The Last Laugh

***

I'd turned into a servant in that house. Weeks passed by and things got worse.

Aunt Christina had fired all the employees that uncle Ken had employed and replaced them with people that were loyal to her. All the former employees I could depend on that were my friends were fired.

Aunt Christina would starve me and beat me up often. I was dirty, pale and hungry. I looked more like a slave than anything else. Nobody wanted to touch me, approach me or even speak to me. The new employees tossed me around as much as they wanted to. I'd gone from the little boy with a satisfying lifestyle to the dirty ranch boy. I didn't even have the right to see Heather. I hardly did. I was always outside working. And whenever I cleaned the house, she was always at school.

***

One day, I was starving in the stable and I began sobbing to myself. I prayed to God to help me. I prayed for my dad or uncle Ken to help me. I was hopeless.

Someone came into the stable. I looked up. It was Sawyer.

"S– Sawyer, please. Can you bring me something to eat??" I begged weakly through my tears.

She didn't move but just stared at me.

"Please..."

"And why should I do that?" she asked coldly, folding her arms.

"Please," I cried, "I– I haven't eaten since the day before yesterday."

"That's cuz mom punished you. It isn't my fault if you didn't do the laundry properly. My clothes weren't properly washed."

How could a nine year old be so wicked?

"Sawyer, please." I crawled to her feet weakly. I managed to grab her ankle.

"Aaaah!!" she screamed all of a sudden, "LET ME GO! You're dirty!"

I didn't let her go. I was starving and I kept on begging. I was only 12 years old and I hadn't eaten for three days. I was desperate.

"Please..." I cried weakly.

"MOOM!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Fear took over me and I let her go.

Too late. Aunt Christina appeared angrily with a leather belt in her hand. Sawyer reported everything. Aunt Christina turned to me, as furious as ever.

"Why you dirty little bastard! How dare you???" she growled raising the belt high above her head.

"Noo! Please!" I begged but the belt came down hard on me, hitting across my face and head. I screamed at the unbearable pain.

"Pleeaase!!" I cried painfully. She didn't stop. She started flogging me with the hard leather belt, on every part of my body. Everywhere. I couldn't open my eyes or see anything as she flogged me in total rage. I screamed and screamed for help. She didn't stop. Sawyer stood watching with a satisfied look.

Christinaaa! PLEASE! STOP!

she

heard Heather's voice beg. Aunt Christina stopped flogging

of my face. I saw Heather with a painful look in her eyes. She was sobbing as she looked at me, her hand covering her mouth in shock

doing

to stay in the house?? Didn't

been doing to him?! The last time I saw him he

how dare you shout at

eyes widened in shock. Her daughter had called her wicked.

you?" Aunt Christina growled. Heather stepped back. "Because of

she likes him, mommy!" Sawyer quickly reported,

turned to me, "So you've turned my daughter

shook my head in

"N– noo." I trembled.

the next thing I felt was the

and ran towards her mother, trying her best to pull her

Heather aside, causing her to fall hard on the floor. And

and carried her daughter, "Follow me with the belt!" she told

cried continuously. I was red, black and blue. She'd hit me so hard. My legs, arms and face had swollen. I lay on the hay crying

looked down at me. No remorse or pity in her expression. She only gave me a little smirk before running out of

***

be okay. I was only twelve but I believed I loved her. I wasn't sure though if I could call it love. But what

*

apart from the little noise the horses in the stable with me did. Everyone had gone to sleep. I thought of going to look for left over carrots from the horses'

I felt a soft hand caress my cheek.

Heather?" I called

"Yes..."

I slowly sat up.

I asked, looking straight into her

see

"Won't you be caught?"

I sneaked

at her

also brought you

She opened it. There was rice and tomato sauce in it. "You must

was here with me. She'd sacrificed her sleep and dinner

can I feed you?" she asked nervously,

a

"Yes. Please."