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THE SUN
The Sun by: Jessica Main
He knelt on his knees, listening to sound of his sweat splashing onto the concrete floor. He couldn't wipe the sweat away because he was chained to the walls of the basement. He couldn't see anything, not even his own hand that was only inches away. His father nailed boards over the windows so neighbors couldn't see him and call the police. It was also because his father said that he didn't deserve the littlest thing like the sun or blue skies.
His mother ran through the kitchen toward the basement door and opened it aggressively as it slammed into the wall. The young boy closed his eyes because the light hurt them. His mother ran down the stairs with a rusty, old pipe and smacked him in the face with it. He continued to kneel there as if nothing happened despite the blood oozing out of his mouth and nose.
"You little piece of crap! I hate you with everything that I am! Did you know that I drank alcohol and smoked a pack a day because I couldn't afford an abortion? But still here you are! Why don't you do everyone a favor and just die?!" She ranted at him.
She continued to beat him harder and harder till he fell on the floor, gasping for air. She threw the pipe into his left chain. The pipe rolled over to his side. She ran out, screaming curse words. He fell asleep on the floor, tasting and breathing his sweat, blood, and urine.
After a few hours, he woke up to the sound of his father walking towards him. His father knelt down to his level on the floor. He was smoking a cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke into the boy's face.
"Listen here boy, that woman up there is the love of my life. I'd do anything for her." The boy just stared at his father's boot, blocking out his voice.
"KEITH! You better start behaving or you're going to get it and this time I really mean it." He said grimly. He put out his cigarette, digging it into Keith's hand. Keith's hand balled up into a fist, trying to ignore the pain, knowing that it would end soon.
"Here's some grapes. Eat them all. It'll be the only food you get for the next two days." Keith's shaking hands grabbed the grapes and began eating them slowly, trying to savor the taste.
His father walked up the stairs, closing the door behind them, but not locking it like his mother did. No more, Keith thought. He reflected back on his fourteen years of life. He didn't have any friends, but the sun. He loved the sun. He wanted light in his dark life. Three years ago, his parents locked him away in the basement because he coughed during dinner one night and he hadn't seen the sun ever since. His only friend was the sun. The only joy in his life was sitting out in the backyard, feeling the sun warm his skin.
Keith was suddenly filled with rage towards his parents and agony for his beloved sun. He reached for the pipe and began hitting his left chain, but it didn't work. He knew that he had only one choice left. He tried twisting and pulling his left hand of the chains. He knew there was a key underneath the last step of the stairs that he could reach for if he could get his left hand free. He screamed and cried as he felt the skin ripping apart and bleeding. He knew that he had to push through the pain. He picked up the pipe again and hit his arm to break the bone.
Despite all the pain and torture, he was set free. He was breathing hard. He was bleeding and he knew that he had to get to a hospital. He crawled over to the stairs, feeling for the key. He found it and unlocked his hands and legs. He took off his shirt and wrapped it around his hand. He stumbled up the stairs. His legs were weak and the muscles were toned down.
Once he reached upstairs, he opened the door and shielded his eyes from the gazing at the sun, peeking through the windows. When his eyes adjusted, he slowly walked over to the window, allowing his skin to soak up the sun. He began to cry. He finally got to see the sun once again, his one and only friend.
Then, Keith felt the sharpest pain of his life. He looked behind him and saw that his father struck an ax into his back. He felt down slowly, leaning most of his weight on the window.
"See boy, I told you were going to get it. But would you listen to me? NO!"
He kicked Keith in the side. "Now, what do you have to say for yourself?!"
Keith smiled through his blood stained teeth. "I'm just so happy to see the sun."
Keith took one last glance at the sun and died smiling with the sun shining in his eyes.
*The End*
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