What the hell is going on? Ekh, my eyes feel like mush.

He brings his hands to his face balls them up and rubs his eyes with them.

“Don’t do that boy, haven’t I told you a thousand times not to rub your eyes like that?!”

“Dad?”

There was a bottle of twenty year old Chivas and a bucket of ice cubes on the corner table to the right of the loveseat where his father sat. He takes a swig before starting.

“What? Why are you acting stupid. Shut-up and let me watch the damn TV.”

“But pop Star Trek is coming right now.”

Why the hell did I say that?

“Shut-up damn it. You watch your shows every other night. Tonight I am going to relax and watch the game!”

“Kyle, don’t yell at him that way. He is too old to be told to just be quite. He’ll be a young man soon you kno-”

“You shut-up too! You and your nagging, the kids this, you that, what about ME! All I do is to Sprovide the money for eeeveryyythiiing!”

His father takes another gulp, finishing off that glass and then pouring another.

No, oh no not again. Damn, damn,…

“Dad c’mon please let me watch my show.”

No I didn’t want to say that! STOP IT!

“I said no, now if you can’t be quite go to your room you damn idiot!”

“Don’t talk to him that way.”

STOP! Don’t! Stop!

“Shut-up! You always defend the little brat; no wonder he’s so spoilt.”

“Let him do what he wants. He gets good grades and stays out of trouble what more do YOU want.”

“Dad, look, look, its eight-thirty! I’ve missed half the show.”

“No, now go to your room!”

“Son, just leave the old grouch alone; come here.”

“But mom…”

“I said come here.”

“Yes mom.”

Oh, oh good; its over…

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# What, I’m back here-

“You have been drinking again haven’t you!”

“Yeah, so!? I come home from work tired and I have a bit of scotch so what.”

Shit, what’s going on? This has happened before. I know this, what…

“Why don’t you ever help me with dinner, or vacuum? I work too and I do all of the housework!”

“Yeah, ha! Your stupid little job.”

# Oh no, not again, not this night…

“Go to hell! My ‘stupid little job’ paid for your surgery when after you had left the business.”

“So? I got a job almost immediately.”

“Yeah you had to after you blew our savings in that stupid get rich quick scheme with your friend Al that didn’t work at all!”

Whack! There was a sound of flesh striking flesh to his left; then sobbing.

No no no no no no no no no no no no…

“Shut-up, don’t you ever call me stupid you bitch!

“How can you-” Whack. “Aahh! Stop!” She falls to the kitchen floor. The linoleum is cold and hard, little comfort. Head in her hands she sobs.

“I SAID SHUT-UP! I’ll do what I want damn it!”

No no no no no no no no no no no no…

He moves over her and straddles her. Then yanking her head back by the hair he yells in her face.

“Say sorry you bitch! Say sorry.”

No no no no no no no no no no no no…

“Kyle stop this please. Zach will see.”

“Damn it, just say it!” Whack, more sobbing.

I’ll get a knife, yeah I’ll…

The little boy runs over to the kitchen table where his toy sword is, picks it up and runs towards the two adults. The rain outside has started, cold December rain.

No no no no no no no no no no no no…

Why the hell am I carrying this damn piece of plastic? I need something real. Stop you little shit, stop!

He hits his father with the sword.

“Stop, you’re hurting mom stop!”

“You little punk get out of her.”

“No! Sto-” Whack.

“That’ll teach you.” Retreating, the boy retorts bitterly.

“Fuck you.”

No no no no no no no no no no no no…

Shut-up you idiot. DON’T DO IT AGAIN.

“Zach stop.” His mother says.

“No, that son of a bitch hurt you!”

Stop, you’ll do it again. It was your fault last time.

“Why you little asshole! Come here!”

“Dad, leave him alone!”

No no no no no no no no no no no no…

“Go to your room Lila!” The parents scream in unison. Then getting up the mother goes to Zach.

“You go with her understood.”

“I’m not leaving you here with that asshole!”

No no no no no no no no no no no no…

Don’t press her god damn no. Don’t press her.

“Zach stop, he’s your father you will respect him!”

“No he hurts us, he’s worthless.”

“Zach if you love me then go to your room NOW.”

“No mom, not tonight, he needs to leave.”

No!

“Damn it Zach; do what I say!”

GO! Listen to her!

“No! I’ve had enough. Damn it mom! Stand up to him!”

No!

“Don’t raise your voice at me Zach. Go to your room!”

DON’T DO IT!

“Why do you take his shit!”

“You’re just like your father. How can you scream at me!”

“Shit, mom, I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not. I need to be alone.”

STOP HER DAMN YOU!!

