TERRIBLE NIGHTS

Those were the kind of vibes he actually needed. Most times, he would sneak into Derrick's room to look for a stick of cigarette which he took to his room and lock himself in the bathroom to smoke. 

One day at school, Julius taught him about smoking and how God hates it.

"Would he stop being my friend if I smoke?" Eden asked curiously

"Yes, if you want to keep being his friend you must stop smoking," Julius advised.

And from that day, he decided to quit cigarettes. He stopped sneaking into Derrick's room to steal his cigarettes, yeah he needed to come clean he reasoned.

As he laid on his bed doing his assignments, he heard his mother scream his name from the living room. He got up in a hurry and walked out to meet her. He found her standing angrily with Derrick beside her, he was trying to calm her down.

"Get your ass here right now!!" She yelled as she saw him. He wondered what he had done wrong. As he approached her, She grabbed his ears and twisted it so hard that he let out a painful cry.

"Where is the money you stole from my purse?!!!" She screamed

"I... I.. Don't…" Before he could finish, she landed a slap on his cheek. He held his cheek and let out a cry again

"Where is my money!!!" She yelled with her cheeks burning red

"I don't know what you're talking about.." He cried in agony

"What are you talking about son, I saw you sneak into the room last night. Give your mother back her money!" Derrick lied.

Eden couldn't speak. He tried to find the right words but he couldn't. Derrick was telling a lie and he knew it. He began to fidget with tears flowing down his cheek. How was he going to defend himself? He thought.

"I never knew you were a thief Eden! How dare you!" She barked at him. He remained silent and continued to cry.

"Leave him to me, I know how to handle him.." Derrick said, losing the belt from his waist. Emilia walked out furiously leaving them both. Derrick smirked as he approached Eden who was trembling by now. He tried to shift backwards but Derrick grabbed his shirt and flung him against the sofa. He fell, hitting his back against the sofa. Before he could stand up, Derrick rushed towards him with the belt and started unleashing his venom on him.

He screamed and continued to cry bitterly as the belt landed on his skin over and over again. 

"Enough honey," Emilia said, walking to meet him

"He needs to be disciplined," Derrick said, panting heavily with the belt firmly in his hands.

"It's enough, I know how to deal with him," she said and they both walked out, leaving Eden behind. 

He leaned against the sofa sobbing silently as his body ached. The pains were getting too much for him to bear, he thought. Maybe there isn't a God after all. If there is actually one, then he doesn't care, he thought as he sobbed silently. He heard Derrick's voice coming out from the bedroom and he stood up with fear, thinking he would come and beat him up again. He tiptoed to the door and ran out of the house immediately.

As he ran through the dirty streets of St Caterina, he thought about how unfair life had been to a child of his age. He doesn't even have a place to go and it was getting dark already. Then he thought of Julius whose house wasn't far from the school.

He jogged his way to Julius's home and he got there panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. The door was locked when he got there and he knocked.

After the third knock, the door opened showing Julius

"Eden!!" He exclaimed excitedly and urged him inside. Julius's mom Mrs Sergio was in the kitchen when Eden came.

The house was small but neat. Everywhere smelled good as he walked in. 

"What happened to you?" Julius asked anxiously as he saw his swollen and red eyes. Eden didn't reply. He went to sit on the couch instead. Julius sat beside him on the couch, looking at his face.

"Are you ok?" He asked and he shook his head. Since he was friends with Julius, he hadn't told him about the abuse he was going through in the hands of Derrick.

"Hey Julius, you've got company?" Mrs Sergio asked as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Yes mother, it's Eden," Julius replied excitedly.

"Hi Eden" Mrs Sergio greeted warmly while Eden forced a smile on his face. She is probably of the same age as his mother, with a slender figure, fair skin, and brown straight hairs that falls in between her shoulders. Her facial expression could tell that she was a nice woman as she has a smile plastered on her lips whenever she speaks.

"You look hurt, what happened to you?" She asked with a serious look on her face.

"He has refused to talk," Julius said, anxiously.

