Time Away , Establishment of Terror

The Runaway (Part 2)

Felix felt as if his heart was going to burst as he stared out at the rocky beach, the stones rough against the worn bottoms of his shoes. Clutching the front of his shirt he exhaled deeply, shutting his eyes tightly.

"How…how can I be here? I was at that store. The guy in the top hat." He found himself remarking outloud. His only reply was the oceans lapping against the shore, the sound of gulls in the distance. Felix exhaled deeply and sneezed as the scent of salt and brine filled his nose and lungs, the moisture clinging to his hair and skin.

His eyes finally snapped open when he heard voices coming towards him. The young man clutched the pocket watch in hand expecting police or even worst his father to show up. Instead it was two kids running down the beach, a boy and a girl. The girl was pretty with hazel brown hair falling down her back, the sun playing off her l locks. Her pink smiling face was smattered with delicate freckles across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. The boy was stout with messy black eyes and big brown eyes. Dressed in overalls and a white shirt. The girl was giggling holding something in her fingertips.

"C'mon, Mary give it back. My mom is going to be very mad. " He cried, his voice between annoyed and scared. "I didn't want you to take it from her jewelry box." He added, reaching for her grabbing her arm.

The girl Mary pushed him away with her free hand well holding the ring in the other hand. "It's mine now. It's so pretty." Mary was still giggling trying to keep it away from him. The boy's face scrunched into anger, it washed over his face as he grabbed her by the front of her dress and snatching it from her hand. Looking down at the ring he let go of her dress, dropping her to the ground. Mary toppled to the ground and sniffled.

"I'm gonna tell on you! I hope your mom punishes you. You're a freak, Adam!"

Felix watched as thus unfolded, realizing that the boy he was observing was his father as a child, the ring the one he would give his mother in the future. He stared down at the pocket watch in terrified wonder. Adam, red faced had picked up a rock in both hands and raised it above hid head to strike the girl on the ground.

Felix started to shake as he saw his father moving towards the scared girl. "Noooooooo" he was thinking, but kept his mouth shut. The girl did see him, her big eyes begging him for help. Instead shut his eyes tightly, clutching the pocket watch, shutting everything out like he always did. He always turned a blind eye to things happening around him, or running away.

Suddenly the world seemed to fall away like being sucked away, the moisture leaving his skin, the sound drown out except his rapid breathing. Slowly he opened his eyes he found himself no longer at the beach. He was in an alley down the street from his house. The young man's hearing returned as a car honked its horn on the street behind him. Looking around he shivered a bit and saw a young overweight man being bullied by a couple of older boys. The young man was being pushed against the wall. One of the bullies stood a foot taller with a lean body and smirked, throwing a punch towards his face, the impact of muscles being bruised and bones being broken.

"What are you going to do, Piggy?" The other bully asked, a red haired boy, a spiked collar around his neck, dressed as a punk. "We saw you gazing pervly at his sister. We told you to stop stalking her." The lean boy punched the overweight one called Piggy in the stomach causing him to double over. The red haired boy suddenly looked up seeing Felix standing there.

"This ain't your buisness. This guy has been watching my friend's sister like a pervert." He started towards Felix who started to back up.

"Listen guys I didn't see anything. I'll just leave" he replied, holding onto the pocket watch tightly. The two bullies turned from Felix and back to Piggy. The lean one picking up a nearby pipe.

"They are going to kill me. Help me." The overweight young man wheezed, still short of breath having been punched. Felix shook his head furious. "You are on your own!" He turned and ran down the hall, leaving Piggy to his fate. Grunts and screams met his back as he abandoned him.

Felix ran down the alley until he came to the door of the vack of a store. Extending his hand he felt his fingers wet from perspiration. Clutching the knob he turned it and pulled it open. Surprised the door was open he threw himself inside. To his shock, he was in his apartment, the one he shared with his parents.

"It…has to be a dream." He whispered to himself, but the pocket watch was clutched in his fingertips. Steadying his heart rate he walked into the kitchen. His mother Anna was standing by the stove, sturring a pot of soup. She turned, her dark hair falling down her cheeks.

"Felix, I am happy you're home. Dinner is almost done, and your father will be back." She gave him a warm smile. "Set the table please." After seeing his father as a child, and the bullies in the alley he was happy to just be home. Going to the cabinet he pulled out the plates and silverware from the drawer. Anne cut the carrots on the cutting board, humming tunelessly. Felix looked over at her and found himself wanting to hum, the sound infectious. Gazing over at her he noticed the sapphire ring on her finger missing.

"Mom, what happened to the ring? Your wedding ring?" He asked, knowing how much it meant to her. Anna looked at him, then down at her hand where her finger was bare of her usual finery.

"Oh- I" she started, but was interrupted when his father Adam stepped in, pulling his tie loose, placing his briefcase aside. Felix watched his dad as he moved around the kitchen, opening a cabinet near his wife's head. Anna stiffened visibly, placing her knife down to not to provoke him. Adam pulled out a bottle of vodka and poured it into a nearby clean glass. He brought it to his lips taking a long sip.

"I'm starving. I'm disappointed in you. Why do you keep failing me?" He growled angrily. Anna flinched gazing at her son. Felix felt fear running through him. "Mother…where did your ring go?"

Anna stared down at the cutting board. "It's gone…your father sold it. It was his family ring. I am not worth it. " she stuttered, looking away, biting her lower lip. Adam stepped to them, closing the distance between them. Before Felix could react her father back handed her across the face.

"It seems I have to further educate you. What I do with my property is my buisness. The ring is mine, and so are you." He breathed against her face.

Felix would usually run out of the room and go up to his own, but he had shut his eyes, and run away. This time he felt an ache in his chest. He remembered this scene, the last time this played out his father had beaten his mom senseless.

"Leave her alone!" The words tumbled from his mouth as he picked the knife up that laid next to her. Before his dad had a chance to breath a word, the blade was shoved deep into his chest. Adam looked at his son then down at the knife, collapsing as if his legs could no longer support him like a marionettewith its strings cut. Felix pulled the knife out stepping back, sliding in pooling blood. Anna's scream was deafening as she stared down at her husband. Felix felt the rush of cold run over him. He looked down for the way pocket watch, but it was nowhere to be seen. Frantically he searched around, his mother's scream filling his ears mingled with the sound of sirens.

"WH-What?" He cried and dropped to his knees trying to find the antique time piece. Felix looked up just as booming voices filled the room, cops came in guns pointed at Felix who was covered in blood.

"DON'T SHOOT" Felix cried, but the bloodied knife was still in his hand. The officers seeing him swinging the murder weapon fired their guns. Felix didn't have time to react as the bullets ripped through his torso.

At the none descript shop, with carved wood and shining glass, the man dressed in a crisp jacket and top hat stood behind a glass cabinet. In his left hand he held the pocket watch with the tides etched into it. In his right was the ring. "A pity. Finally he no longer ran away from a world that was ugly. Blood that ran in his veins and on his hands. At least he finally tipped the scales. " the man mused before sliding the cabinet open and placing the watch back on display. Next he held the ring up.

"Interesting. The ring holding such darkness." He chuckled to himself and shrugged his shoulders, tucking it in his jacket pocket, tapping it with his fingertips. "I think a cup of tea is in order. Yes, a nice Earl Grey will do nicely." He commented scooting from behind the counter to the door. Locking it he turned the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed'.

Fin