The World Below [DNF]

Chapter 19: Everyone's a killer if you push them far enough

George POV

Something made George snap. If it had been Clay's story about his dad, guilt or just everything combined, was hard to tell. But something had changed. When George went down to get him and Clay some breakfast, his dad had been waiting for him. He said that George would've to follow him back to his "work" in the evening and the question had just slipped out.

"Do people get killed if they fail to deliver their end of the bargain when gambling?"

His father went quiet. "People know what they sign up for and know the consequences of their actions."

"What about their families then?"

"Well, it will serve as a constant reminder of their failure."

George anger had gotten the best of him. "Addiction is a disease! Are you unable to feel any sort of human emotions?" He'd screamed at his dad.

The man's eyes had gone black. "Your pathetic faith in humanity will be your downfall in this industry."

"I didn't choose this life! You forced me! How can you be so fucking cruel that you lure people into a life of misery?" George shot back before a fist had connected with his jaw.

"If you've forgotten, humans possess free will. I'm only taking advantage of it." George was still boiling.

"Oh, and don't think for a second that I don't know about your friends, especially a certain blonde one. He will be the death of you. Mark my words."

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The conversation kept replaying and George was certain that his dad must've been a part in Clay's dad's death, and the guilt was killing him.

School finally broke him. Ms. Bakers class had been the last drop. It wasn't that he was extremely passionate about evolution, but he was so sick of authorities. Everything made him resent the world a bit more.

After he'd stormed of the classroom, he felt the need to escape the building. He felt suffocated. It was as if someone had opened a door to all the suppressed emotions and situations that had been bottled up during these last months.

George hated it but his mom leaving still hurt. They'd never been close, but she was still his mom and she'd just left him as if he'd been nothing more than dirt. Then it was the entire thing about moving to a new country with a dad who already had a plan for your future.

He found a bench in a quiet place of the schoolyard. He closed his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts. Another unpleasant feeling crept up in the back of his head. He couldn't deny that he loved Clay. But how the hell would he ever be able to accept him if he knew the truth? About what his father worked with and what George himself was planned to continue doing?

His knife was as usual strapped to his legs. He reached down to grab his butterfly knife. His brain was making him lose touch with reality, so he let the knife fly open and then close over and over. The simple gesture was good enough to refocus some of his energy. However, his self-loading would come to an end when three boys appeared.

"So, the knife-boy is all alone this time!"

Fuck. The guys from the skatepark. Why did they pick today of all days?

"No snarky response this time?" George disadvantage was clear. The yelling seemed to have caught the attention of other students, because a crowd was forming around them. George kept quiet, knowing that angering the guys even more would hardly help his odds.

It didn't take long for them to corner him. The knife was still in his hand, but it wouldn't do him much good. He'd always stand on the sideline when fights broke loose, and only interfered when he could use the act of surprise.