ESCAPE

          Nikki cried out as his stepfather’s thick leather belt whipped across his skin. He flinched, huddling against the wall and trying to shield himself from the blows. Another sharp crack brought a stinging pain across his shoulder. Nikki stifled sobs as the leather left another swollen mark on his skin. He reflexively moved his hand to cover the welt, but another swing from the belt set his fingers on fire. Pain seared his body, and the stings kept coming.
          “What did I tell you? Are you stupid? Did you think I was fucking joking?” Ken’s sharp voice rang through the dark, empty house. One loud crack after another. Nikki shook his head, pleading. “No, sir!” His stepfather jerked him up off the floor and slammed him roughly against the wall. “So you deliberately disobeyed me?”
          Nikki opened his mouth, trying to find an answer that would stop Ken's tirade. Before a sound escaped his lips, Ken's strong fist backhanded him, sending him reeling. The strike was dizzying and Nikki’s vision blurred with the impact. He cried and held his jaw with his casted arm. He stood there trembling, arms folded defensively as his stepfather I paused to finish another beer, tossing the empty can onto the floor. The man shot a hateful look at Nikki, who stood there like a wet puppy, sniffling quietly with his eyes closed in a pained expression, already feeling the next strike.
          The loud smack and the pain of another blow landing across his stomach caused Nikki to grip his torso. He grimaced as Ken struck him again and again. He doubled over and dropped to his knees. “Please…” he sobbed. “I’m sorry, please stop!"
          Ken kicked him hard in the ribs. “He’s never gone so far as to kick or punch me before,” Naoki thought fearfully. He began to panic. He tried to curl into a defensive ball, but it made little difference. Ken staggered drunkenly, nearly falling.
          Nikki took the opportunity to bolt down the hall, running as fast as he could. In the small, run-down old house, there was no room for escape and he was soon cornered in the kitchen. His stepfather roared.
          “You little piece of shit! The only reason I ever put up with you was because of your whore mother, but in reality she doesn’t even give two fucks about you! You were a fucking accident!” He gesticulated wildly as he yelled, and the belt clipped Nikki across the face. His cheek and the side of his pale lips darkened to a bright red almost instantly.
          Nikki felt himself shaking terribly. “Please, please let it be over...” he begged silently. He blocked out his stepfather’s hateful words and tried to brace himself against the violent beating he endured. “No,” he thought. “He won’t ever stop.”
          Nikki scrambled around quickly, trying to find anything he could use to defend himself. As soon as he moved, Ken caught a fistful of his shaggy, black hair and slammed him against the wall. "You little punk, I’m sick and tired of your shit! Fucking look at me when I'm talking to you!"
          Ken tried to grip him by the jaw, but in his drunken stupor, his hand clawed around Nikki's throat. Nikki panicked. He began to fear for his life as he felt Ken's death grip tightening around his throat.
          He flailed his arms around, trying to feel for anything he could use as a weapon. At first, he felt nothing but the bare counter until his bruised fingers finally rested on something hard. A cast iron frying pan. Without thinking, he swung it hard, cracking his stepfather in the side of the head, sending him reeling. The man toppled back and hit the floor.
          Nikki screamed at him through his angry tears. “You’re wrong, asshole! It’s me that’s sick of your shit! I never did anything but work like a slave for you and mom. All I ever wanted was for you guys to love me and treat me like I fucking mattered to someone! I never deserved to be treated this way!”
          Ken cursed him under his breath and began to pull himself to his feet. Nikki didn’t let up, bringing the frying pan straight down on his head. Ken fell flat on his back, struggling against Nikki who put all of his force into trying to bash his skull in. Ken was far too drunk and disoriented after the first two blows to compete with the slender, athletic youth. Even with a broken arm, Nikki brought the skillet down again and again on his cruel abuser’s head.
          Panting and sobbing, he finally dropped the pan when he realized the man lie motionless beneath him. There was blood everywhere. Naoki trembled violently. He cried as his rage subsided and a panic rose within him. “Is he dead? Oh my god, I killed him!”
          He tried to stand, but stumbled and fell back to his knees. Hyperventilating, he climbed to his feet and ran out the back door. He raced down the street, gripped with fear. He thought of facing the rest of his life in a dark prison cell, of never seeing Hana again. These thoughts terrified him and drove him, pushing him to run until his lungs screamed for air. His chest heaved as he panted hard. He was drenched in sweat. No one on the street seemed to notice him. His legs burned and threatened to collapse underneath of him at any second as he shakily dragged himself onto Casey's front porch.
