It’s Over, Isn’t It?
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yep. Steven got us a change of clothes, fake ID, and enough money to book a motel for the night. All we need to figure out is where to go after that.”
“Wherever you wish to go, I will take you there.”
Jake turned to look at Khonshu.
“And you’re sure I’ll be safe?”
“I cannot guarantee that you will not be caught. You are only sixteen. However, you will not be hurt.”
“Good enough for me.”
“Hey, Jake?”
“Marc, I’m not backing out of this-“
“I’m not telling you to,” he interrupted. “I just… I just wanted to say thank you.”
“For what?”
“For doing this, and everything. You’re always the one taking the punches, getting knocked down and always finding some way to get back up. I don’t know how you do it, but Steven and I really appreciate it.”
Jake smiled a bit despite the situation, soaking in those words.
“Hey, if it helps,” he began, “we’ll never get knocked down again after tonight.”
He grabbed the pistol from his mom’s nightstand and headed downstairs.
Speaking of their mother, she was passed out on the couch, a bottle of liquor spilling all over the carpet. She’d probably find a way to blame that on Marc if she had the chance. Jake walked over to her, taking one last good look at her.
“I almost feel a bit bad,” Steven murmured.
“I don’t,” Jake replied in a hushed voice, aiming the gun at the woman’s head.
“Lo siento, madre,” he said to her sleeping form.
*BANG*
She didn’t even have a chance to open her eyes before her body slipped off the couch, the carpet now being stained red from the hole in her head.
Jake let out heaving, shaky breaths as he threw the gun down, taking his gloves off. Everything was silent.
“Is it… is it over?” Marc asked, soundly uncharacteristically meek.
“It’s over,” Jake couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “It’s finally over.”
“Not yet, my sons,” Khonshu reminded them. “We must make haste. Someone could have heard that gunshot.”
“Good thinking. Steven, you got us all packed?”
“Sure did!”
“Thanks, amigo.”
Jake ran upstairs to get a new outfit. Khonshu looked at Wendy’s body, then back at where Jake had just stood. He couldn’t help but wonder how it had gotten to this. Not that he was complaining about Jake shooting his abuser, no; in fact, that was an excellent start to a long, blood-ridden journey. It was just that it seemed like yesterday when little toddler Marc was running up to his mother to show her the family portrait he had drawn in school.
“Jake?”
“Yeah?”
“Make sure to take your binder off once you get to the motel. Give your body a break.”
He could hear Jake groan. “Do I have to?”
“I am not healing you if you bruise your ribs.”
He heard his avatar blow a raspberry at him. He shook his head. He certainly had his hands full.