Wow, You''re really shallow didya know that?¡± His words startled me enough that I looked up and met his eyes. I lifted up a brow ¡°excuse me¡±I said incredulously. He rolls his eyes, ¡°I said you''re shallow cause you think that My father thinks you''re a charity case¡± I burst out laughing I kneel over clutching my stomach. I wiped a tear from my eyes ¡°okay if I''m not a charity case then what am I?¡± my voice comes out filled with curiosity, the question startles me. Cassius lifts a brow ¡°One If he really thought you''re a charity case then one he wouldn''t send you to Redcrest high¡± he lifts up his second finger ¡°two, he would have killed you, cause you killed my MUM!¡± his eyes flare, he starts to shake his hands fisting and unfisting. ¡°Now do you understand?¡± My jaw drops. *** Cassius'' words ring in my mind, not letting me be, the day goes by quickly and before I know it I¡¯m making my way towards his car, my Fathers car. He¡¯s standing there on his phone, the other students are watching him with awe written clearly on their faces. His eyes briefly look up, meeting mine they lift in question. Well how was your day? The silent conversation makes me purse my lips. I ignore it, if he wants to talk to me he¡¯ll have to find another method. He watches me as I approach his mouth pursed into a straight line. It doesn''t take me long to realize the strained body and the cold icy eyes, I feel my heart stops I know that look, I stop in front of him, I slowly look up I open my mouth to speak but he interrupts before I can even form the words ``No Jack your not going on public transport¡± his eyes are on mine in a predatory glare. I feel myself swallow ¡°But wouldn''t it be nice if you drove alone, without me there to piss you off¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. My voice comes out more confident than I feel, I look into his eyes carefully, he lifts both brows in a warning ¡°In the car Jack, now.¡± *** I know he''s angry and I know he wants to whip me, though he hasn''t done so for so long. Looking at him from the corner of my eye, I can tell that he''s barely controlling himself, no wonder he dismissed the driver and made Cassius go over to a friend, he doesn''t want any spectators. Before I know it were at my mums house, I jump out before the car has even stopped and bolt towards the door, I smash my hand on the door and before I know it the door opens to reveal my mother her eyes brighten when she sees me ¡°Jack '''' her voice comes out relieved until her eyes land on my terrified ones quickly backtracking to my father whos making his way towards us, her face pales I knew it would, she recognizes the signs just like I do. I quickly squeeze past her. ¡°Jack, I didn''t take you for a coward¡± my fathers voice taunts me as I take the stairs two at a time. I slam the door shut and lean against it catching my breath. ¡°Jack open the door¡± My fathers voice is calm but commanding, sending shivers down my spine. I don''t dare reply instead I focus all my attention on the door. I know that I can''t hold the door any longer. His every hit seems to echo into my very bones. The door bursts open to reveal my father, his face filled with cold rage, he looks me up and down before stepping into my room. I step back and before I know it his hand is around my wrist like a vice not letting me go, and once again I look into those pitless eyes but this time I look at them with a sense of calm. ¡°Are you going to kill me father?¡± my voice comes out filled with mockery, his mouth tightens with anger. I know he won''t, he''s not the type but not for the first time I wish that he would end my miserable life. I feel the room start to darken and turn into an unforgiving red. As I fall unconscious. *** My eyes flutter open to reveal black eyes boring into my gray ones. Before I can even process anything a wave of nausea hits me, blurring my vision and making my head throb. Yelled commands fill the cold night air flashing lights so close but so far¡­. I vomit¡­all over my fathers shoes¡­I look up carefully and meet his gaze I swallow, his eyes narrow. ¡­Agh crap¡­ The last thing I see before passing out is my home being consumed by waves of brilliant reds and oranges, as it slowly falls to the ground. chapter 4 He hasn¡¯t come back yet. I begged him today. I begged him to come home early because mum is sick but that bastard lied! Why the hell do I always have to deal with this? Creek ¡°Jack, Honey¡± I look up to see my mother is standing at the doorway leaning her whole body on the door. Her hair is plastered to her pale skin, her eyes unfocused. She¡¯s sick, very sick, I don¡¯t know what to do¡­I close my eyes as cold tears fall down my flushed cheeks. ¡°Jack go to bed¡± she''s closer now. I want to yell at her to tell her that I can''t sleep when I know that he will get angry if he doesn¡¯t find me awake and he will hit her, he doesn¡¯t give a shit about her or me for that matter. But instead I open my eyes and look at her green ones they''re filled with exhaustion and she smiles at me. ¡°Mum, don''t worry about me, I''ll sleep after you, okay?¡±, she bites her lips but nods. I hold her arm and make a quick job of helping her get back into bed. We sit in silence only interrupted by a cough or the creek of the bed as she tries to get comfortable ¡°Jack are you going to leave me?¡± I look at her, her brows are creased and her lips are dipping downward, her green eyes are filled with a layer of moist. I don''t answer until her eyes slowly start to close and her breath evens out. That''s when I say into the now silent and empty room ¡°No mum I won¡¯t leave you I promise¡±. ¡°Get up¡± I blink back my grogginess and force myself to focus on the figure looming on top of me in the darkness ¡°Derek¡± the moment the word leaves my lips he slaps me the sound resounds in the cold silent room. ¡°It¡¯s father, Jack or have you forgotten¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. My whole body tenses like a string as I bolt up. I feel myself start to shake with anger and fear. I want to scream, and claw at my skin until only bones are left but I force myself to look into his dark heartless eyes. Behind me I can feel my mother starting to stir. I force myself to calm down. I walk past him into the living room he follows. Before I can even turn around or process the hands round my waist. My spine connects to the wall. I feel it crack. ¡°How many times Jack do I have to give you a lesson about respect?¡± His voice is cold but with an undercurrent of anger I force myself up onto my knees as I wipe blood from my now split lip. I open my mouth to speak but before I can he kicks my sternum .A jolt of pain explodes in my ribs causing me to double over as the edges of my vision begin to blur my head is spinning. I brace myself against the wall and try to speak but only manage a wheeze. He clicks his tongue ¡°How many times Jack ?¡± .Silence. ¡°ANSWER ME¡± tears fall down my cheeks in a steady stream I look up ¡°I¡¯m Sorry, Only once Father¡±the words are quiet but raw he watches me coldly. Our eyes stay interlocked in the silence that follows. He studies me as if I¡¯m merely a piece of furniture after a moment he nods satisfied ¡°Good¡± he turns around and makes his way towards the couch turning on the light as he goes, I remain kneeling, watching as he picks a show to watch. Acting like nothing even happened like he probably didn''t just break my ribs. His eyes swivel towards me. He studies me but merely continues to swipe through the channels. I cough blood onto my sleeve, he watches me noting the blood but he doesn''t care instead he says ¡°Go heat dinner for me¡±I feel my body start to shake. He doesn''t care. In the end I¡¯m his possession as long as he has a mother as a leverage against me, blinking back tears I nod complying with his order. As soon as I get up my knees give way I fall, my fathers eyes are on me a sense of foreboding creeps in on me before a lulling darkness comes in to claim me I see my father lean down next to me his hands lift my chin up so that he can look into my eyes I want to vomit, but his hands so warm so comforting unlike there usually harshness stop me. Looking into those eyes of his I feel my heart clench such pain and worry I have never seen in anyone but in that moment I see them in my fathers handsome face he strokes my cheek with a finger ¡®I¡¯m sorry Jack, I really am. Just a bit longer.¡± Darkness clouds my vision as oblivion soft touch comes closer and closer. I whisper a prayer of absolute salvation¡­¡­father¡­¡­¡­¡­.