Bruised Innocence

Chapter 17

Arwin stirred in his bed and found himself awake again. He shifted uncomfortably. He was still painfully aware of the wound in his stomach and he wanted to cry out loud.

Tears kept falling and moving down his cheeks.

"No! No! No!" He shook his head.

"This can't happen, they can't know. Please God, make them forget all of this!" he prayed.

Suddenly, a mocking, hateful voice rang in his head.

"That you can be sure of ! Once I am done with you, You won't tell anyone a thing. You don't want people to be disgusted by you, do you? Even if you did, I doubt anyone would believe you."  

Arwin tried very hard to remember who said it to him but all he could see was darkness where their face should be.

He remembered things in very vivid flashes. The feelings were all there. The pain, the struggle, the hopelessness but he couldn't remember who it was that caused them.

I don't want anyone to know about it. I don't want them to be disgusted by me.

He knew he could always count on his dad for things. His dad was always there. Be it going to far off places for his exams, the quizzes and even the school.

His dad made sure that things became okay. Even when Arwin panicked or got anxious about things, his dad would always have words to say to him that would make things better.

Please dad! Please don't let this happen to me! Don't let other know about it. I wouldn't be able to deal with the shame.

He pleaded inwardly and almost on cue, heard his father's furious voice.

"I won't spare him. Even if it ruins me, I will find him. Whoever did this to my boy won't get away with this. I will geld that bastard and make sure that he spends the rest of his life in a prison even if it's the last thing I do."

More tears made their way down his cheeks. It touched him to hear his dad say those things but he didn't want him getting in trouble either.

He knew that his father would not leave a stone upturned to get them but his heart hoped that he would stop it. If it was upto him, he would just forget all about it and spend the rest of his life at home.

The door opened with a creak and he heard someone come in. Arwin wasn't ready to face anyone just yet. He held his breath.

Cold hands touched his forehead gently and he knew. He would never forget his mother's touch. Dry sobs accompanied the touch of his mother.

He held back his own tears but they forced themselves out at the sides.

At that, the hand immediately withdrew itself and footsteps shuffled out of the room.

He tried to open his eyes to look at her, to ask her not to leave but going by the thud of the door,she had already left. So Arwin allowed sleep to claim him once again.

*An emotional one to write. I am happy with the manner things are moving ahead. Comments please.  Updated on 24/08/20*