“What the fuck are you doing, you good-for-nothing asshole? Get the fuck up and act like a fucking man!” Young Austin's stepfather screamed at him, kicking him back into the dirt as he struggled to get up. It was nothing new, and the young boy was used to getting several beatings every week, someti
“I don't know, but you're right. I'll return the money before he finds out.” Angie said, and Austin breathed a sigh of relief, but Angie didn't return the money, and neither did she heed his advice for her to wait for a while. That night, she tried to run away, taking only a backpack containing he
Austin arrived at the old man’s study, his heart in his throat. His heart was beating a mile a minute, but outwardly, he managed to look calm and composed. “Sit down and have a drink.” The old man said, gesturing at the bottle of brandy and empty glass cup on the table. “Uh … sir. I’m not old eno
“Hey.” She said coolly when she saw him and breezed past him without waiting for a reply. To say that Austin was shocked was an understatement. He and Angie had been inseparable once, as they had had only each other before he left. He guessed she was feeling resentful that he had left her all alon
That night, after everyone was asleep, Austin and his sister sneaked out of the house to go attend the party. Angie led him through thick bushes that he had never passed through, or even known existed before then. Even though he was filled with anxiety at the thought of the creepy crawlies which cou
They arrived at the party after another twenty to thirty minutes of being in the air. Austin realized with dismay that this party was a grown-up one, unlike what he had been expecting. In fact, he, his sister, and her friend were the only teenagers who were present there. Christina wasted no time
“What the hell?” Richard began, getting up immediately and getting in Austin’s face. Despite the fact that the man was older, taller, more experienced, and definitely stronger than him, Austin refused to back down. “We’re leaving, Angie,” Austin ordered, grabbing his sister's hand and pulling her t
“You see, he’s not even remorseful. I know what to do. I’m going to ask Grandpa to stop paying his tuition fee. That should teach him not to poke his nose in other people's affairs next time.” Christina declared, eyeing Austin maliciously. Austin started at her aghast, suddenly connecting the dots.
“You’re here again.” She states, rolling her eyes without so much as a good morning when she opens the door and sees me standing there. “Good morning to you too. Yes, I’m indeed here again. How are you doing?” I ask her, resolving not to let her hostility get to me. She has every reason to be hosti
I have not been to Nora's apartment for several months since Sally disappeared. In the first month of Sally's disappearance, I used to come here a lot, so much so that I’m sure that I must have begun to look like a desperate creep to Nora. Each time I came here back then, I would plead and plead wi
“No! I want to go with you and Aunt Sally!” He protests angrily when he sees the nanny and realizes that I’m about to leave him with her. “Honey, you must be very tired from running up and down with me these past few days. That is why I want your nanny to take you home so you can rest. Besides, you
SEAN Somehow, Sally allows herself to be convinced to come back home with me, which as even her doctor agrees, is the best decision for her right now because she needs all the help that she can get. We’ve finally been able to reach Nora and Austin, who have arrived at their honeymoon destination a
SALLY I can tell that Sean is surprised at my blunt tone and sharp words, but I couldn’t care less. I vaguely remember how I had pleaded with my boss to get in touch with him after she told me that she could not reach Nora and Austin no matter how many times she tried to reach them. I had been ter
The small bundle feels incredibly light as the nurse places it in my arms. Every single iota of sleep flees from my eyes as I hold and look down at my daughter. The nurse helps me adjust the baby in my arms while smiling at me in approval. Immense love for this tiny human floods my entire being and
I smile unsurely at the doctor, certain that I must have misheard what she just said. She doesn't smile back but instead continues to stare back at me with a measured look that says that she's not messing around. “I'm sorry but I'm not sure what you're talking about. What do you mean by expectant f
SEAN I have to admit that I am not thinking straight, but I'll blame that on the lack of sleep and the thought of seeing sadly again after all these months. Sally is lying on a bed in a very tiny room and she's being placed on oxygen. She looks so small and defenseless in the hospital bed. I appr
“There has been an emergency involving Sally and she's requesting for you.” A female voice had said over the phone mere seconds ago. “Is she OK? What's wrong with her? Where is she?” I ask in quick succession without waiting for an answer to each question. Taking deep breaths, I remind myself to be