Fading away || Reddie

One

Includes:  racial/ homophobic slurs, cursing, and abuse. Please do not read if you are sensitive to this.

Eddie Kaspbrak felt beads of sweat roll down his forehead and back as he ran down the streets of San Francisco.

You're never gonna make it in time he thought.

He looked to his watch and saw it flashing the numbers 6:45.
Shit. This is it.

Eddie knew he had to be home by 630 but that didn't stop people from cornering him by his lockers and kicking him until he was on the floor, hands over his face.

He never cried. He wouldn't give them that satisfaction, let them see him in such despair. Maybe that's why the punches always got stronger and the kicks always lasted longer, or maybe he was just getting weaker.
The small bruised boy let out a gasp of relief as he turned the corner to his house. But that didn't change the fact that he was now twenty minutes late.

You've done it this time. Eddie thought to himself.

He arrived at the front of his small white one story house at 6:22. The house looked as if it was towering over him, threatening to fall on top of him, and the sweat was now dripping into his eyes, blurring his vision.

He quietly opened the door and stepped into the cold house. All the lights were off except one light coming from a small lamp. Under the lamp sat his father, frank Kaspbrak, holding a beer in one hand and his watch in the other .
I'm fucked Eddie thought quietly to himself.

"22 minutes. Do you even care at this point?" Frank spat at him as he still sat in the old lazyboy.

"Ye-" Eddie started to whisper before frank jumped out of his chair and screamed
"22 MINUTES! I told you that yesterday was the last fucking time you would be late. 6:30 Eddie, six-fucking-thirty is the time I told you to be home." His words made Eddie flinch and back up to the door.

"I know, I'm sorry, really, trust me this is the last time. I promise." Eddie said.

"No,no,no. That's the last time I'm gonna here that excuse. I'm tired of the shit you say every time." Frank spat as he ran in eddies direction.

"No, frank, please I'm sorry. Please don-"
Eddie was cut off by the sound of frank slapping him hard across the face. Eddie cheek soon shone a bright red and he could feel his heart in his throat.

Eddie, already prepared for Frank's next move, threw his hands up to his face to prevent any more hits.

"This is the last fucking straw. You crossed a line this time, Eddie." He yelled as he reached for his old beer bottle that was sitting on the kitchen counter.
Before Eddie could have had a chance to react the bottle came flying at his head and hit him smack above his eyes and then fell to the floor where it smashed into a million pieces.

White hot pain ran through his entire system. tears ran to his eyes and his hands shot up to his forehead. He could already feel a bump forming on the spot the bottle hit. Eddie fell back a couple feet and lost his balance, falling to the floor, landing right on the broken glass.

"Fuck! Ow! That fucking hurt frank!" Eddie screamed at his father. "That fucking hurt you dick!"

Eddie pushed himself against the wall behind him and slowly stood up, feeling the glass fall off his bleeding legs.

"Excuse me?" Frank screamed at him, his face turning red with rage and his fists raising.

"What? You gonna punch me now? Go ahead, you dick! I don't give a shit anymore!" Eddie said and he threw up his middle finger to frank. This was the first time he ever yelled back, and he was scared he wasn't going to be able to stop.

All the rage he had ever felt was boiling at the surface of Eddie Kaspbrak.

"You better stop now you little-" frank started to say but was promptly cut off by Eddie.

"What? You going to kill me?! Go ahead! I'm not worth anything to anyone, might as well get rid of me! You fucking piece of shit!" The tiny boy spat back.

"That's it, you little fag boy! Get the fuck out of my fucking house! I give you a home and food and all I ask in return is a curfew, and what do you do?! You show up late!" Frank shouted.  "Go live with your fat ass mother in Maine, just get the fuck out of my house you fucking faggot! You're not my fucking son, you're nothing!"

And with these words diminished any rage Eddie had, any good comebacks he had disappeared. He was beat, broken, and the tears he had held back so long fell to the floor and didn't stop.

"Get out! Stop fucking standing there!" Frank yelled and with that Eddie ran to the left towards his room.

He grabbed all the hangers in his closet that had his clothes on them and grabbed the largest duffle in his closet. He dumped all his drawers into his bag and grabbed his phone charger and all the money out of his sock drawer. Before he left he ran into Frank's room across the hall and grabbed the two packs of cigarette in his sock drawer and the bottle of whiskey and bottle of vodka in his closet.

He zipped his duffel and threw it over his shoulder and he could hear the bottle of alcohol clink together. Eddie ran down the hall and opened the fridge and reached for two beers for opening the door.

"Leave those fucking beers here you bitch!" He heard frank scream, but he didn't flinch this time. He turned to frank for the last time and threw up his middle finger and shouted
"Fuck you!" and then he slammed the door behind him.

That was it, he was free. He was also homeless. And alone.

Eddie didn't cry though, because there was a calming essence in him knowing he was never going to see Frank again. Never going to endure another punch from a bully or his father. Never going to eat lunch by his locker, watching anyone who opened the door to make sure it wasn't the bullies.
He was free.

Eddie knew where the train station was, so that's where he headed. If his Mother didn't want him then he'd make another plan, but right now he was headed for Derry, Maine.

He arrived at the bus station at 7:30 and he put out the butt of his cigarette at the ticket station desk before asking for a ticket to Maine. It cost more than half of his savings but he didn't care, he just wanted to get on the train and sleep, forgot all the things his father said.

You not my fucking son, you're nothing! Frank's words echoed in his mind. He pulled out the bottle of whiskey and took three sips until the words stopped echoing.

The train was practically empty and he didn't mind that. He leaned against the window and quickly fell asleep as the town of San Fran faded away. And along with that his memories faded too.

Hope you liked this chapter ! Next one will be in Maine !!