Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:50:21 +0930
From: James Smith <d-i-t-m@hotmail.com>
Subject: Opening a Window Chapter 2: Determination

Opening a Window -- Chapter 2: Determination

By James Smith

***

Quick Intro/disclaimer

I can be contacted at: d-i-t-m@hotmail.com. Please use the subject line
"Re: Nifty", for easier e-mail filtering.

Me, I live in South Australia and I am 24. I don't really like to label
myself as gay/bi/straight; I'm just completely open minded.

This story is mine, copyright of mine. Not to be reproduced without my sole
permission. So far only Nifty has received this story from me, so therefore
should be the only place it can be found. Respect copyright please.

I know this second part has been a long time coming. I finally have some
free time this long weekend and I intend to take advantage of that. So here
it is to all those that are still waiting. Thanks for your emails, I
wouldn't be writing a second part if it weren't for them.

End Intro :)

***

"Opening a Window -- Chapter 2: Determination"

Previously:

I felt the tightening in my throat grow stronger. I had to choke it down,
this boy was the saddest story I have ever encountered. I saw him more
clearly now. The little purple and yellow marks on his legs and arms, the
little split in his tiny lip, the shaggy dark blonde hair that was messy
and uneven. He was a crisis, virtually invisible. My own fear dissolved and
absolution filled me. This child would be my salvation; I would help myself
by helping him. He wouldn't become me.

"You do have a friend kid."

---

A new town, a new life, same trouble. But it wasn't my trouble anymore, now
it was his, and I will endeavour to ease it.

"You do have a friend kid."

I knelt down in front of the battered kid and extended my right hand to
him. He flinched, assuming I was about to strike him. When he realised my
intent he stared at my hand, studying it, unsure of what to do. I moved my
hand closer, gesturing him to take it.

He raised his arm and prepared to shake my hand, his apprehension slowed
his movement. I darted my hand forward and grasped his hand. I squeezed it
firmly and looked into his eyes. Startled, he looked back at me and I felt
his soft little hand squeeze back. I smiled my friendliet smile as he
watched my face.

Even though he didn't smile back, I could see his gaze soften and his face
look a little less sad. My heart expanded and filled with emotion. A warmth
rushed through me and and into the boy. His body relaxed ever so
slightly. I released my grasp and stood back up.

"My name is James, it's great to meet you!"

"K-Kevin, sir, my name..."

He looked up at me with wide eyes, he seemed to be in disbelief that
someone was talking to him.

"It's James, not 'sir', ok Kevin? Friends use each others names!"

Kevin's lips started to curve upwards in an awkward smile. It was like he
had forgotten how to smile and was forcing himself to relearn it.

"Really James? Thanks! You're really nice to me, I wish I could do
something back for you..."

"Hey buddy, you don't have to do anything for me to be nice to you. Just
let me see you smile when I see you, deal?"

I felt bad for the boy, thinking he had to give me something for just being
decent to him. But my offer made his smile grow even larger. Tears burst
from his eyes.

I knelt down again and wiped the tears from his cheeks with my thumb.

"You've really had it rough haven't you Kevin?"

"Not really, when my mum died, my dad could've gotten rid of me, but he
didn't! He says without him I would've died so it's ok..."

I opened my mouth to attack his father's logic when the phone rang.

"James, I have to get the phone, please don't leave yet."

"Never Kevin."

His smile beaming he turned and ran into the house, closing the door.

I waited a few minutes, thinking over this whole experience. I couldn't
understand what was happening to this boy. I had never experienced
something so tragic and unjust. I didn't care who is father was, I wasn't
going to let this kid down, I was going to do whatever I could for him. I
was thinking over the ways I could help when I heard the latch on the front
door opening again.

The door opened and Kevin stood with a look of panic in his eyes. I was
immediately scared.

"Please sir, you have to go home now! Mr. Jones from the pub says Dad is on
his way home. I have to get ready, please, I'm sorry."

He slammed the door quickly and I was left standing there with fear. I
banged on the door and shouted for Kevin to come back. He wasn't
responding. I had never been more scared, not for myself, but for the boy
and the way he reacted to the phone call.

I thought I might be able to see inside from my bedroom again and rushed
back home.

I quickly made my way through my house and to my bedroom, desperate to see
where Kevin had gone. Before I got to my window I could already see the
light in his bedroom on and a figure moving about.

