The Puppeteer

Chapter 4 - The Victim

.. It was cold, everything felt cold around him. It is wet, and- painful? Yes it is a usual sensation he felt almost every day in his life, this is nothing more than a physical routine, but the pain felt fresher and still stings his body in his sleep. He saw a few things crushing to the ground, he saw himself washing plates and... he saw William drag him and spits down to him as he was lying on the filthy ground...

Zylen gasp as he open his eyes quickly, waking up from that dream.

"You're late! Hurry up change your cloths" William throws a pile of textiles to the cold floor, standing by the door to rush Zylen up. This is the same room Zylen woke up previously.

Zylen breathings stop. He remember clearly what happens upon him last night, the pain were still overwhelming and the bruises could be seen clearly between his torn up cloths and his face. Kicks and yells from last night replay in his mind, his eyes starts to wet with tears.

..Mama...

"Hurry up change" William demanding the boy which seems not motioning from his laying states.

The small boy turns to his side, hugging himself and starts to cry In fear "Help me.." his voice was so low.

William walks over towards him "You said something? Hurry up we don't have time for this"

...I'm scared...mama...

Zylen starts to shivers violently, and cry out when William grab his arm to force him out from the blanket. "Get up!" he throws the broken boy to the floor and he starts to wail.

"No...please don't..." he wails desperately in pure fear. How couldn't he felt scared with a man who just beat him? He withdraws himself to the wall and starts kicking, not wanting him to be touch by his uncle again. William grabs one of his hand to force him to stretch out and slaps him without any warning "Once I'm back I would not see you in the same cloths" he leave the room leaving the poor boy whimpers in pain on the floor.

..It hurts...

He crawls to reach his new cloths in his sobs, obeying the order to avoid further beatings. He wipes his eyes all the time as he is changing, he could see blue bruises on his body, added by last night. He could remember how strong each beating was. He whimpers slowly.

William took a few sips of his coffee, relaxing himself as he enjoy the morning breeze, after a few minutes he glance the clock on the wall, put down his teacup and walk to the lower corridor of the house.

"You're done?" William asked as he approached the tiny dark basement. He didn't see Zylen, but he could hear sobs from the room. He pushes the door wider and found him. The boy was sitting at the corner of the room, hugging his knee so close to himself, crying. William let out a sigh as he approached the poor child. He could see the boy startled as he step closer to him, he stop in front of Zylen. He starts to cry intensely and shivers with the fear "what is it now?" William asked in his moderate tone.

The boy said nothing but cry helplessly in his state. He doesn't want to be beaten again, but he knows he will be, this man is no different than his sadistic father. His father beats him every day and that 'is' his father, this man is his uncle, Zylen is not his child so why would he hesitate to beat him? He could even burn him alive if he desired.

William sit in front of him, bending himself lower without even landing his buttock to the cold floor or touch his knee to the ground. "Look at me when I'm talking to you"

Zylen raise his head slowly, holding his whimpers. Obeying the orders from his uncle, even William lowered himself; he is still so much bigger than Zylen. William stared on Zylen wet eyes; his face was so red from crying "Why do you cry?" He asked, but he could now see Zylen left hand is holding his cheek, the slap was still painful for the six years old child it seems, perhaps he slapped him too hard, much harder than the purposed to wake him up from sleep. Zylen is scared with how close William to him, but he can't run away or moving backward as there is wall behind him. He could see how uneasy William looks compares to yesterday when he first met him.