          Still gasping for breath, he opened the door without ringing the bell and let himself inside. Nikki crept through the dark house, feeling his way past the familiar layout of the living room. He felt his heart pounding, and feared that this heavy breathing would alert the household to his presence. He tiptoed quietly to the staircase and moved to the top as silently as possible. Casey's father worked early and often got quite upset if disturbed during the night. He slipped down the hall to his friend’s bedroom. He breathed a heavy sigh and opened the door quietly. The dull glow of the computer screen was the only source of light as he stepped into the room.
          Casey lie fast asleep in his large, plush bed. Nikki delicately climbed into the bed with him and wrapped his casted arm tightly around his sleeping friend. He tried to remain silent, biting his lip as his eyes filled with frightened tears. He held his friend close, resting his forehead against Casey's back. Casey moaned softly in his softly in his sleep. He reached his arm up and held Nikki’s hand as he cried. Nikki hugged him tighter.
          Casey opened his eyes sleepily as he realized that there was another person in his bed. He looked at the black cast across his chest, and turned to see who was behind him. “Nikki?” he asked quietly. Nikki sniffled. “Casey, it’s me… I’m sorry I woke you up, but I really need your help.”
          Casey sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Nikki, what happened to your arm? What’s wrong?” Nikki pulled himself upright and wiped his eyes. “I killed Ken,” he said, his voice trembling. “I murdered him.”
          Casey's golden eyes grew wide with disbelief. He clicked his bedside lamp on, bathing the room in warm light. He looked at Nikki closely. In the light he could see flecks of blood spattered on his face. His usually bright, expressive black eyes were dull and tired and red from crying, and a dark pink mark reached from his thin cheek to the side of his mouth. Casey was at a loss for words. He carefully lifted up Nikki’s t-shirt, looking at his arms, back and stomach. Nikki sat in silence, his eyes shut tight. Dark welts had formed across his body.
          Casey shook his head in disbelief. “God, what did he do to you, Nikki?” Nikki’s voice shuddered. “He was drunk and he wouldn’t stop… He just kept hitting me…” Casey's mind raced. Anger boiled inside of him. How could this have gone on for so long that it came to this point? Why didn't anyone stop this sooner? He knew that he was just as guilty of turning a blind eye as everyone else and he hated himself for it. He scolded himself for feeling proud of Nikki.
          He gently touched Nikki's cheek. “Nikki… you have to go. You know that I love you and would do anything for you, but if Ken is really dead, the police will come looking for you. They’ll come here for sure."
          Nikki’s heart sank and he looked at his friend with uncertainty. Casey hugged him, patting him comfortingly. “Don’t worry. I didn't help you when I should have, so I’m going to help you any way I can now. I have a lot of money that I've been saving for my med school bills but I’m going to give it to you. Please, don’t object. You need it more than I do right now. I’ll get what I can from the ATM tonight. Take that and go somewhere, anywhere far away from here. I’ll transfer the rest to your bank account tomorrow. You should have about ten thousand dollars altogether. Take it and go someplace safe. Start a new life, where you can be safe and happy.”
          Nikki choked up and hugged his friend tightly. “I’ll pay you back everything, I swear.” Casey shook his head. “Don’t,” he said, patting Nikki’s shaggy hair. “Just get somewhere safe, ok?”
          Nikki furrowed his brow, a very solemn expression on his face. “Where should I go? Everyone I know is here.” Casey nodded. "If you're hiding from the police, you need to go someplace where you don't know anyone." He thought for a moment. “What about your dad?” he asked. “I mean your biological father. Where does he live?” Nikki wiped his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “I don’t know. I've never met him. All I have is a photo of him and mom from years ago. It’s got an address on the back, but what if he doesn’t even live there anymore?"
          Casey softly touched the mark on the side of Nikki’s face. “It’s your best chance. If he doesn’t, as long as you know his name, you could look him up in the phone book. We’ve just got to get you out of here before anyone realizes what’s happened.” Nikki looked at the floor, a deep frown of concern blatant across his face. He nodded slowly. “Alright, let’s get this done, then.”