 She sat beside him and rubbed her palm on his hair.

"Talk to me son, what happened to you?" She asked in a compassionate voice.

"He.. He framed me up and whipped me with his belt.." Eden cried as he tried to speak.

"Who?" Mrs Sergio asked curiously

"Derrick…" he muttered with trembling lips

"Who's Derrick?" Julius asked

"My.. My.. Mother's ... Boyfriend, she said he's my new father.." Eden muttered amidst tears.

"Oh.. Come on lad, what did he do?" Mrs Sergio  asked.

"He lied that I stole her money and he whipped me with his belt, he beats me all the time.." He cried again.

"It's alright son,"  she comforted and made him rest on her  bosom. He sniffed and wiped the tears off his cheek. He had never felt so much of a comfort all his life, not even from his mother. She hadn't held him so close before.

"We need to report him to the police for abuse," Julius said angrily

"No son, I'll speak to his mom instead," Mrs Sergio refuted.

"Please don't, ma'am, she would beat me too. She doesn't believe anything I say," Eden cried

"Yes, maybe she really won't believe him. Let's look for a way to report him, mom" Julius insisted

"Don't worry son, we'll sort it out,"  she assured with a warm smile.

She prepared dinner for the family and they all sat down to eat. He has never been so happy all his life. He played games with Julius and Mrs Sergio gave them both a warm bath after which, he wore Julius's clothes.

"Time to go home kid, '' Mrs Sergio announced and Eden frowned. 

"I don't wanna go back home.."  He cried

"Mom, please let him stay tonight," Julius pleaded

"Your mother would be searching for you by now. You need to go home. Don't worry, you can come to stay every weekend" she said with a smile.

Eden looked at Julius with a cloud of  tears forming in his eyes. 

"See you at school tomorrow, '' Julius said and Gave him a hug before they departed.

Mrs Sergio took him back home that night.

"Where have you been!!" Emilia flared as she caught sight of them. She had looked around the neighborhood for him but couldn't find him. 

"He was with me, he came to visit my son Julius. They're  both classmates," Mrs Sergio answered

"Oh, you're making friends now? Good for you," Emilia remarked. "Thanks ma'am, see you some other time," she added and dragged Eden inside before shutting the door.

"Next time you're leaving this house don't forget to inform me!" She yelled and he nodded before walking into his room. 

***

One night, He woke up feeling thirsty and he went to the fridge at the dining table to take a bottle of water when he saw a shiny object lying on the dining table. He closed the fridge and walked towards the table to look at the object carefully. The lights were dim and so he couldn't see carefully. He placed his hand on the object and flinched as he saw the flint knife Derrick always used in threatening him. He looked around but no one was watching. He picked the knife and looked at it again. Maybe he could keep it for himself, he reasoned. 

He hid the small knife in his pocket and walked back to his room. He was halfway near his room when he saw the master bedroom door open and someone walked out from the room silhouetted by the dim lights in the passage. He stopped in his tracks as he saw Derrick staggering towards him with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. He was half naked with only an under pant on his waist. He dragged his masculine stature closer to Eden who tried to walk away immediately he saw him.

"Stop right there,"  He ordered with his body reeking of alcohol. Eden stopped in his tracks and began to fidget. Derrick laughed maniacally and gulped his drink again.

"Ha!" He exclaimed excitedly trying to catch his breath. Eden shifted backwards as the smell of Derrick's sweat filled his nostrils.

"So, you've been watching me spank your mother uh?" Derrick asked sarcastically. Eden kept mute with his face bowed low.

"You see, your mother tastes so good, but she couldn't withstand my arrows so she passed out on the bed," Derrick related and he chuckled. 

He didn't find it amusing. He didn't know what Derrick was talking about, but he knew it was something connected to what they always do in the bedroom at night.

"Come here," Derrick ordered and he walked slowly towards him. Derrick emptied the content of the drink on his head while Eden shut his eyes tightly for the drinks not to penetrate into them. 

Derrick laughed as he enjoyed watching the boy trying to wipe the drink from his face.

