Surviving
Author:© WebNovel
Chapter 1: Chapter 1
“It won’t work you know,” Kelly whispered.
Terry cocked his head, looking at his brother. Kel was slender and five-ten, a definite contrast to Terry’s six-one, lean but muscular build. “Yes it will, Kel, if we’re careful,” he replied, keeping his voice low.
“He’ll come looking for us and if he finds us things will be worse than ever. Especially for you.”
Terry nodded, touching the bruises on his arm. They were the result of his father brutally holding it while he whipped Terry with his belt. “Then we’ll have to make sure that doesn’t happen.” He slung his pack over one shoulder, wincing when it hit his back.
Opening the door barely an inch, Terry peered through the crack. The upstairs hallway was empty. He could hear drunken snores coming from his parents’ room and prayed they’d override any sounds he and Kelly might make as they went downstairs. Beckoning for Kel to follow, he moved swiftly to the stairs, carefully avoiding the two squeaky ones. He barely breathed until they were safely in the kitchen. Without turning on the light, using what came in through the window, Terry opened the cupboards. He took out canned goods, handing some to Kel, putting the rest in his backpack. Then he inched open one of the drawers to get a can opener and two sets of silverware.
“Okay, let’s hit it,” Terry whispered, unlocking the backdoor. Kel went out first, his expression a mixture of hope and fear as he looked over his shoulder at his brother. Terry followed and started to close the door when something stopped it. Their mother stood there, resignation on her face. Without a word she thrust a small packet at him. He took it without checking what it was and started to say something but she pulled the door shut and he heard it lock.
“What did she…?” Kel started to ask before Terry pointed to the back gate.
They walked swiftly out of the yard and down the alley. Terry didn’t look at what their mother had given him until they were on the sidewalk. It was a large wad of bills, mainly ones and fives, wrapped in a note that said, “Terry, I knew that someday it would get to be too much for both of you. Take care of Kelly.”
“That’s it?” Kel said when Terry read him the note. “No love you? No keep in touch?”
“I think we’re lucky she did this.” Terry refrained from adding “the bitch” as much as he knew that sentiment was warranted. Their mother always sided with their father, whether he was drunk or sober. The man could do no wrong in her eyes. When he beat Terry for some perceived infraction, or when Terry stepped in to protect his brother, she would leave the room and sometimes the house, while it happened. “Okay, let’s get moving before she regrets this and tries to wake the bastard to let him know we’re gone.”
They traveled rapidly through the streets of the town, staying in the shadows as much as possible. When they saw a lone patrol car turn a corner, they scuttled behind a bush in someone’s yard until it passed. Finally they reached the safety of the trees at the edge of town.
Kel looked down the long stretch of highway ahead of them, saying with a slight smile, “Maybe we should have taken the car?”
Terry chuckled. “Yeah, that would have worked. Then he’d have sent the cops after us and…” He moved his pack to his other shoulder, grimacing when he felt something damp on the back of his shirt.
“What’s wrong,” Kel asked with concern. When Terry shook his head, Kel stepped behind him. “Shit, Ter, you’re bleeding.”
“It’ll stop. It always does.”
“That is noanswer.” Kel looked up at his older brother. “We should have run a long time ago.”
“I know, but we had to wait until you were sixteen. You know that. At least now you can claim you’re emancipated and I’m your guardian, if anyone asks.” He smiled dryly. “We can’t prove it, but hopefully no one will want us to.”
Kel crossed his fingers then told his brother he wanted to look at his back. Reluctantly, Terry put down his pack and removed his shirt. Kel whistled softly. “It’s worse than I thought. Damn it, Ter.” He opened his own pack and a moment later was using a Handi Wipe on the bleeding laceration. “Hold still. I have some gauze and tape,” he said a moment later.
“You packed a first aid kit?”
“Well…yeah. You never know.”
Soon Kel had his brother bandaged and Terry put his shirt on again. Then they started walking, never looking back at the town that had been their home since they were born.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone