Episode 4: Tragedy Part 2

"You useless child, you dare hit me?" Rick asked rhetorically as he continues to punch him so hard... poor Nicholas, he was only trying to stop his father from hurting his mother but he got the beating of his life that night.

Even though blood was gushing out of his mouth, he (Rick) just wouldn't stop.

"You are both ungrateful." He snarled.

Iris couldn't watch any of this anymore, she carried the plank Nicholas had brought earlier and hit her husband on the head, but it didn't have much effect either.

Rick again vented his anger on his wife and pushed her to the floor, unfortunately she fell on a broken glass, the glass had plunged into a vital part on her body, so she couldn't move. She just laid there gasping for breath.

"Mother... mum..." Nicholas called out crying.

When the blood was gushing out of her, Rick became aware of his actions, he knew then that he had killed her.

He didn't know what else to do.

Nicholas was beside his mother, crying out loud, he has injuries on his body from the punches his father inflicted on him.

He held his mother in his arms, and called out "mother..."

Iris whose eyes were almost shot, opened them again and tried to speak.

"I... I love you, son... I..."

"I love you too mum, please don't leave me." Nicholas quickly chimes in.

"I love you son to the moon and... and back." After saying those words she stopped breathing.

"Mother!!!" Nicholas exclaimed loudly.

Seeing that he had killed his wife, with his own hands, Rick immediately rushed into the room and picked up his belongings.

He took his wife's sales for the day and ran away on his horse, leaving sixteen year old Nicholas with the corpse of his mother and little to nothing to feed with.

Rick Stetson ran away so as not to face the law, leaving his teenage son to deal with the outcome of what his drunken state and uncontrolled state has caused.

Nicholas stayed up all night holding the body of his poor mother, he had no time to think of his father at that moment except for the fact that he killed her.

He sobbed all night, the next morning the neighbors heard of her death, and they sympathized with Nicholas.

He had went to the authorities at the time, to report the case about what his father had done, but since he was a teenager and had no money or powers he was brushed aside, and wasn't taken into consideration.

They knew how much he loved her, his neighbors even the officials were aware of the love he had for his now deceased mother.

"I am so sorry for your loss." Reverend Kevin said sympathetically to Nicholas who had cried his eyes out all night.

"Thank you father." He managed to say.

"You can come over to the church later, if you need someone to talk to." Reverend Kevin said.

"I will do that father." Nicholas replied nonchalantly.

He wasn't in the mood to converse, he lost the only person who made his life in Redwood city worthwhile and bearable.

The one who took her away from him was no where to be found.

'If I ever see him again, he will regret fathering a child like me.' Nicholas thought.

He brooded the day he'll meet face to face with the one who made him feel this way, his very own father, Rick Stetson.

The day for the burial of his mother came, and he with the help of the Reverend and those who bothered to show kindness dug up a grave, to place the corpse of his beloved mother in.

He wept like never before, he will never get to eat her delicious cookings, neither will he be able to cook with her in the kitchen anymore.

The thoughts of how they teased and made each other smile whenever they prepared meals together flooded his thoughts.

He couldn't get over it, he remembered his mother's words even when she was dying, she used her last breath to tell him how much she loved him, it made his heart sad.

After everyone has left the graveyard he remained, it was after all his mother who had died no one else could feel the pain or understand the gravity of how hurting it was to lose the one person he had.

He slept beside her grave, that day.

Reverend Kevin mostly known as priest Kevin, woke up the next day to go check on Nicholas, he got to his house but he wasn't there, so he thought of going to the graveyard.

He found Nicholas clinging to Iris' grave

*Sighs*

'He won't ever get over this, why did you have to leave him Iris?' he thought shaking his head in dismay.

Priest Kevin walked up to him and sat beside him.

"Morning Nicholas, you slept here through the night didn't you?" He asked.

But Nicholas didn't feel the need to answer that so he kept shut.

"..."

"Iris, loved your father and you so much, but your father wouldn't stop drinking, even when it was toxic." He continued.

"Father, it would be best if you don't mention his name around her grave. Because when I find him, I will kill him, I swear to God." Nicholas boldly said.

"Two wrongs won't make things right." Reverend father Kevin said but Nicholas wasn't having it that he retorted,

"Tell that to the boy whose mother he killed and ran off leaving him to clean his mess." Nicholas uttered sternly, this feeling he was feeling would make anyone become mature at a go.

"You are still upset, come on go wash up, I want to give you your mother's things." Priest Kevin said.

"They are at the house." Nicholas simply replied.

"No, I have something important with me, that I am certain she would want you to have." Reverend Kevin conveyed.

Nicholas nodded and went back home, washed up and tried to make breakfast but he couldn't, he missed his mother so much.

He decided to go see what priest Kevin had that belonged to his mother.

He went to the church, got in and found Kevin waiting for him.

"I am here, father." He said.

"Sit son, I will be right back." Kevin uttered.

After some minutes, he came back holding a wooden box.

"Here you go."

Reverend Kevin handed it to him, Nicholas then opened it and found a money bag, a necklace and a letter.

"What... what are all these?" He asked.

"It was your mum's plans, she was planning to take you far away, to start a new life, the real reason she put up with your father, was because she wanted to sell and make enough money for you both so you can go wherever you want to and visit the world."

'She had been keeping this secretly for us to leave and she never got to go. I will kill that monster, I will have my revenge.' Nicholas thought as he gnashed his teeth in anger.

"I don't know what to do with these..." Nicholas wanted to say but, reverend Kevin chimes in saying,

"Take some time and think about it, but if ever you feel like leaving then let me know okay?"

"Okay father." He replied.

"Take the box with you, it is yours now, as for the letter in it, read only when you have gotten to twenty." Reverend Kevin ordered.

"That's more like almost four years from now, how do I wait for that long?" Nicholas inquired.

"Patience is a virtue son, just wait till the time is right." Reverend retorted.

Nicholas got home and was determined to fulfill his mother's dreams for both of them all for her.

He began training, he joined lot's of fighting teams just so he could have the strength to withstand whatever stands in his way for when he is ready to leave Redwood City. And that includes how to deal with his father for when they cross paths again.