Licorice # 3
Author: Jenn
Challenge: Licorice # 3 (Three Bags Full)
Rating: PG-13 (for some swearing)
Word Count: 1019
Story: EVELYN
Summary: Evelyn packs his bags as he prepares to leave the past behind for good.
Notes: A new horror story about a young man named Evelyn. Because horror is awesome and so are men with girly names.
The house that Evelyn had once so happily called home felt hazy, like a dream. Empty. As he packed his clothing into a rucksack he wondered if it was better than before. Was it really an improvement to go from feeling completely trapped and terrified to being all alone? Evelyn knew that the correct answer was yes, but even so, deep down he disagreed. Even Garret's fists didn't frighten him as much as his own dependency.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed to pull on his battered old trainers, the only pair he owned since Garret thought it was a waste of money to buy more, Evelyn fought not to look at the corner of the room opposite him, or more specifically, the dark stain in the wall paper. As hard as he tried though, even just thinking about it brought the unwanted memories creeping in...
- - -
"Why the fuck were you talking to him? Huh?" Garret bellowed, gesturing furiously around the room despite there being no one but Evelyn and him in the house. "What made you think you could just go and- and talk to that bastard, even though I specifically told you not to?"
Evelyn cowered by the large picture window, his hands gripping the windowsill behind him so tightly that he heard the paint creak. "I- I'm sorry..." he whispered feebly, trembling from head to foot and wishing he could just stop, because he knew it would only make Garret angrier.
"Sorry?!" Garret repeated, taking a menacing step forward, right into Evelyn's personal space. "Sorry doesn't make up for fucking around behind my back."
"I wasn't!" Evelyn said quickly, lifting his head to meet Garret's gaze and shaking his head desperately.
Garret's hand whipped out too fast for Evelyn to even comprehend what had happened let alone dodge out of the way. The back of the larger man's hand struck him across the face like being hit with a wrecking ball and Evelyn stumbled before falling. His head slammed against the wall before he slumped into dazed heap on the floor in the corner of the room.
"Don't you ever lie to me again," Garret snarled. His voice was utterly devoid of remorse.
As he turned and left the room, Evelyn reached up and tentatively touched his temple. His hand away bloody and he wondered if it was serious seconds before he passed out.
- - -
The memory left a bitter taste in his mouth and Evelyn sighed, pulling the knot on his trainers tight and standing up and grabbing his rucksack. There was no point dwelling in the past, not when a new start was so close to hand. He hurried out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
He made his way into the kitchen next, setting his rucksack down on the table before rummaging around in the cupboards for a freezer bag. After finding one he set about pillaging the fridge and freezer for anything he could eat that wouldn't require cooking. Annie had told him that the electricity was off in the new house and until he could get an electrician in to fix it for him he'd have to live off junk food and sandwiches. He hoped Graining wasn't too far away from the house.
When he finally ran out of room in the freezer bag he shut the fridge door and just as he was about to turn away something caught his eye. It was a note stuck to the door with a magnet.
Going to Daniel's for the day. Don't go out until I get back because I've lost my key.
- G
Evelyn stared at it blankly, his teeth grinding in frustration at the blatant lie. He knew Garret hadn't forgotten his key. He never forgot his key. Never-the-less, the lie had become a staple part of their relationship ever since they moved in together. Evelyn had caught on after the fourth time he'd used it but he hadn't said anything, knowing better by then than to test Garret's patience.
Turning his back on the note, Evelyn put the freezer bag down beside his rucksack. There was one more thing he needed to do before he could leave.
Heading into the small study, Evelyn grabbed his laptop case and returned to the kitchen with it. This joined the other two bags on the desk and he opened it up, rummaging around inside for a notebook and pen. Once he found them he sat down to write what would hopefully be the last thing he'd ever say to Garret.
I don't know if you've figured it out yet but to put it bluntly, I've left you. It shouldn't come as that much of a surprise, unless you thought I was stupider than I've been acting these last few years. No one in their right mind would put up with what I have for as long as I have. But it's over now. I'm leaving and if I never see you again it'll be too soon. I think I must have loved you once. Needless to say, I don't anymore.
Evelyn
He gazed at the words for a long moment, a heavy feeling of uncertainty settling in his stomach. It had been a long time since he was on his own and despite the cruel way Garret treated him, he did look after Evelyn in his own way. Evelyn knew that it was most likely just another method of control - forcing him to become dependant - but the stupid little part of his mind that had convinced him to stay for the last three years wouldn't stop saying 'what if''. What if Garret really did love him? What if things could go back to the way they used to be? What if this was really all his fault and if he changed things would get better?
On that last thought, Evelyn shook his head violently and tore the sheet out of his notepad. He tossed it down on the table and picked up his bags. Enough was enough. He had to leave now before things spiralled even further out of control.