“Where the hell do you think you are going woman!”

“Away from this collection of maniacs!” She storms out of the room and grabs her keys on the way out. The boy follows her out in the rain onto the drive way.

“Mom please, I’m sorry.”

NO JUMP ON THE CAR! DO ANYTHING!

“Go inside Zach, you’ll catch a cold and I will have to deal with it,” she says with scorn in her voice.

PLEASE NO, not again, not again…

“Mom please!” The car door slams and she drives off, refusing to look back at her now soaked son. Mom! Mom! Please don’t go mom, mom…I’m sorry.

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# What, I’m back here-

“You have been drinking again haven’t you!”

“Yeah, so!? I come home from work tired and I have a bit of scotch so what.”

Shit, what’s going on? This has happened before. I know this, what…

“Why don’t you ever help me with dinner, or vacuum? I work too and I do all of the housework!”

“Yeah, ha! Your stupid little job.”

# Oh no, not again, not this night…

“Go to hell! My ‘stupid little job’ paid for your surgery when after you had left the business.”

“So? I got a job almost immediately.”

“Yeah you had to after you blew our savings in that stupid get rich quick scheme with your friend Al that didn’t work at all!”

Whack! There was a sound of flesh striking flesh to his left; then sobbing.

No no no no no no no no no no no no…

“Shut-up, don’t you ever call me stupid you bitch!

“How can you-” Whack. “Aahh! Stop!” She falls to the kitchen floor. The linoleum is cold and hard, little comfort. Head in her hands she sobs.

“I SAID SHUT-UP! I’ll do what I want damn it!”

No no no no no no no no no no no no…

He moves over her and straddles her. Then yanking her head back by the hair he yells in her face.

“Say sorry you bitch! Say sorry.”

No no no no no no no no no no no no…

“Kyle stop this please. Zach will see.”

“Damn it, just say it!” Whack, more sobbing.

I’ll get a knife, yeah I’ll…

The little boy runs over to the kitchen table where his toy sword is, picks it up and runs towards the two adults. The rain outside has started, cold December rain.

No no no no no no no no no no no no…

Why the hell am I carrying this damn piece of plastic? I need something real. Stop you little shit, stop!

He hits his father with the sword.

“Stop, you’re hurting mom stop!”

“You little punk get out of her.”

“No! Sto-” Whack.

“That’ll teach you.” Retreating, the boy retorts bitterly.

“Fuck you.” Whack! The boy is now bleeding because of the last blow and is too afraid to move.

#)($%)(*@_%*#$*)@#$)(#@$(*_#@*$_(_#@$)(#@)$&)*#@&%_(*#@#@$_(

“Now bitch I’ll deal with you.”

What why did I say that to mo – no, Jen? What are you doing he –

WHACK! “Bitch! I’m gonna fuck you on the floor. That’ll teach your damn bitch cunt to talk back to me!” Whack! He hits her again, this time cutting her beautiful lip. Her soft black hair is a mess and the little make up she wears is flowing with her tears down her face.

“Zach!” She cries between sobs. “Please stop. You’re hurting me!”

What no. Jen, love, I’m sorry.

He stares dumbly at her battered face.

Why can’t I stop! I’m just like him.

He looks and sees his reflection in the stainless steal door of the oven.

No it can’t be me…no, it, but.

He looks up around him. They are in the shed. Jen’s beautiful body is naked lying prone on the dirt, covered with bruises. Zach is naked except for sandals.

What have I done?!? Oh Jen I am so sorry!

Grabbing her by the hair and pulling her face to his crotch he screams, “Suck it bitch.”

“Please Zach no more, I’m raw, please…”

“I said suck!” With that he grabbed her face and pinched her mouth open shoved his cock in quickly then withdrew then shoved again and so on. She protested with squeals but even those were silenced when he slapped her again. The tears now ran down her face and onto his cock, ironically providing some much needed lubrication, saving her chaffed lips and sore mouth some pain. Jen I am sorry, I can’t stop. In, out, in, out, in, out, for what seemed like an eternity Zack face fucked her hard, slamming in with full force each time, uncaring, ambivalent to her pain. Then with a bestial grunt he shoved in and held her face to his crotch, and came. He held her there till he stopped spewing his fluid, again not caring for her, not caring if she choked or suffocated. Finally he pushed her away almost throwing her against the wall. Please don’t be dead, oh god, please don’t let me have killed her…

She fell with a thud, conscious but unfeeling; numb to her world. Her lips were bleeding and because she had been unable to swallow all of it, some of Zach’s cum dribbled from her limply open mouth.

Oh my god Jen, I’m-

“Turn over bitch!”

