To Quit

Choices were things we had to make by ourselves, often influenced by others when they shouldn't be. And I had a big decision ahead of me. Not that there was really much benefit for me in the matter, but I had to put the rights of others first. That other person being my little brother. I still thought of our father every day. How he held it together, I had no idea. But I had it keep my own control on my life now, to help Mum. To help Damien. We weren't safe, and I had a bad feeling that Damien would grow up in a harsh lifestyle if my new step-father was to stick around. I at least had to try and change that.

It was two nights ago. I'd overheard him telling Mum that Damien would not be attending school. He was five. Ready to start Grade 1. I was fourteen, almost half way through my high school education. I panicked to know what might or might not happen if my brother didn't attend a school. Didn't get a learning. Didn't live a life outside of this now dangerous home. I heaved a sigh, feeling with my fingers a fairly new scar beneath my top. I had to do this. I walked slowly to the basement door, before hammering upon it. This could get ugly, but I wasn't doing it for myself.

The door swung open and I tried to hide my slight jump in fright. I stared up at my step-father. I hated him.

"What do you want?" he growled.

I stood up a little taller to bring some kind of confidence to my trembling legs. "I quit."

"What did you say?" he whispered, watching me very closely.

"I quit," I repeated, a little stronger, "You can take away as much as you want from me, but you cannot take away the same things from my brother."

"I don't believe you're in a position to tell me what I can and can't do."

"He's five," I emphasized, growing stronger by the second, "Let him go to school. Let him learn. Let him live a normal life."

I wasn't suprised when he grabbed me by the front of my shirt and began pulling me into the basement, down the steps. The door swung shut behind me and that's when my nerves started plummeting again. He threw me forwards and I fell to the floor, scraping my knees on the concrete. I quickly jumped to my feet again, turning to scream my message at him.

"You've got no heart! You couldn't care less about children... or your wives... or anyone!"

I saw his fist coming for me, but I swung out of the way, "I am giving up my education. You hear me?"

"I hear you!"

This time his fist did hit me and it had me falling to the floor again. I scrambled out of the way. "I give you my life! Hurt me as much as you want! Just let Damien have what you are taking from me. Let him go to school! Let him live!"

I knew I was going over the top, I knew I was getting too close to his nerves. It was then I shut my mouth, waiting for his response. He didn't respond. Not verbally anyway. He pulled me to my feet, before shoving me against the nearest brick wall. I stood close by it, wondering if I'd done the right thing in angering him so much. He ran for me again, but this time I didn't move out of his way. He gripped my shoulder tight, steering me towards the back of the room. I didn't dare breathe a word. Just shut my eyes and held tight to some kind of false hope I knew was there.

Don't ask why I shut my eyes when my life was at stake, but I was on the ground again in seconds. His little puppet. I looked up from my fall, to come eye level with a large dog crate. I knew then I'd gone too far. He opened the door and I scrambled inside to avoid him pushing and shoving me again. He swung the door shut instantly, pulling out a padlock and securing it to the spring for extra strength. I sighed as I watched him leave the room, switching off the light and throwing me into complete darkness. And I cried.

[740 words]