I watched as Kevin stripped down to his tattered underwear. Tears began to
streak down my face as I saw the true ramifications of an abusive
father. The poor boy had a dozen or more bruises across his body. On his
back, the tops of his legs and his shoulders seemed to get the brunt of
it. Several cuts spread across his skin in several places, some even
looking like lashes. I didn't feel anger in that moment, in fact I felt
like maybe the anger in me died in that moment. Seeing what it can do, I
wanted none of it. My body felt heavy and numb. The boy was in a hurry to
get his pyjamas on. He was done in seconds but in my mind I watched him for
hours, completely absorbing the damage done to his tiny, delicate body.

Kevin turned out his light and got into bed. The light from the moon and my
bedroom was enough to highlight his small frame curled under the blanket. I
sat on my bed and watched over him. My mind wandered over so many
questions. I was asking myself why no-one was aware, why nobody has done
anything, why was this boy allowed to suffer?

I heard a car pull up outside followed by the sound of the a car door
slamming shut. I turned off my bedroom light and stared intently into the
boy's room. I could hear the front door slam shut and someone loudly
crashing throughout the house. Kevin's bedroom door swung open.

The door frame was filled with the silhouette of a man. He stood there and
I could see the light from behind him gleaming off something on his
shoulders. The man was huge, I was intimidated before I could even see him
properly. My eyes ran over this monster in the doorway and I could make out
some kind of uniform. He stood with the stance of authority. It faltered
frequently though, the man was clearly drunk.

"Don't do it you bastard", I thought to myself as I gritted my teeth. "Just
leave him alone".

The hulking mass turned and left. I saw a light turn on further down the
house, then a moment later, it was off again. He had gone to bed.

My body relaxed. I didn't realise I was grasping onto my bed sheets, they
were wet from sweat. The blankets moved in the other room. Kevin scurried
from beneath them and gently closed his bedroom door that was left open by
the menacing man. I watched as he got back into bed. Soft sobbing drifted
through his window and into mine. I could feel something in me. I think
it's what love feels like.

---

The next day I awoke with a startle. I rushed to my window to check on
Kevin. The room was bright with sunlight but Kevin was nowhere around. I
scrambled for my phone to look at the time, it was about 9am.

I went through my regular morning routine; toilet, shower, breakfast,
brushing teeth. It was already 10:30 when I had finished. I could hear a
lawn mower next door and thought I would like to go meet the monster next
door. In truth I was terrified, a man that could treat a boy - a son - like
that would have little patience for me, I had to be smart about it.

I left the house and made my way across the front lawn. Expecting to see
Kevin's father outside mowing, I only saw the little boy pushing the huge
mower about.

"Bastard, making your kid do your work for you", I was thinking.

I yelled out to Kevin from my fence, beckoning him over. He saw me, waved
and started to push the mower over towards me. His face was pale in the
sunlight and his eyes were reddened.

"James! You're back again!" He smiled at me like I was a pile of christmas
presents.

"Sure Kevin, I told you I'm not leaving! How are you? I heard your Dad
coming home last night."

"He was drinking, he makes lots of mess when he does that and it's so hard
to sleep. But I'm great now, I'm so happy to see you again!"

I looked over Kevin and saw a squad car in the driveway.

"Your Dad a cop huh?"

"Yeah, he's got medals and stuff. He used to be really good at catching bad
guys."

I couldn't imagine too many criminals escaping that giant. Just the sight
of him froze me in my tracks.

"KEVIN!"

The man stood in the front door. He was dressed only in his boxer shorts.

"You little shit, why isn't the mowing done yet? Stop pissing off the
neighbours!"

He strode across the lawn and stood in between us. He swiftly knocked the
kid across the head and told him to get back to mowing. Shakily, Kevin
started pushing the mower away. I was petrified.

The man turned around and stuck his hand out to me.

"So you're the new guy next door. Name's Buck Wells, sorry bout the kid,
always causing trouble and making me look bad"

I took his hand. I think it was mostly our of fear.

"James Krandell. The boy wasn't doing any harm."

I looked over Buck's body. His chest was huge and toned, covered in dark
fur. His biceps and thighs were just as buff. I couldn't help but glance at
his bulging crotch. As I previously mentioned, real manly men really turn
me on, and here before me was the buffest, hairiest man I had ever met. I
had to remind myself of the monster he really was.

"Bullshit, you aint got to cover for the kid, I know he causes trouble."

"No! I mean, we were actually talking"

"Yeah? Can't imagine the boy has anything interesting to say."

I needed to vindicate the boy somehow, I couldn't help but feel Kevin had
another beating on the way.

