Chapter 4 Fourth Chapter

Life is not always perfect,but the problem is not the End. Its the beginning of a different Life...

There was no one in sight. Actually, there was no one at home. He was all alone. He could take this chance and run away.

He was tired of their ill treatment, he was tired of the insults that they threw at him all the time, he was tired of the pain he had to bear whenever they beat up. He was tired of the tears he had cried. He was tired of being denied food, good clothes and education.

It was enough!. He needed a break and a long one at that fact!.

Eloping at the moment was the only option because eloping was the only way he'd get that long needed break away from the toxic environment this family brought him.

They treated him as if he was a slave they had bought in a black market and yet he was only a child who deserved to be loved and cared for like the rest.

He wanted to run away.

Running away from this place was the only option to keep himself safe and far from the ill treatment.

This toxic environment had fed him up and he wanted to get away. He didn't know where he'd go but it didn't matter so long as it was a far away place from here.

Moreover, he had to be quick because he had no idea of where they had gone off to. He had no idea how long it'd take them to come back more so, he didn't want to risk it and be caught.

He tried to open the front door of the house, but it was locked.

He let out an exasperated sigh as he walked back to the kitchen where the back door was.

It was locked also.

Why would that woman lock the front and back door?. Had she read his mind and became aware of his plans?.

Was she such a narcissist?.

His mind felt exhausted as he sat cross legged on the cold floor of the kitchen. He had one idea, to escape through the bedroom window by the use of a rope or folding of sheets so as to make his escape plan easier.

He was never allowed in their rooms if he wasn't cleaning up or taking in clean laundry.

He wasn't sure of what to do.

The migraine he felt worsened as the minutes passed by. Making him to feel a little dizzy.

He was helpless.

The sound of the front door opening and footsteps coming in followed by the call of his name was heard.

They were back and yet he had done nothing about his plan.

He had failed.

Miserably.

"Korna!". Mrs Rubis shouted his name again causing him to stand up quickly and run to where she was standing.

Her hands were on her hips as she looked down at him with pure disgust and hatred. Her son looked at him in the same manner apart from the little girl who was seated on the couch holding onto her barbie doll and watching him with sorrowful eyes.

"You're so useless! Now do I have to call you twice for you to come to serve me, eh?". Mrs Rubis asked."Tell me, are these ears or just decorations put up here?". She questioned again as she reached forward and pulled on his ears causing him to groan in pain while he tried to reach for his ears with his hands to rub off the pain but she didn't let go of them instead, she pulled harder on them.

She didn't care about what he felt. He was in fact the least of her worries.

His pain seemed to be humorous to her son, James who was snickering beside his mother, totally enjoying what was going on.

"What were you doing inside there? Eating my food? You want my son to starve because you have eaten all the food in here?". She questioned, finally letting go of his one ear but slapping him across the face while pulling on the other ear.

He let out a scream. Tears streamed down his face. By now, he should have gotten used to the harsh treatment but he wasn't.

Every day held new strategies of how to cause him pain. Thus, there was no way he'd ever get used to it.

"I wasn't doing anything. I didn't eat anything!". He protested as she pinched his cheek. Hard.

"Ahh so you were doing nothing?. You were lazing around eh?". She asked.

"I... I.." He stuttered not knowing what to say. What exactly did this woman want?.

"You want to talk back at me you little devil?". She leaned forward at his eye level as if intimidating him.

Korna quicklyv shook his head.

"Ghost!". James exclaimed with a smirk.

Korna's eyes flickered from Mrs Rubis' to James then back at her. He never liked that word.... That name that James liked to use.

For goodness sake, he was a human being not a dead person.

"I think you have forgotten your place. I need to remind you, your place and also teach you a lesson that it's not good to be lazing around doing nothing!". Mrs Rubis exclaimed while pulling harder on his ear as she walked towards the direction of the basement where most of his punishments took place.

Korna groaned in pain as he quickly followed Mrs Rubis, he didn't want to loose his ear though at this point, he felt as if he was on the verge of loosing it.

James fell into a fit of laughter, imitating him then laughing again before falling behind to see more of his agonising moment.

Down at the basement, he was tied up on a rope that was attached to the ceiling above such that he was being lifted off the ground by a few inches.

His hands hurt due to the tight hold of the ropes, James looked at him, mischief clear in his eyes as he watched his Mother bring out a whip from one of the drawers of the cupboard in the corner.

"You totally deserve this ghost". James commented.

The click clack of her heel shoes made him to turn his head and look at her. She had the long whip in her hands, her face held no expression whatsoever.

"This will remind you that I hate lazy!". Mrs Rubis spat.

His lips parted with the intentions of speaking but he didn't want to add more salt to the injury.

Tears filled his eyes blocking his vision with the memory of how painful that whip had been the last time it had tasted his skin.

He didn't want to feel that pain again. He had done everything, followed their orders so as to avoid this.

Mrs Rubis walked closer to him, walking around him in circles watching him like a hawk.

"P-Please please don't". He begged.

She gave out a chuckle, "You're not the one calling out the shots here. Korna". She said, stressing out his name in a bitter tone as if it tasted sour in her mouth.

James smirked, "Way to go Mother. Make sure he cleans my room, does my laundry and cleans my soccer shoes as well after this. I have a game to catch, so excuse me".

"He heard that loud and clear son. Enjoy yourself". Mrs Rubis replied flashing her son a smile before he left.

"Now, where were we?". Mrs Rubis questioned. Turning to face the now freaking out Korna.

His heart raced behind his chest. He could practically even feel it beat against his chest due to the fear he felt. He grimaced this situation.

The boy in front of her looked terrified, horrified and was actually shaking. Being satisfied with the young boy's expression, she stood a meter away from him and raised the whip ready to flog the boy.

Korna squeezed his eyes shut once he saw her raise the whip ready to punish him.

The whacking voice of the whip on his back followed by his scream full of agony and pain was heard in the whole house causing the young girl to flinch and hold her barbie doll closer to her chest as if she was the one in the basement.

She grimaced such moments as well. She pitied the older boy and wished she could be able to end his misery. She was too young to know what to do.