The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and my mother was reprimanding me.
"Kevin, you ought to behave yourself," my mother said icily. "It is unacceptable to observe your sister taking a shower."
I was having dinner with my family, and I kept quiet. What's the point in answering if you are not listened to?
"Young man, listen to me while I am explaining to you what you are supposed to do in my house," she said while grabbing a piece of chicken. "What do you think, honey?"
My stepfather, Quincy, was quite tall and lean. He'd come into our lives about a year prior.
"You know what I think, babe," answered my so-called father, chewing on chicken the whole time. "Unfortunately, as I told you, your son is beyond repair. He's a pervert, and he's obsessed with his sister. He spies on her everywhere - in the shower, in her room, everywhere. I guess I'll have to punish him again."
"Hey, I didn't watch her!" I shouted. "She is a liar!" It was futile, I knew, but I was angry.
"You have not been told to speak. Silence!" My mother's eyes flashed with fiery rage. She started breathing heavily, and her mounds started swaying as well. Though being scolded sucked, I couldn't help but look at my mother's outstanding assets. In plain English, her tits were huge. Once, I'd found one of her bras in our laundry basket; it had read '34 FF.'
Ivy was my stepsister, and she'd become the golden apple of discord in our house - the reason I'd become its whipping boy. She had much smaller boobs than my mom, but they were still impressive - just in a different way. I guessed they were about C-cup size - just enough to knead.
"Kevin, go to your room," added my so-called father. He kept on eating and didn't even glance at me.
"But I didn't..."
"Silence, I have said!" my mother shouted. "Do as you are told, young man." My mother was beautiful when she was angry. Her nostrils were flaring, her ample bosom was heaving up and down, and her pouty lips had tightened up.
I nodded and stood up.
My sister, wearing a revealing pink top, gave me a wink. Her blond ponytails swung, and a wicked, dominant grin appeared on her face. She was as cute as an angel and as ruthless as a demon.
I made my way towards the living room when I heard, "Thirty minutes. Living room. I'll get your ass red."
I turned around and took a look at my stepfather. He was still eating chicken, not paying attention to me - as usual. He was quite different from my mother in many ways, and that was reflected in their choice of clothes. Mom preferred to dress up like the head of a company - smart white blouses and black skirts. Quincy dressed like somebody working in the back of a bakery. He usually wore shorts and wife-beaters at home. I didn't understand why she'd chosen him.
"What must you say, young man?" asked my mother icily.
"Yes, Sir," I answered. "I'll be in the living room in 30 minutes. May I go?"
"Get lost, boy," said my stepfather and chief tormentor.
I left the dining room.
***
I was doing qigong - a form of meditative yoga - and was thinking about what had happened in the dining room. I'd been holding a tree pose for over fifteen minutes.
How did I know that? That was quite simple. If I felt I had lost track of time, that meant I'd been doing it for over a quarter of an hour.
Why was I doing qigong? Because I needed to do something to cope with my awful home life, where I was constantly berated and abused because of the words of my stepsister.
I didn't know why my mom didn't like me and my stepfather didn't give a fuck about me, but meditation and doing a tree pose helped me to accept the situation - almost.
I got beaten more often, even two months ago, than the last month. I didn't spy on my stepsister, but Mom and Quincy didn't believe me because Ivy had her father wrapped around her little finger, and the two of them somehow had my mother completely under their spell.
At first, I'd tried to stand my ground, but it had been in vain. I still didn't give in, though - not mentally. I hunkered down. They said if you waited by the river enough, the bodies of your enemies would float by.
I didn't want to kill anybody, but if life handed me an opportunity to turn the tables, I knew I would take it. I wanted to be ready, just in case that miracle happened.
There was a banging on the door.
"It's time," said a male voice. "Don't make me wait, boy."
"Yes, sir," I replied.
I heard the sound of his retreating footsteps.
***
I leaned against the wall, palms touching it. That was Quincy's favourite position for spanking.
"Twenty-five, Sir," I kept counting emotionlessly.
Another flash of pain splashed around my buttocks.
"Twenty-six, Sir," I muttered.
"Louder, boy! You should have enjoyed watching my little daughter..."
"Negative, Sir," I replied. The pain ensconced on my lower back as well as on my buttocks. My ass was genuinely burning.
"Don't lie to me, boy," Quincy said confidently. "You're a pervert. You must be punished properly."
I was silent. There was another intense flash of pain.
"Twenty se...seven, Sir," I hesitated for a moment. The pain was getting to be too much. Humiliation would soon follow it.
Another whistle of a snake whip cut the air and stung me again.
"Tw... twenty...E..e...eight...Sir," I muttered.
I felt another blow.
One more.
I could barely speak. I wouldn't be sitting down for a long time.
"Okay, you may go, boy," said Quincy, and then he snorted. "What should you say?"
"Thank you...Sir," I said, slowly slipping down the wall.
My lower back hurt, my ass hurt, and my arms hurt. Everything hurt.
I'll find a way to get revenge.
I burned inside. It hurt in its own way, but that fire was mine and mine alone.
***
I was lying on my belly and resting. I'd gotten a tube of hand cream and had already used it. My butt was still sore, but I felt better physically.
Sometimes I got beaten quite severely, as had happened just half an hour prior, but usually, I received fewer strikes.
Anger and dark thoughts were roiling within me. I truly wanted to do something about the situation, but I couldn't see any way out. No plan coalesced.
No opportunity had presented itself. I needed to find a job - be home less often.
By itself, that was a reasonable plan, and seemed achievable too. My mind didn't stop there, though.
It couldn't. It had to keep the inner fire going. After getting the money, I'll be able to...do something. At least I'll have some resources that can be used to achieve my goal of revenge.
My eyes were closed while I was pondering all that shit.
And then... something changed.