"I was seeing if he'd like to mow my yard too. I haven't been here long
enough to get a lawn mower yet and the yard's already getting overgrown."

"Bah, the boy's practically useless, can hardly do any of the jobs I give
him."

I thought to myself, "what kind of job do you expect from a ten year old
you lazy asshole".

"Well he seemed pretty keen, was gonna pay him and everything".

Buck's face seemed a little less annoyed.

"Pay the useless cunt? Ahahaha, well if you're happy with his piss poor
work, pay him all you want!"

I knew the kid wouldn't see a cent of the money, but it was well worth
paying to get him away from his abusive father. As I realised how selfish
and greedy the man was, he seemed far less intimidating and I could feel a
rage boiling up inside me.

"Hey Kevin! KEVIN!"

The mower turned off.

"Yes sir?"

"Once you're done mowing the lawns, bring it over to Mr. Krandell's yard
and get his lawn done too. And don't fuck it up!"

"Yes sir",

As Buck turned around, I noticed a smile forming on Kevin's face as he went
back to the mowing.

Buck and I stood at that fence for a while and I caught him up on story and
generally chatted. I was disarmed by his overall friendliness and had I not
known his dark secret, would actually see myself becoming good friends with
him.

"I think it's time to head to the pub, footy will be on soon and I can't
watch my pathetic team sober! You want to head in with me?"

"Thanks for the invite, you've been really kind. I have still have a lot of
unpacking to get done. Better to get it out of the way quickly."

"Well don't work too hard, get the little prick to help you if you need it,
he aint doing anything useful anyway."

"Yeah, I might do that."

Buck moved his face a bit closer to me and spoke almost in whisper.

"Wait til I get home so you can give me the money for the lad. He don't
know how to hold onto money so I'll put it away for him".

"Put it into a beer glass you mean", I thought to myself.

"Well I won't be back until later tonight, hell maybe tomorrow if I find a
chick worth fucking! Later!"

He stormed off back inside to get dressed I assumed. I stood at the fence
watching Kevin when Buck reappeared mintues later. He was in a tshirt and
jeans and walked up to Kevin who had just finished the yard. I couldn't
hear them talking. Kevin stood with his head hung while Buck pointed over
to my house and then poked Kevin rather hard in the chest. Buck looked up
at me, smiled and waved then got in his squad car. He drove off as I was
waving back.

I couldn't be happier that he was finally gone. I felt very uneasy about
the whole thing. There was so much I couldn't understand. How could he
treat everyone better than his own son?

Once the car was out of sight, Kevin ran up to me on his side of the fence.

"I can really spend the day at your place Mr. Krandell?"

"Of course Kevin, I've got a tonne of stuff to do but you're free to do
whatever you like. And it's JAMES!".

"Cool! But I have to mow your lawn first so Dad won't get mad."

"You know what Kevin? Don't worry about that. You just go inside, clean up,
help yourself to my fridge and watch whatever you want on TV. I'll mow the
lawn."

"But I can't let you do that! Dad says you're paying him for me to do
it. You can't pay and do it yourself!"

"I'm not paying him for you to mow the lawn Kevin, I'm paying him to get
you over here and away from him!"

"You would really give him money for me?"

I smiled at him and nodded. His face beamed and tears burst from his eyes
once again. Kevin quickly hopped the fence and wrapped his arms around my
waist. He squeezed me so tightly, as if I were going to try and slip
away. I had never had anyone hug me so sincerely. I wanted to return it
properly to him.

I put my hands under his arms and lifted him up. He was very light because
of his frailty, it was very disconcerting. I equally wrapped my arms around
him and hugged him tightly. I tried deperately to transfer my love and
warmth into him, tried to spark some kind of hope within him.

"Thank you so much James, I can't believe you're being so nice to someone
like me..."

He said it with such a sadness, like he had no self worth at all. He hadn't
only been beaten physically, but emotionally. His father had convinced him
that he was useless.

"You're so very welcome Kevin. You are really a very special little boy".

His cheeks were damp against my own. He moved back a bit and kissed me on
the cheek. I drew him in even closer and stood there for who knows how
long, holding this very sweet, very damaged child. He had fallen asleep.

***

Ans thus ends my very first continuation. I really hope I have done a
satisfactory job. I know there's not any sex but as I mentioned previously,
it's not my intent.

Comments and criticisms welcome as is discussion. Love to hear from you
all. I am happy to discuss anything on the subject. Email me or add me to
MSN at:

d-i-t-m@hotmail.com

If people still want more, I will always try my hardest to continue.

Cheers and have a good one =]