The rod felt wider and heavier as it touched Seungho's swelling thigh. The feeling was familiar to him, but somehow it feels more painful now. The hot water that scalded his left and right thigh after his adoptive father poured it to him when he accidentally broke a drinking glass sure made wonders to make his skin thinner, making every hit more painful.

He did not retaliate nor fought back, because he knows its useless. He just sat there and tried to block as many hits as possible using his arms. His arms, his back and his legs all sting with pain of the mahogany cane that has been hitting him for a couple of minutes already. At that moment, he thought he is some useless trash who's been waiting for his death.

While he lay there basking on the cocktail of pain, he couldn't help but look back and regret the day he gave permission for his younger brother - his adoptive parents' biological son - to go out with his friends. As any other sibling, all he wanted was for his brother to have a good time with his friends. Who would have thought that fate has a bitter plan for his younger brother, letting him die in a freak car accident?

How he wished someone, or something, gave him a warning on this horrible accident so that he wouldn't let his brother go...

...so that he wouldn't die...

...and he wouldn't end up like a beaten-up orange, squeezed-out of its pulp.

It's been a year since his brother died; but for Seungho, a year seemed like a decade of getting beaten up. He's already a 19-year-old, able-bodied citizen, but he couldn't bring himself to fight back nor leave his adoptive parents despite their harsh treatment to him. Despite getting beaten badly and being treated as a slave for more than 6 months, Seungho couldn't bring himself to leave.

Why?

Because he owes them his life.

He couldn't turn his back on the people who took care of him when his biological parents died in a car accident when he was just 16 years old. Because in his heart and mind, he still keeps the good memories he had with his adoptive parents: them giving him his needed emotional, psychological and financial support when he was about to break apart when his parents died; them accepting him as a family almost immediately with no questions asked; his brother accepting him fully with no questions asked even at his brother's young age; his parents providing for him generously with food, shelter and high-quality education in account of their good relationship (as friends) with his parents. Seungho thought that getting beaten-up was not enough to make him turn his back to the people he owes his life from. And so from the moment the beating and maltreatment started up to now, he did not dare leave because he believes that they would eventually have the heart to forgive him for having that 'bad' judgement call and, hopefully, they would accept him just like a son of their own and they would eventually stop beating him.

But opposite to what he was expecting, the beating and maltreatment got worst by the day. His body's condition got worst: receiving more and bigger bruises and cuts, that worsens his thinning and weakening body. His health condition continued to worsen until he was forced to stop school eventually.

And now, here he is, being beaten to death after breaking that drinking glass by accident.

All he can do is whimper and cry in pain as he took the beatings.

Because no one is there to save him...

No one bothered to care about him...

And when the adoptive father thought that every spot in Seungho's skin is red enough to swell, he got satisfed and stopped. He left Seungho lying on the kitchen floor looking half dead, every part of his body swelling from the beating and bleeding in the head and mouth.

Seungho just lay there and watched as his heavily intoxicated father walked towards the couch where he slumped his body and slept. Seungho lay helpless on that ice-cold kitchen floor, physically weak to even make a move. He heard himself breathing hard and whimpering at every little move he made. So he just lay there, allowing his tears to flow out as he felt the excruciating pain aching from all parts of his body. Eventually, he allowed his exhaustion to engulf him sending him off to dreamland.

He opened his eyes and saw his biological mother and father, arms around each other and smiling at him. His mother suddenly broke from his father's hug, ran to Seungho and hugged him tightly. Seungho's father followed and enveloped the two of them in his embrace too.

Seungho couldn't help but cry as he got enveloped in his parents' presence once again. Only Seungho's sobs were heard as the three of them savored that rare moment.

Slowly, Seungho's mother eventually broke the hug and faced him. She cupped his cheeks and kissed him in the foreheadShe then looked deep in Seungho's eye and, with teary eyes, said:

“My son, you deserve something better than this. Fight for your life, and try to live a better one for yourself.”

Seungho, with teary eyes, looked at his mother and smiled. “I will mom...I will.”

With that, she kissed him in the forehead then walked away with his father.

“Mom?! Dad?!! Don't leave!!! Please! Take me with you! Don't leave!!!!”

Seungho cried and pleaded for them to comeback, but they just walked away, smiling at him as they waved goodbye. Seungho just cried in his palms, feeling all his hope getting flushed down knowing that with his parents' gone he'll have to continue life's battle on his own again.

Eventually, his mother's words flashed in his mind: Fight for your life, and try to live a better one for yourself.

With that Seungho woke up. He winced as a shot of excruciating pain hit him again; but that didn't stop him from forcing his body to stand up. With his mother's words in mind, his will to survive grew stronger than his body now. He had to escape, and he has to do it now.

Withouht any second thoughts, he -up all the pain and pulled his body towards the kitchen door using his hands, dragging his limping feet along. Fortunately for him, his drunk dad was too lousy that night and left the kitchen door unlocked. Taking slow and silent movements, he tried to drag his body towards the door, careful not to wake up the sleeping monster in the couch that was facing directly towards the kitchen door.

With slow and careful movements to make sure he doesn't make a sound, he opened the door. A sudden gush of air that was probably around -8 degrees celsius hit him as the door opened. He slowly and carefuly tried to open the door wider, until there was enough gap for his body to pass. He slowly and carefully stood up, biting his lip hard as he winced forcing himself to swallow all the pain he felt. He ignored the -8 celsius air that surrounded him; he was quite happy about it actually, for it made his body numb enough to enable him to stand and walk away.

He felt his heart beat faster as he crouched and walked away from that hell hole. He felt a little smile creep out of his lips as he stepped farther and farther away. Despite the excruciating pain with every step and every move, he kept on going with his biological parents' encouragements in mind.

And after what felt like years of 'walking', he found the main road. His heart skipped a beat seeing new people around him. He was in the city, finally, where it'll be difficult for his father to find him. He continued to drag his beaten up body, not minding the judging eyes looking at him as he walked.

Suddenly, he felt his body slowly succumbing to the chilly weather. In no time, he felt his teeth chattering, his vision getting blurry, and his body shaking terribly. From his hazy vision, he saw a dark area that seems to be an alley. He dragged his body towards that alley, hoping to hide from the crowd and to look for some place he could settle for the night that could keep his his worn-out body warm. Walking deep into that alley, he found some cardboard boxes lying beside the big trash bin.

Desperate to take some rest, he burried his body on the corner of the (outside the) trash bin. He then piled-up the cardboards on top of his body, creating for himself a blanket to keep his body warm. But what can a few cardboard boxes do?

His body continued to tremble badly as he endured the -8°C temperature and the painful wounds he has. He closed his eyes and forced his mind to recall his parents smiling faces as he tried to take his mind off this torture. Eventually, his body slowly drifted into sleep.

At least I dont die in that hell hole. Wait for me, mom and dad. Seungho thought before he drifted off to dreamland.

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