What He Wouldn't Give (Unedited Version)

Chapter Four: Three Months Ago

Three Months Ago...

            "He got what?" Eli tried not to scream.

Officer Declan had just gotten back from his father's trial and since they couldn't prove either's side they decided that for the next few months that Luke would go to Anger Management and go talk to a therapist they assigned to him. When Eli found out he couldn't believe what a manipulative cunning (insert choice of words here) man his father was. Declan messed Eli's head then headed out the door to work. Eli had become home schooled for the last few months as he was recovering and Officer Declan thought it would be easier for Eli, not to mention Eli didn't care not to go back to public school.

            Eli was a smart kid when he tried, but the time around his mother's death he gave up on everything but living. He seemed dead inside, now months later he would play head on head with Officer Declan in Halo and Destiny. He began to work out a little as time allowed with his injuries. Eli was looking a lot like he used to before Stacy passed and that brought a smile to Officer Declan's face. Eli was in the shower when someone knocked on the door of Mr. Declan's house followed with a shout.

            "YOU HAVE TO COME HOME SOMETIME SON!"

Eli cringed and turned the shower off and was as quiet as he could and got dressed. He snuck into his room and was about to call Declan when he heard a motorcycle peel out of the driveway.

Eli had been feeling pretty good, he had been getting healthier and was happy, except for the occasional nightmares that haunted his mind one or twice a week. Declan didn't know about Eli's waking up in the middle of the night terrified out of his mind. The dream would usually go like this:

Eli walked downstairs buttoning his shirt as his father, drunk out of his mind already, screaming for him to get down in the next second. Eli wasn't super human so he failed and when he reached the bottom step his father threw the empty bottle at him. Eli couldn't dodge it and it broke cutting up the left side of his face. Eli tried all he could to move, but he couldn't and Luke kept getting closer saying things like " 'It's all your fault Eli' 'You were a mistake' 'I never loved you' " Eli couldn't move as his father's fist connected to his jaw making his head turn to the side. It was a repeat of what actually happened although this time Eli couldn't fight back and stand for himself and he felt like his father would end up killing him. Right before Eli passes out he jolts up in bed.

            Eli couldn't get the courage to tell Officer Declan about the nightmares, he just stayed up playing the xbox he now had in his room. Eli called his home school teacher and said he was sick and tomorrow he shouldn't come by and he climbed into bed immediately falling asleep upon laying his head on his pillow. He was asleep still around seven when Declan came back after work. Declan heard screaming coming from Eli's room and rush in fearing the worse possibilities. He saw Eli asleep, yet this didn't make him feel relieved, he lightly shook Eli to wake him up.

"Hey kiddo... bad dream huh?" he said once he got Eli's attention and Eli just nodded and asked for some water. He didn't pry and knew Eli would talk when he was ready, he left and headed to the kitchen to get Eli a glass of water. Eli sat up in the bed and hugged his knees trying to get the images out of his head and a few tears managed to escape from his eyes; he managed quickly to remove their evidence of ever being on his tanned face. He turned and grabbed his phone of the nightstand and pressed play on whatever song was playing next on his music app.

The fimilar strumming of The Offspring's Want You Bad filled Eli's ears and by the fifth song he managed to stop shaking and laid back down. By the tenth song Eli was back asleep and Declan went to check back up on Eli bringing him dinner. Eli woke up shortly after that and turned his music down and walked downstairs every so slightly cringing with each step he took as he remembered his nightmare. Eli walked into the kitchen and saw the officer sitting at the bar drinking a beer and for some reason his hand dropped the plate of food on the floor and Eli turned and ran back upstairs.  'No no no, this isn't the same. He's not like Luke. Everyone drinks... he will become like...' Eli couldn't handle these thoughts and drowned them out with music. Declan cleaned up the glass and then dumped the rest of his beer and for Eli's sake got rid of the rest of it.