"John! Where the fuck is my beer?" John Bender's father shouted, his voice like thunder through the house. "Answer me you son of a bitch!"

John winced, a small amount of his pot falling onto his mattress. "Shit..." He placed the bag of marijuana under his mattress. "Go to hell dad!" He yelled, hoping that his dad would pass out before he reached his room. He looked over his room, thinking about seeing if he could run for it. But where would he go? He didn't have many friends, and those he did have, were either in jail, high, or drunk at the moment. He looked down at his chest, taking in the pale scarring on the bare skin visible through the front of his flannel. Quickly he abandoned the red flannel for his long-sleeved t-shirt, pulling that over his head and placing the flannel over it. Just as he grabbed his denim jacket, the doorknob jiggled, and the door flew open. His father stood in the doorway, a beer in one hand, and a length of chain in the other.

"You little shit." His dad slurred, making the chain rattle like he always did. "Where's my Goddamn beer?"

Bender swallowed the fear in his throat, keeping his eyes on that chain. He knew what that thing would do if he didn't cooperate, and he didn't want to feel it again. "It, it's in my closet." He stated, pointing to the door.

His father gave a cruel smile, stepping toward the boy. "What did I tell you about taking my stuff?" He asked, twisting the chain around his hand.

Bender bowed his head in submission, making the leather gloves he wore squeak as he clenched his fists. "Not to do it, Sir."

"And what happens when we don't do what we're told?"

Bender didn't answer, instead, he closed his eyes, waiting for the blow to come.

And boy, oh boy, did it come. His dad gave him a hard crack across the nose, a sickening crunch sounding as blood began to pour down his face and neck.

John gasped for air, as blood flowed into his mouth. He didn't have time to react before his old man had him on the floor, a heavy boot pressed between his shoulder blades. "You think you can just take whatever you want?" He grabbed Bender's hair, pulling his head back as far as it would go. "Huh?" He slammed his son's head into the wood flooring, removing his foot from his back. "You think you're so smart?" He delivered a hard kick to the kid's side, cracking several of his ribs. Bender screamed, until his father wrapped the chain around his neck cutting off his airway. He choked, clawing at the metal around his neck, until his vision started to fade, going dark at the edges. "Sorry..." He croaked before his sight left him and he was left in the dark.

His father barked a laugh, unwrapping the chain. "Oh, now what's this?" He bent down, flicking John's shaggy, bloody hair from his ear, revealing the diamond earring. "Well, he's been holding out on me now hasn't he?" He unclasped the back and pulled the jewel from his ear. "This'll make a pretty penny now won't it?"