Page 19 of Redemption

Gawain

“Come on. Hurry up.” My father stamps his feet impatiently at me. Apparently, this is a rite of passage in my family to spend a day out with my dad. It’s not one I’m looking forward to. I’d rather be at home playing computer games with my brother Mordred. He’s my youngest brother. At thirteen, he’s three years my junior. It was my birthday yesterday, and this is my present from my father. He stinks of alcohol and stale cigarette smoke, as usual.

“Please, sir, I can’t walk that fast,” I protest weakly. I’m strong and as tall as my father already. He knows it as well. He’s also aware my mother instilled respect into me, insisting I pay deference to my elders, so he knows I won’t answer him back.

“Well, you need to learn. There are some things in life that only a father can teach you and walking fast is one of them.” He grabs my hand and tugs me toward the side door of a darkly painted building.

“Open up, Alwyn,” my father shouts loudly and bangs on the door.

“Code?” comes the reply from a deep voice behind the door. A latch slides across, and an eye appears at the opening, surveying us.

“Fuck you,” my father replies.

“You know the rules, Uri.”

“For fuck’s sake! Nine, four, three, three, seven, two, one,” my father replies through gritted teeth.

“Correct, you may enter.” The door opens and my father walks into the building and immediately punches Alywn straight in the face. The man who’d prevented my father from entering as quickly as he wanted stumbles backward against a wall. My father delivers another quick punch to the stricken man who falls down onto the floor, no longer moving. I jump back in shock at the violence. I know my father isn’t a good man but to see him beating someone up other than my mother, my brothers, or myself, makes me realize how evil he truly is.

“Don’t you ever do that to me again. I’m above your stupid rules and don’t forget it.” My father kicks the man for good measure, grabs my hand, and pulls me along a darkly lit corridor. “You’ll soon learn, son, there are two types of people in this world. People like your father who rule this world, and then those like Alwyn who’ll forever be getting a fist in their face. Make sure you’re the former. I’m not having any son of mine being pushed around. You’re destined for great things.”

“Yes, sir,” I reply really quickly, scared that the next place his fist might land is my face if I disappoint him. I force my legs to walk quickly behind him. Whatever happens from now on, I’ll do whatever he wants me to do. It’s the only way I’ll get out of here in one piece.

My father kicks open a door in front of us. My eyes go wide with shock when I see a couple on a bed. A man is on top of a woman, and it’s obvious they are having sex although the woman doesn’t look like she’s enjoying it. I’m still a virgin. Just surviving each day has been my priority in life, not women. Porn mags and my hand are good enough for me.

“Out and take that bitch with you,” my father orders, and the couple scramble to their feet and make for the door. Before the man can leave, my father grabs him by the arm. “Bring me two to break in.”

“Yes, sir.” The man lowers his head in deference to my father.

“Is this your business?” I ask him, instantly regretting opening my mouth when his face sours, and then a loud laugh bellows from him.

“Finally, one of my kids is smart. Your older brothers aren’t the smartest in the box. I might’ve just found my successor.”

I try not to flinch at his words. Never show fear.

The door opens, and two women are thrown into the room. They are naked, huddled together, and both of them are crying.

“Hello, ladies.” My father stalks over to them. He pulls one toward him and rubs his hand over her breast, grabbing harshly at the sensitive flesh. “Aren’t they beautiful, son?”

I nod quickly, not wanting to disappoint him by telling him the truth, which is that I think they’re beautiful but also absolutely terrified, and this all seems wrong.

“You’ve already learned about the types of men in the world. Well, let me teach you about the women. Women like your mother are the ones we take care of. After all, they feed us, clean our clothes, look after our house, and breed our children from us. You have to show them a minimal amount of respect. Not too much, though. You don’t want them to get illusions of grandeur and think they are better than us because their pussies are only good for sticking a kid in, understand?”

Out of fear, I nod again.

“Now these women, they are slaves. Women who’ve been bought just for us to fuck. We don’t have to show them any respect. We can tear them up as much as we want. Take out our deepest, darkest fantasies on them. Beat them, fuck them in any hole we want, and they’ll take it,” my father informs me with a malicious grin on his face. He pushes the girl he grabbed down onto the bed and while holding her in place with one hand, he lowers his pants with the other. Suddenly, the other girl who’s not being held by him makes a bolt for the door.

“Stop her,” my father orders.

I don’t move. My body is rooted to the spot not believing what I’m seeing. The girl makes it to the door, but the man who was in here earlier is waiting outside. He grabs her and drags her kicking and screaming back into the room.

“Hold her down,” my father orders the other man, and he bends her over the bed.

“It’s time to be a man, son. Time to show me you’re not as weak as your brothers. Another man enters the room and drags me over to the girl presented for me to fuck. I watch my father as he pushes inside his girl, and her ear-splitting scream brings bile to my throat. The man holding me lowers my pants.

“Do it,” my father roars.

The girl before me turns her head, her eyes as blue as the azure ocean. She’s crying, her cheeks blotchy. “Please don’t,” she mouths, but I know I have no choice when a gun is pointed at my head.

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