"Now look at me," he ordered and twisted the boy's face towards him.

"To your room.."  He said. Eden turned back at once and ran into his room. Derrick followed behind and he entered the room with the boy who was fidgeting by now. 

The room was dark and so he switched on the lights. Eden shifted closer to the bed, thinking about what Derrick was about to do.

Derrick smirked and dragged him out of the bed. He shoved him against the wall while Eden struggled to break free with his face pressing against the wall.

"Tell me what you saw me do with your mother?" Derrick asked with mockery in his voice.

"I didn't see anything.." Eden cried painfully with his face pressing against the wall.

"Hush... Keep your voice down, I've sent her to a deep sleep so don't try to wake her up.."  Derrick said, while he continued pressing the boy against the wall.

"Did you hear her moan? Did you hear how she screamed my name so dirty?" He asked with a chuckle

"I didn't hear anything.. You're hurting me.." Eden cried painfully.

He dropped him on the floor and he fell with a loud thud. Before he could recover, Derrick grabbed him up from the floor and dragged him into the bathroom. He tried to scream but Derrick sealed his lips tightly with his palm and then grabbed his neck and shoved his head into the water closet. He began to struggle for air as he began to gulp down water from the WC. Derrick pulled him out and turned his face to his.

He couldn't breathe. He began to pant heavily for air with his eyes as red as blood. 

"What does it taste like, drinking your own urine uh?" Derrick smirked and shoved his head back to the WC again. He felt life going out from him as he tried to struggle for air again. His brain was numb and his eyes grew dark. He thought he was going to die, when Derrick pulled him out again.

"You stink just like your parents.." Derrick mocked and flung him against the bathtub.

He hit his head on the bathtub and blood gushed out at once. He tried to scream but he couldn't. His eyes became dizzy and he felt life going out from him. But then, in his darkest moment, he saw Derrick coming closer to him. He knew Derrick was about to inflict more harm on him, and this was his last chance, he thought as he brought out the knife from his pocket and with his last strength he dug it into Derrick's stomach.

Everywhere became silent at once. Derrick had been stabbed unaware. He looked at his tummy  with blood gushing out from it. He raised his eyes slowly to look at Eden who was sitting on the floor before him.

"Arggghhh!!!" He screamed painfully and tried to grab him from the floor. But the boy was faster, he got up swiftly and dashed out of the bathroom. 

Emilia heard the noise and she hurried towards Eden's room where the noise was coming from. She bumped into Eden who was rushing out from the room with blood oozing down his face.

"Eden!!" She screamed but the boy ran past her immediately.

"Eden what have you done!!" Eden  heard his mother scream from the room. There was no going back, he thought as he opened the front door and ran out into the dark cold night. He ran as fast as his tiny frail legs could carry him until he stopped at Mrs Sergio's house. He managed to knock on the door but he couldn't wait for the door to open before he fell on the ground and passed out.

Julius heard the knock and he woke his mom up from the bed

"Mom I heard a knock," he said anxiously

"Really?" Mrs Sergio asked, while sitting up on the bed.

"Yes mom, let's go check it out.." He said

"No, you don't know who's there. It could be robbers.." Mrs Sergio said fearfully.

"No mother, I don't know why I'm having a feeling that Eden's here," he cried

"Julius, there is no way Eden would be here at this time of the night!" She fumed

"No mother, I'm having a feeling that something bad has happened to Eden. Let's go check who's on the door.." The boy persisted.

"Argghh.." She sighed and got up from the bed. She took a torchlight and walked out of the room with Julius behind her. 

"Who's there?" She asked as they got to the entrance door but there was no response. She looked at Julius.

"I thought you said you heard a knock," she said

"Yes mom, open the door," he said anxiously

"It's not safe!" She yelled and before she could speak any further, Julius rushed to the door and opened it.

"Eden!" He screamed as he saw Eden's lifeless  body lying on the floor.

"Eden!!!!" He screamed as he saw Eden's body lying lifelessly at the door post