No stop! Can’t you see you bastard, she’s almost dead!

“Damn it you fucking cunt! I said TURN OVER!”

“Please…Zach, its hurts there…”

“Don’t say no to me you WHORE!”

Don’t talk to her like that; she loves you!

“Please Zach…”

“SHUT-UP!” He grabbed her and flipped her over.

Don’t hurt her!

He spreads her legs easily; she is too broken to resist. Then spitting on his hands he strokes his cock back to life and enters her.

“Ahhhh…please, please, no more…”

“Shut-up! Don’t complain while I fuck you!”

Stop, oh god stop; she’s in PAIN YOU SON OF A BITCH!

“Please, oh please, it hurts Zach, please stop…”

STOP!

“I’ll teach you not to defy me you cunt!”

No, don’t do it! Please! DON’T!!!!!!

“Let’s see how you like this you fucking cunt!” He screamed as he broke a splintered piece of wood off the door of the shed STOP! and taking good hold of it NO!, and spreading her ass cheeks apart, JEN!!! he…

“AAAGGGHHHHHHHHHH!! AAAAAEIEIIIIEIEIIIIII!!!!!”

“Don’t go mom! No Jen! No! Mom! Stop! Don’t… not her…it’s raining…”

‘What hell,’ thought Lila as she was awakened from her slumber by a voice.

“PAIN! NO…JEN!”

‘Zach, what’s going on?’ Confused and still no completely awake Lila Aleckar, Zach’s two years elder sister, looked across her room at her closet. Her image reflected off the mirrored doors and she took a second to compose herself. She had black hair and eyes like Zach but was slight in build and stature standing four inches shorter than Zach’s 5’ 11.” Her figure however was wonderful. Slender and sleek but with perfect curves to grace the right places she was voluptuousness without appearing overweight.

“A nightmare? He hasn’t had one in three years,” she mumbled to herself as she got out of bed and pulled on her robe. Then she stepped out into the hallway took a left towards the adjacent room which belonged to Zach. Farther down the hall was the master bedroom where her father slept and to the right, which was now to her back, the hallway ended in the bathroom that she and Zach shared.

Upon entering Zach’s room Lila saw the boy thrashing around on his bed as if he was wrestling in his sleep.

“Please no…”

“Zack,” Lila questioned softly.

“Mom! Please come back!”

‘Oh shit!’ Lila thought to herself, ‘They’ve started again!’ Then going to his bed and sitting beside him she tried to comfort him.

“Its Okay baby,” she said to him as she grabbed him and pulled him into a hug.

“NO! Jen run away!”

“Shh. C’mon Zach, c’mon. It’s sis’.”

Opening his eyes slightly Zach could see the concerned and bedraggled, yet still beautiful face of his older sister.

“Lila! I saw mom… and dad was there… my sword broke, and Jen, she –”

“Don’t worry about that now baby.” She soothed him and lay them both down on his bed. “Let’s go back to sleep. I’m here nothing will happen, okay?”

“But… I hurt her, Lila I…” And with a final whimper he broke down and began sobbing.

“It’s okay love, let it out.” So, burying his face in her chest, Zach clung to his sister tightly and cried and cried and cried till they fell asleep in each others arms.

The first rays of the sun came through the open window and played on the floor of the room at the foot of the bed. Out side in the hall steps could be heard approaching. They were a man’s steps somewhat heavy, evenly spaced, and with definite purpose. Lila heard them but was not quite returned to the world from slumber. To her it was as if the steps were echoing down a well to her; one which she was steadily climbing but still had a ways to go before reaching the top. She only vaguely remembered where she was but the warm body clutching her was obviously (to her) her brother’s.

Opening the door Kyle Aleckar stepped into his son’s room expecting to find him rolled up in his blanket studiously ignoring the alarm clock that tried, often in vain, to make sure that Zach was on time to his A period (early morning; 7AM) computer systems class. What Kyle found however was his daughter in bed with his son, the two clinging to each other in a position they seemed to have slept in.

“What the hell is going on here Lila?” Asked Kyle as he gazed accusingly at Zach’s sleeping form.

“Huh?” Replied Lila.

“I want to know what you two are doing in bed together!”

“Oh, huh,” started Lila, still waking up, “He had another one of THOSE nightmares. He was shouting in his sleep so I came in here to calm him down and he started crying. We lay down and were both so tired we fell asleep. What did you think we did?!?”

“Well, humph, I…”

“Never mind,” she said, exasperated by her father’s complete lack of tact or parental skill, “Do you know who Jen is?”

“What,” asked Kyle who had fallen into thought, “Jen, er, no. But Zach hardly talks to me since…well you know.”

