Tainted: Origins of a Psycho

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Vincent:

Victor released my chin and started pacing around the small room, the wheels in his mind spinning as he considered how to appropriately punish me for attacking his beloved princess. I would have been terrified by this a few weeks ago, but I was so numb from Mommy's death that I could not have cared less what happened to me. Besides, what could he do to me that he hasn't done already?

I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms behind my head. "If you're going to beat the crap out of me...can you go ahead and get it over with? I don't feel like sitting here all day."

Victor stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at me, his jaw clenched and the vein in his forehead throbbing. "What did you say, boy?"

"You said you're going to punish me. So, do it."

I was immediately snatched from my chair and slammed into the wall. Victor pressed his arm against my neck and raised his fist in the air, getting ready to beat the hell out of me, until the door to the coffee room flung open.

Grandma stepped inside with her bible in her hand, dropping it on the floor when saw what was happening. "What in God's name are you doing to him!?" She demanded, pulling Victor off of me with a glare on her face.

"This is none of your business, Ma!"

"Like hell it isn't!" Grandma growled, "I told you to keep your hands off of him."

"I don't care what you said! The little asshole beat the shit out of Violet, and I can't let him get away with it! He needs to be punished!"

"Then, go ahead!!" I challenged again, taking a brave step towards him. "Beat me right here in the funeral home! I don't give a flying-"

"Vincent!" Grandma gasped, covering my mouth before I could finish. She wrapped her arm around my shoulders as my chest heaved up and down violently.

"You see what I mean?" Victor said, shaking his head. "The boy is a loose cannon.  If this kind of behavior continues he'll grow up to be a a low life criminal."

His hypocritical words sent another wave of rage through me and I pushed Grandma's hand away from my mouth.  "You're one to talk!  If it wasn't for you Jordan and Mommy would both still be alive!"

"Why you little-" Victor raised his hand up to hit me, but Grandma stepped in between us.

"Stop it! Both of you!" She shouted sternly, extending her arms out so that her hands were on both our chests. "This is not the time or the place for this nonsense. We are here to pay our respects to Vera, and so help me God if you two don't stop this useless bickering right now I'm going to knock you both into next week! Do I make myself clear!?"

Victor and I glanced at each other briefly before our eyes shamefully shifted down to the floor. "Yes, ma'am." We answered in unison.

"Good." Grandma breathed, lowering her arms down to her sides. "We'll talk more about this tonight at my house. But, for now, let's go out there and put on a good face for everyone."

The three of us made our way back to the main hall of the funeral home and mingled with the other mourners, as if nothing had happened.  I stayed with Katherine and Molly for most of the time, and when the time came for us to leave I rode home with Grandma. 

She made me a cup of hot cocoa and insisted that I change into a more comfortable set of clothes.  I went into my bedroom to do as I was told, and when I returned to the living room I saw her and Victor sitting on the sofa.

In the recliner next to them was Reverend Michael Dawson, the pastor of Grandma's church.  He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his brown hair before standing up, extending his hand towards me.  "Hello, son.  How are you feeling this evening?"