Monsters Are Real

So the first time I ran away from home was a cold Kansas October night, dad was getting ready to go to work it was around 4.30 a.m. David had run off a couple of months ago I came in from doing chores, feeding the dogs and horses and cow. Dad said Michael Timothy as he always did just before he was going to beat the hell out of me. I want you to dig out the sewage line and ill stop at the hardware store and pick up the line to fix it and you better have it done by the time I get home tonight this thing had been dig out for four years and he was always going to get the line to fix it this thing was four feet deep and ran out to pasture and came out in the middle of 17 acres but I only had to dig about 40 feet and it got shallow. The farther you went but the ground was half frozen. I went to school that morning and talked to my only friend Leroy Carter he said I should run away but where to go it didn't matter at least I would avoid a beating.

Well I got home from school and did my chores and started digging the ground was hard and I had to use a pick just to do anything then shovel the dirt out it was getting colder and the Kansas wind was blowing hard. Snow flurries were really coming down now the snow was sticking I was hard at it I heard dads green Chevy wagon pull into the driveway I looked up stretched around to look at the back yep as I thought no pipeline I turned a keeper digging about 15minuites went by I could hear his footsteps coming and the sudden stop. I saw Dad's black boot with his knee bent resting his arm on his knee. Well, I see you aren't done. Dad liked to speak well and dress well, black boots gray western pants knit red white plead western shirt snap buttons black belt jet black hair dad looked Indian. He kept his fingernails clean they stood out against his dark skin then he said well Michael Timothy I see you are not done and I stood up straight and looked at him and said I been here since I got out of school. He said no you haven't or it would've been done I don't know why I said it but I raised the shovel up and said here just kill me right here and now and buried me right now and get it over with.

I can't take any more from you dad just stood there and I could see the veins in his neck bulge and the blood run to his face the fire jumping from his

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eyes he just stood there and stared at me then he turned and walked away I was in shock. I was so cold I couldn't have felt anything so it didn't matter there were so many kids that died in those days that if the sheriff came they would just say the tractor ran over him or the cow or horse kicked or squashed him in the barn. Well, I kept digging till I was called in my bowl of ghoulish was on the table with a slice of bread and a glass of water. I could hear dad yelling go you son of a bitch he was watching football Dallas and Steelers drinking highballs getting hammered I knew I was going to get it. I ate my food put my bowl in the sink a passing by Dad's bedroom I could see him laying on the bed. He saw me I saw the fire jumping in his eyes and red face I knew I was done for I went to my room and got into bed I waited till it got quiet and grabbed my coat out the window I went I got on my bicycle and peddled as hard and as fast as I could to reach the RR tracks that was about a half-mile up the hill.

Once I got to that I was home free so I thought well I was 7 miles to Pittsburg and about 4 more to uncle John's house at 9 years old. You don't think of a lot I thought my uncle would help me but I soon found out that big John was so afraid of my dad. So I got into the car, the cops were there so I didn't get a beating for about 2 weeks than I really got it the black snake and then his fist my eyes were so swollen and black and blue. I couldn't see about a week had gone by and I started feeling sick really sick, puss was coming from my eye. I started washing my face and eyes out and another week came and went I was feeling better I was in so much pain it hurt to move at all but you act like it's nothing and go on because dad would say quit your faking. Dad had told the school I had been kicked by the horse and was sick couldn't come to school, they sent the truant officer to check on me. Dad caught them at the driveway entrance. I went to school the next day with bumps bruises. I told the teacher what had happened the cops showed up at the end of the school day and looked at me and took me to foster home till court about 3 weeks went by and a court day came and went the police came and took me back home I told the cop, I was dead.

This story ends here as part 4 will begin.