“Yeah, well, I guess I’ll ask him about her, whoever she is.”

“Hasn’t Zach been seeing, what’s her name, Sandra for a while now; do you think they broke up?”

“It’s Sara dad, they have been going out for two whole years, and I don’t know if they broke up or not, but something like that might have triggered his nightmares. I’ll have to figure it out.”

“Hmm, yes. That sounds good,” replied Mr. Aleckar, happy at not having to fulfill his emotional duties as a father. “Maybe figure it out by Tuesday, I found out yesterday at work that they need me to fly out to the L.A. office on Wednesday for two days of meetings. I should be back sometime Saturday night.”

“What, you just got back after a week away, two and a half weeks ago!”

“I know, and I don’t like it any more than you do. Those meetings are effectively contests in who can stay awake the longest under deathly boring conditions; I hate them, but I have to go.”

“But I need you here, Zach needs you here. With me going to Cal next year he needs someone to guide him. You can’t hide forever.”

“Now listen young lady, just because you have been like a mother to that boy does not mean I have not been a father.”

“A father would sit down with his son and figure out why he is two-timing his girlfriend of two years! For that matter you didn’t even know Sara’s name or how long and involved their relationship was!”

“Lila,” said Kyle menacingly as he moved quickly towards her, “Don’t you dare raise your voice to me again.”

“And what if I do? Will you hit me, slap me across th-” She cut herself short as she braced herself for Kyle’s sweeping hand, but the blow never landed.

“Don’t you dare to ever, ever, even think about hurting her again!” Said Zach, his voice gravel as he held his father’s hand in a vice grip mere inches away from his sisters face.

“Let go of me boy!” Shouted the man.

“Very well, but step away from her right away,” replied Zach as he let go and got up off the bed, swiftly placing himself between his father and sister. ‘How could I have ever been afraid of this pathetic excuse for a man? I am already an inch taller than him and I’ll get bigger; thank god I get my height from mom’s side of the family. This bastard had to hit women and children to make him feel like a man. Fuck him! He will never hurt Lila or me again, not after last night!’

“Watch your mouth Zach, I-”

“What are you going to hit me like you tried to hit Lila. You don’t have the guts. I’m bigger, stronger, and younger than you. Do your worst!”

“How dare you boy! Stand down!”

“No. I have put up with your shit silently for fifteen years; no more!”

The two looked into each other’s eyes. Zach’s were cold and hard but Kyle’s were angry and frightened. Like the typical school yard bully Kyle was not used to resistance and now, seeing his young son, whose physical power obviously outmatched his own, he was panicking inside.

“Have a good day at work, dad,” said Zach not breaking eye contact nor letting any softness into his voice, “Lila and I need to get ready for school so please get out of my room.”

“The-, that’s right! We’ll discuss this morning’s events over dinner. Also, I need to set things up here for my business trip so make sure you are home at a reasonable time.” Having in his mind re-asserted his authority Kyle Alechar left his son’s room and grabbing his commuter coffee cup, headed out the door to work.

In Zach’s room Lila just sat on the bed completely shocked at what she had just seen and heard. She was staring at Zach’s back when after hearing the car start in the driveway Zach turned to face her.

“Are you okay babes?”

“Zach you shouldn’t have done that. What if he refuses to pay for college?” Sara said with fear in her voice.

“He won’t; his guilt will force him to support us,” replied Zach and Sara thought about his statement in silence. Then Zach asked again, “Are you alright?”

“Oh, huh, yeah,” she replied slowly, “I’m fine. He never actually touched me.”

“And he never will, not while I am alive.”

“Zach, don’t talk like that.”

“What? Don’t think that I don’t know that all these years since mom’s accident he has taken his guilt and anger out on you. Do you think I didn’t notice the extra makeup to hide the cut on your lip, or how you wore full jeans all last July because he had hit you with his walking stick on the thigh and you didn’t want people to see? You have shielded me for four years; I have known about it for two. I have stayed awake at night trying to muster the courage to face him, to stop him for once and for all, but I never could. And do you know why?”

“Zach, I, I always thought I hid it so well.”

“Sure you did, from other people but what could you hide from me? Before I was too young to understand the signs, but once I was old enough to realize what they meant I knew! I knew! But did nothing!” Zach was screaming now hitting himself in the temple out of self-loathing.