Challenge: Licorice # 3 (Three Bags Full)
Rating: PG-13 (for some swearing)
Word Count: 1019
Story: EVELYN
Summary: Evelyn packs his bags as he prepares to leave the past behind for good.
Notes: A new horror story about a young man named Evelyn. Because horror is awesome and so are men with girly names.
The house that Evelyn had once so happily called home felt hazy, like a dream. Empty. As he packed his clothing into a rucksack he wondered if it was better than before. Was it really an improvement to go from feeling completely trapped and terrified to being all alone? Evelyn knew that the correct answer was yes, but even so, deep down he disagreed. Even Garret's fists didn't frighten him as much as his own dependency.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed to pull on his battered old trainers, the only pair he owned since Garret thought it was a waste of money to buy more, Evelyn fought not to look at the corner of the room opposite him, or more specifically, the dark stain in the wall paper. As hard as he tried though, even just thinking about it brought the unwanted memories creeping in...
- - -
"Why the fuck were you talking to him? Huh?" Garret bellowed, gesturing furiously around the room despite there being no one but Evelyn and him in the house. "What made you think you could just go and- and talk to that bastard, even though I specifically told you not to?"
Evelyn cowered by the large picture window, his hands gripping the windowsill behind him so tightly that he heard the paint creak. "I- I'm sorry..." he whispered feebly, trembling from head to foot and wishing he could just stop, because he knew it would only make Garret angrier.
"Sorry?!" Garret repeated, taking a menacing step forward, right into Evelyn's personal space. "Sorry doesn't make up for fucking around behind my back."
"I wasn't!" Evelyn said quickly, lifting his head to meet Garret's gaze and shaking his head desperately.
Garret's hand whipped out too fast for Evelyn to even comprehend what had happened let alone dodge out of the way. The back of the larger man's hand struck him across the face like being hit with a wrecking ball and Evelyn stumbled before falling. His head slammed against the wall before he slumped into dazed heap on the floor in the corner of the room.
"Don't you ever lie to me again," Garret snarled. His voice was utterly devoid of remorse.
As he turned and left the room, Evelyn reached up and tentatively touched his temple. His hand away bloody and he wondered if it was serious seconds before he passed out.
- - -
The memory left a bitter taste in his mouth and Evelyn sighed, pulling the knot on his trainers tight and standing up and grabbing his rucksack. There was no point dwelling in the past, not when a new start was so close to hand. He hurried out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
He made his way into the kitchen next, setting his rucksack down on the table before rummaging around in the cupboards for a freezer bag. After finding one he set about pillaging the fridge and freezer for anything he could eat that wouldn't require cooking. Annie had told him that the electricity was off in the new house and until he could get an electrician in to fix it for him he'd have to live off junk food and sandwiches. He hoped Graining wasn't too far away from the house.
When he finally ran out of room in the freezer bag he shut the fridge door and just as he was about to turn away something caught his eye. It was a note stuck to the door with a magnet.
Going to Daniel's for the day. Don't go out until I get back because I've lost my key.
- G
Evelyn stared at it blankly, his teeth grinding in frustration at the blatant lie. He knew Garret hadn't forgotten his key. He never forgot his key. Never-the-less, the lie had become a staple part of their relationship ever since they moved in together. Evelyn had caught on after the fourth time he'd used it but he hadn't said anything, knowing better by then than to test Garret's patience.
Turning his back on the note, Evelyn put the freezer bag down beside his rucksack. There was one more thing he needed to do before he could leave.
Heading into the small study, Evelyn grabbed his laptop case and returned to the kitchen with it. This joined the other two bags on the desk and he opened it up, rummaging around inside for a notebook and pen. Once he found them he sat down to write what would hopefully be the last thing he'd ever say to Garret.
I don't know if you've figured it out yet but to put it bluntly, I've left you. It shouldn't come as that much of a surprise, unless you thought I was stupider than I've been acting these last few years. No one in their right mind would put up with what I have for as long as I have. But it's over now. I'm leaving and if I never see you again it'll be too soon. I think I must have loved you once. Needless to say, I don't anymore.
Evelyn
He gazed at the words for a long moment, a heavy feeling of uncertainty settling in his stomach. It had been a long time since he was on his own and despite the cruel way Garret treated him, he did look after Evelyn in his own way. Evelyn knew that it was most likely just another method of control - forcing him to become dependant - but the stupid little part of his mind that had convinced him to stay for the last three years wouldn't stop saying 'what if''. What if Garret really did love him? What if things could go back to the way they used to be? What if this was really all his fault and if he changed things would get better?
On that last thought, Evelyn shook his head violently and tore the sheet out of his notepad. He tossed it down on the table and picked up his bags. Enough was enough. He had to leave now before things spiralled even further out of control.