Page 2 of Tears of Ruin

One last attempt to steel myself, a hard wince, then I eased the door open, stopping just before the squeak of hinges I knew was coming. Three short, shallow breaths, two struggles to stop my racing heart, and one prayer I knew wouldn’t be answered.

It never was.

“Boy, how many times have I warned you about running from me?” He snapped the leather belt, a sharpcrackslicing through the air like a whip of thunder. I jumped, nearly crying out, but caught the sound before it escaped.

The landing at the top of the stairs was ten feet away, but Martin had sounded close, causing me to momentarily freeze in terror.

Just move, just move, just move.

I had to look down as I eased forward, dodging the floorboards that creaked. Despite the fact he was overweight and out of shape, my father was fast. One false move and he would be all over me.

Knowing how that leather belt felt against bare skin, I forced myself to keep moving. If I made it out of the house, I was never returning. Being homeless was better than… No. I wasn’t letting my mind become distracted. I had to keep my wits about me. I navigated the floorboards like they were pressure plates in a deadly trap.

Only I was evading creaks instead of explosives, mapping out a safe path from hell. With each silent step I took, the landing seemed to recede further away.

Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic.

A loud creak echoed through the hallway. Shoot!

I froze, holding my breath as I waited for the sound of my father’s footsteps. But there was nothing. Had he not heard the creak, or had he simply dismissed it as the old house settling? I didn’t dare move, didn’t dare breathe. I stood rigid, straining to listen for any sign of movement. But the only sound was the ticktock of the pendulum on the antique clock downstairs.

Slowly, I began to inch forward again, every muscle in my body tensed and ready to bolt. The landing was so close now, yet it felt like it might as well have been on the other side of the planet.

“You and I both know what you saw, Noam. It was very naughty of you to spy on me.”

The air seemed heavier, pressing down on me like I was sinking into quicksand. I clenched my jaw so tight my teeth ached, but it was the only way to stay quiet. He was taunting me, trying to terrify me, and it was working spectacularly.

Just move, just move, just move.

I’d lost count of how many times I’d recited those words over the years but always ended up getting caught.

Stop sabotaging yourself. It’s just a game, remember?If only I could convince myself of the lie.

Sweat dripped down my forehead, stinging my eyes and blurring my vision. Using the hem of my shirt, I wiped it away. Although it was mid-July, my sweat wasn’t from the oppressive heat.

Finally, I made it to the top of the stairs. My hand, shaking like crazy, gripped the banister as I began my descent.

Twenty steps to navigate.

Twenty steps closer to freedom.

I could almost taste the fresh air that awaited me outside, sweet and liberating. But I wasn’t there yet. As I made my way down to the living room, I counted each step. The antique clock did as well, as if marking time alongside me.

No sooner had my foot touched the floor than Martin’s attention-deprived cat ran toward me and started meowing. Despicable was like a siren during a prison break.

Shut up, shut up, shut up!I made a shooing motion with my hands and even kicked my foot out toward his orange, furry body. Not to hurt him but to try and scare him enough to run away.

That only made Despicable meow louder, like my sneaker had actually made contact. Heart thumping, I sprinted toward the door. Just as my hand grazed the warm metal handle, a searing pain shot through my leg as the belt came down hard. Crack!

I cried out in pain, but I didn’t stop. Refused to stop. If I did, there was no telling what he would do to me.

He grabbed for my shirt, but I managed to dodge his fingers, stumbling out of the front door in a dizzying rush of limbs and fear.

I wasn’t safe yet, though. The labored breathing I heard behind me was a clear sign he hadn’t stopped chasing me. But I refused to look back.

The only thing that mattered was putting as much distance between us as possible.

The pain in my leg caused me to limp while I ran. If I didn’t find somewhere to hide, my out-of-shape father would catch me, because he had a demon inside of him, helping him to run even though I had no doubt Martin wanted to collapse.

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