“Stop Zach, this-”

“But today was different. It was different because before he had not dared to do it in front of me. He’s a cunning son of a bitch you see, when I stood up for mom years ago I was small and weak; he cast me aside easily. But I grew, and he realized this, he realized that either I would get big enough to physically stop him, or I would find the guts to call the cops. So he did it when I wasn’t around, which probably angered him more; that he had to hide is abuse of you from his son. But today when I saw his hand go up, I felt the same way I did when he hit mom that damn night! I was angry, angry that he could hurt someone who loved him even though he didn’t deserve it, someone who looked to him for protection, for nurturing, for understanding, for tenderness, for love! But he betrayed all that! I have gotten in fights at school and had bruises worse than those he gave me. The pain isn’t the physical feeling, it’s the betrayal! The loss of innocence and trust is what hurts the most. He stole our childhoods from us Lila! He took away what no one can give back. Were he to spend the rest of his life making amends he might come close to filling the void of parental love he created, but he could never even begin to make up for the loss of our MOTHER!

“That’s right you bastard!” Yelled Zach at the top of his lungs towards the door of his room which faced the front door of the house. “It’s your fault she died! Not mine! I refuse to bear your cross, I have my own! You hurt her, you pushed her, your drove her away!” Then he broke down for the second time in twelve hours.

Tears were streaming down his face when he turned back to his sister and more or less croaked, “I need a hug sis.”

“Come here baby,” she replied and again she took him in her arms and held him close, held him tight. He felt safe there, safer than he felt anywhere else in the world. When she held him, an armored division could be shelling their house and he would not have noticed it; in her arms he was in the only place he knew he would have complete peace and most importantly complete love.

They were very close, the brother and sister sitting on the bed clinging to each other as morning sunlight bathed them in an eerie golden glow. They had had to be close. Like a climber clings desperately to the sheer face of the mountain when an evil wind, rock slide, or sharp rain attempts to fell him, the two siblings were required to do so for their survival, so they did now.

She was warm against him, and he reveled in it. He remembered his mother had felt similar, but somehow his memory paled in comparison to the warmth he felt in Lila’s arms. Never before had he been truly aware of how he felt for her, of how much he loved her, as he was at this moment. She had mothered him, fathered him, sistered him, and most importantly, she had been his best friend. Now he felt something more, something from further deep inside him, and this feeling confused and frightened him.

Lila was content. She was in the arms of the only person she trusted completely and loved unconditionally and finally after all the years of shielding him, he had shielded her. His strength had stopped their father and it was he who had given her purpose for so long; he was her home, not the house not the room but him.

The world moved around them. A morning breeze flowed under the sheer curtains and into the room stirring the air and rustling paper and leaves in Zach’s room. Neither warm nor cold, simply perfect and soothing, it caressed them as if it understood their need for comfort. A strange breeze it was; it seemingly lingered at their faces touching their cheeks in whispery kisses.

Lila was the first to move, shifting her position slightly so as to prevent her legs from falling asleep. Zach feeling her shift pulled back far enough from the embrace to look at her. He loved her with his eyes, and as her eyes met his they both felt something pass between them. Drinking deeply of the love in each other’s face the two remained still until some force, perhaps the action of the breeze pushed their faces closer. Neither realized their slow movement, too busy in each other’s gaze, and soon their faces were mere inches apart.

Zach was in turmoil, his heart was beating faster than it ever had in his life, and he knew what he wanted to do. But he couldn’t, not now, not after what had happened this morning. If it were to ever happen it would have to happen when they were not so hurt, so vulnerable. He could not accept it like this, so he did the only think he could.

“I promise Lila,” Zach whispered as he cupped Lila’s head in his hands, “As long as there is life in me, nothing will ever, ever hurt you again.” And with that he kissed her softly on her forehead and then got up.

“We have to get ready quickly.” Zach said and his abrupt change of subject startled Lila into movement also.

“Yep, let’s go. Since dad is gone we can use each use on of the bathrooms,” said Lila heading to her room to get her towel.

Zach scurried into their bathroom, got the things he needed and hurried off into his father’s room. After the two had completed their morning ablutions they got dressed and Lila made a quick breakfast for Zach. She herself decided to tidy up a bit since she didn’t have an A-period and did not need to get to school till and hour after Zach. As her brother head out the door Lila called to him, “Have a good day, and make sure to get back quickly after school, we need to talk about Sara… and Jen”

‘Oh shit,’ thought Zach, ‘I must have yelled out her name during my nightmare. Damn! Now how do I explain this to Lila?’ With that thought and his instant message conversation with Jen the previous evening weighing heavy on his mind, Zach rode to school.

Dear Reader,

I know I have repeated this ad nauseam but I will say it again, PLEASE COMMENT on what you liked, disliked, thought I did well, and where you think I can improve. If my formatting, or usage of certain conventions confused you and distracted you from the story please let me know. Furthermore, any interesting plot twists that come to mind are welcome. Take it easy…