I Won't Give Up On You

After school Tom made his way home to begin his homework but he’d barely made it in the door when screaming met his ears.

He’d decided a second too late to turn back around because his father had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him inside, slamming the door behind him.

There was too much screaming going on for Tom to determine what was wrong exactly and what they were saying but he knew this much; his parents had gotten into an argument, not enough of something and Tom wasn’t working hard enough, or something along those lines.

So like many other days when his parents fought; Tom was thrown into the hall cupboard and it was locked on him.

Things went quiet after a while and his mother opened the door, letting him out. She looked frightened but he didn't dare try and comfort her. She was strung out on god knows how many different drugs and he didn't know how she would react to a simple hug.

“Your father has gone out. Go find him.” Was all she said before she sent Tom on his way.
It was freezing outside, how had his mother not noticed that? She wouldn’t let him go back and get a jumper either.

Tom decided to try and ignore the biting cold and hug himself to generate some kind of warmth as he searched for his father.

God. He thought; This was such a terrible idea, I'm cold and it's dark... dad’s probably home by now and I'm stuck out here like a fucking dog.

He wasn’t happy, he was cold and he was tired. He just wanted to go to bed so without further ado, he went home.

He went home to find his mother and father at each other’s throats again but this time he was sucking further into it; receiving the beating his father would have given his mother had he not been there. he took it without too many words, only tears because he knew it was him or his mother, even though his mother had never shown an ounce of care or affection towards him, he still loved her and would rather take the heat than let her be the one beaten to a bloodied pulp.

After his father had successfully made Tom feel as if he’d been hit by a truck, he was thrown back into the cupboard with the door locked behind him once again.

He cried as he felt his skin tear on one of the sharp corners of the shelves.

Things went quiet once again before his parents had a small discussion including just how many pills they would take and just how much alcohol they would consume before the night was over.

There was no doubt in Tom’s mind that they would forget about him completely and leave him there until tomorrow.

He was right.

He heard everything, his parents having sex on the couch, his parents arguing once again and then he heard something that scared him beyond belief.

His parents were in debt and they were in debt bad.

The only people they could be in debt to were either the drug dealers they bought off or the bookies from the horse racing bets his father loved to lose. Both were equally as bad because the people you owed the money to were ruthless.