“You’re nothing but a faggot!” my father yelled out, hitting me across the side of the face. “An ugly one at that!” there was another hit to the face. Tears threatened to spill out down my cheeks. But I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction of knowing that he got to me. I yelled out hoarsely as I felt a knife digging into the skin on my back. Not enough to seriously wound me, only to mark me. I’m going to assume he’s writing something, as that’s what it feels like. I was so close to crying, it was taking all my effort to not too.

He walked away, I straightened up, and immediately regretting it as the searing pain was unbelievable. “I’m not done with you fag” he spat, motioning me to bend back over. I reluctantly bent over, I heard a jar being unscrewed and I felt it before I knew what was coming. It was the most unbelievable, unimaginable pain I’d had EVER felt, and that was saying something. I turned my head slightly to the left so I could see over my shoulder, my eyes widened as I saw what was in his hands, a jar of salt.

The bastard is throwing salt on the open wounds, blinking back the tears I waited for him to be done, he finished by chucking the rest of the jar on my wounds. “Okay, you can go now. And let this be a lesson to you, that faggots are not accepted in my household. I WILL get rid of this disease that you have” I rushed as quickly as I could, shutting and locking the door with the various locks that I’d brought as my father had a habit of coming into my room and raping me.

I went to my full-length mirror and surveyed the damage my father had inflicted upon me tonight. My face was red; I had a black eye forming, scars all over my stomach. I turned around; my eyes were the size of dinner plates as I looked at what he’s done this time. There in large letters was the word FAG, it was bleeding just a little, my back already had dried blood. Tears spilling over as I cleaned up my wounds.

I missed my mom, she died several years ago when I was 10. She was the most sweetest, caring woman ever. I was her favourite, although she nor I would admit that to Matt or Zina, my siblings. But she took care of me, more so than my father. I was an abomination in his eyes, a mistake as he calls me.

But he murdered her in her sleep, making it look she died peacefully in her sleep. I wasn’t stupid enough to swallow his cock and bull story, whereas Matt and Zina did, as did everyone else. Mom protected me for 10 years from him. I was eternally grateful for what she did for me. She was the only one in my family, except for Zina, that accepted that I was gay. I really, really missed her. More tears followed.

It was about 11pm, when I decided to run away. I was positive that he would be asleep by now, opening my window I climbed down the drainpipe that was oh so conveniently next to my window. My feet hit the soft, dewy grass.

Turning left I made my way to my best friend; Brian’s house. I knew that he’d take me in for the night. He’s done it numerous times, and out of my small group of friends he was the only one who knew what was going on, well except for the DiBenedetto twins. They’ve taken me in plenty of times as well, but I really couldn’t be bothered walking all the way to their house, when Brian was closer.

Reaching the door, I knocked, rather impatiently. At about the 5th knock, Brian’s father answered. His face slowly turned red as he took in the damage to my face. “Zack! What happened?!” he asked, ushering me inside. I took a deep breath.

“Well, the asshole decided to abuse the fuck out of me and this time he wrote fag on my back, then fucking poured salt on the fresh wounds.” I replied, I looked up to find his face went expressionless. Tear welling up, he pulled me into a careful hug. Then called Brian down, to which Bri appeared almost instantly. Concern was the only expression on his face.

“Zee, what’s happened?” he asked, taking my hand he led me up to his room. Closing the door behind him, he sat down on his bed. He patted the space next to him, walking over he asked again “What happened?” tears filled my eyes at once.

“H-he, abused me again, this time he also –“ I broke off in sobs, he pulled me into his arms at once, patting my back. Wincing, I cried more, Brian let me go and took a hold of my shoulders.

“What’s he done to your back?” he was worried, I could tell in the way he looked at me and also the way he was speaking. I couldn’t talk as I was crying to hard, my answer was to lift up my shirt, unravelling the gauze I put on it, I turned around to face the wall. He let out a strangled gasp, which turned into a sob. I put on my gauze and shirt then turned to face him again, it took him a moment for him to recompose himself. “You’re not going back there” he whispered, looking at me. I blinked.

“Where will I go?” I replied, still shocked that he suggested such a thing. Sure I wanted nothing more than to escape from my father’s clutches, to be free and able to do what I wanted without suffering abuse for doing so.

“Stay here, or if you’d rather to stay at Michelle and Val’s?” he suggested, looking in my eyes. Those chocolate brown eyes, captivating and holding about a thousand emotions, I almost always find myself getting lost in them frequently.

“Will Brian and Suzy let me though?” I wondered, more to myself than anything. Bri gave me an exasperated look, while rolling his eyes.

“Of course they will dumbass! They love you! As do Brent and McKenna.”

“Well, when do you wanna tell them?”

“So you’ll stay here? With me?” he asked, his face lighting up like a child’s on Christmas Day. I nodded, squealing he wrapped his arms around my waist drawing me into a hug. I laughed and ruffled his hair.

“So are you sure it’s okay if I stay here?” I asked Brian and Suzy for about the hundredth time. I got a cushion to the face, looking over I saw Brain was the culprit, rolling my eyes I chucked it back.

“Of course Zacky, if I means that you’re away from that monster, than yes” Suzy said, she smiled, “We have plenty of room plus McKenna and Brent love you to death, so you’re not an unfamiliar face to them.”

“Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me” I ran over to Suzy and hugged her, she hugged back carefully. Giving me that motherly smile, Bri grabbed my hand and pulled me outside.

“Let’s go tell the guys!” Bri said, practically bounding on his heels in front of me. My eyes were following him, until I began to grow sick. I grabbed his shoulders.

“Dude, it’s midnight.” I tried to say but he gave me a look which read ‘that’s never stopped Jimmy’. I rolled my eyes and nodded. He smiled that smile which always made my stomach do cartwheels, slinging his arm around my shoulders we set off for Jimmy’s.