“Pathetic!” Father bellowed, looming over Joe. “Get it right, boy.”
Of all Father’s extreme drills, Joe despised “the spelling game” the most. “P-U—”
“Wrong!” Father struck Joe’s cheek. “You’re pathetic.”
The next evening, after years of fear and abuse, twelve-year-old Joe declared freedom.
“Wake up!” he yelled, standing before Father’s recliner.
Drunk, Father struggled against tightly wound ropes, duct tape covering his mouth.
“Retribution. That’s your word.” Joe glared at Father. “Best get it right.”
Father turned red, making unintelligible noises.
“Don’t understand? Here, let me show you.”
Joe lifted Father’s ax, smiling. His cheek no longer hurt.
About the Creator
Heather Hagy
Stephen King fan (but not like Annie "I'm your #1 fan" Wilkes cuz I'm sane and she's not)
Horror/supernatural are my favorite writing genres
Wife to 1 and mom to 4 humans, 4 dogs, 6 cats, and a dragon
"Jaws" is the greatest movie ever
Keep reading
More stories from Heather Hagy and writers in Fiction and other communities.
Bonded: The Story of Dag and Aila
Dag woke from hibernation with an ache in his back and a rumble in his belly. He opened his large yellow eyes and looked around the cold, dark cave. He was alone, no surprise. Knut and Tor likely hibernated together; they did everything together, much like twins. Rune might be in there, too, Dag mused. Rune followed Knut and Tor everywhere like an obedient pup. But Rune was fat, even for a juvenile dragon, and Dag pictured Knut and Tor kicking his chubby rump out of their cave.
By Heather Hagyabout a year ago in Fiction
Hush
I was flung back against the wall and the door slammed behind me. I was conscious of a rising dread, one that only increased as I looked around. The room was creepily neat and tidy, but it was not clean. Dark stains, brownish, spattered the cement walls and stone floor. The bed against the wall looked clean enough, and it was surprisingly large and soft. For a room that looked singularly like a cell, the bed was out of place.
By ThatOne_Girl5 days ago in Fiction
Comments (3)
I am with Donna on this one, Joe deserves a medal! So much drama and horror in such a short piece. Well done, Heather!
Horrific!!! Left a bloody ♥
😱! Can’t help but root for Joe here! Nice job!!!