Pain

Elliot had been beat before. He was always tending to new bruises and cuts.

He lay still as the smaller boy pinned down his arms. The other boy had stood up and was now sneering at him. He knew what was coming. Elliot didn't dare try to struggle, in fear that they would only hurt him worse.

"Should we teach him a lesson, Turner?" the boy pinning him down asked. The other boy, whose name was Turner nods, and spits on him. A wad of spit hits Elliot in the face.

Turner kneels and hits Elliot in the face, and the other boy cackles. Elliot's lip quivers. "Aw, are you gonna cryyyy?" Turner mocks, hitting him again.

Elliot tasted blood and he groaned. "Stop...please....I'll give you my coin just stop..." he begs.

Turner reaches into Elliot's pocket and pulls out the coin, and then he stands. The other boy gets off him and Elliot starts to sit up. All of a sudden, something slams into his head and he crumples back down to the ground. Elliot's head rings and he struggles to breathe.

The boys were kicking him, every blow harder than the one before. A foot hit him in the gut, and then in the head. It was never going to stop. Elliot had never been beaten this bad before. As a shoe collided with his ribs, he felt a crack as one broke. He gasped and coughed out blood.

Elliot started to slip. He felt it. Something drawing him away from reality. A cold yet gentle hand dragging him under...