20

FLASHBACK

Everyone was shouting and cheering. With every blow to the boy's face, the cheering only continued to grow. I kept punching and punching him until his face began to turn red with blood. Even his blonde hair was now stained with the color red. No longer could I hear the shouts and cheers, all I could hear was the sound of my fist colliding with his face over and over again. It was my mission to make him unrecognizable.

While the crowd liked blood, Mr. Hastings loved it. If I wanted my brothers to stay, I had to beat out every person I went up against-I had to win. Mr. Hastings always told me that the only way I could ever win was if my opponent was dead.

It was the only reason I continued to beat the boy as anger raged deep in my soul at the thought of having my brothers taken from me just when I got them. They couldn't go back to that hell. At least while they were with me, I could protect them from ever having to fight for their lives just like me.

Once I was sure he was d