Page 168 - The Houseguest

this as long as he could, but his father’s loudmouth ways obviously had angered the gathering of misfits. He sat up to see his father being mercilessly beaten and kicked. His instinct was to jump in and protect him, after all this was his own flesh and blood and any hesitation could prove fateful. Yet, if he himself got involved and pummeled as well, who would protect Laura from this band of drunken rebels? He shook his head feeling the turmoil inside as if it were happening to him now. That night he did make the ill-fated decision to help his father. He couldn’t sit and watch their punches striking the man, no matter how depraved he was. In hindsight, perhaps letting him die by their hands that day would’ve worked out better for his own life. As the fight escalated that night, it was as though they took even more pleasure in the punches that struck Victor’s kid. They probably believed he was like other fathers and seeing his son beaten would be worse than taking the punches himself. They obviously didn’t know Victor Gabel well. They left the house after the beatings. Brian remembers peering up from a blood puddle to see them exiting the front door. He was grateful Laura had remained quiet as he’d instructed her to do, always. He’s not sure they were the type to hurt a child, but fortunately, they never found out she was in the house. He was thankful for that because he wouldn’t have had the strength that night to protect her.
The two men spent the night sprawled out on the floor. One in agony, the other too drunk to feel the pain. Brian stood up and steadied himself, though the room was spinning. He looked down at his father, not sure if he was dead or alive. Instead of rushing to him to check, he ran to his sister’s bedroom, grabbed the hidden key and unlocked the
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The Houseguest by Linda Ellis www.LindaEllis.life