UNBREAKABLE BOND

***

Shane threw punches at the tall leather punching bag as if he was fighting the devil himself. He threw combinations, hooks, jabs, and uppercuts, interspersed with blocking motions from his fists and elbows. Sweat poured down his face and body but Shane didn’t even pause to wipe it off. He was still in his dress pants, having moved directly into his gym immediately he’d gotten home from the meeting at Damon’s office. He actually had to call his office to cancel all his meetings for that day because he couldn’t see himself concentrating much on anything that day.

Immediately he’d gotten out of his car, Shane had started taking off his jacket, tie, shirt, undershirt and watch as he headed for the punching bag, moving like a predator whose deadly eyes were fixed on its prey. He’d only taken the time to wrap his hands, opting not to waste his time by fixing gloves. Then the punching bag had received his full wrath and attention. The scary thing was that try as he did, Shane couldn’t stop hitting the bag.

There was a myriad of emotions swirling through Shane as he threw the punches. Anger was foremost, then there was sadness, betrayal and for the first time in years, utter wretchedness. Why he felt like that after all these years, Shane had no idea. It actually felt like he was back to that night all those years ago. Shane felt every physical pain he’d felt at the hands of Chris that fateful night. Shane had been a mere slip of a boy and Chris had been rather big for his age. The blows had hurt, but Chris’ words had hurt even more. Chris’ cruel words had hurt way more than the pain inflicted by his heavy punches for some reason.

Chris’ words hadn’t been any different from words kids their age then usually used when insulting other kids. Being called filthy, worthless, and scum who

the blows had stopped. He’d just realized the room was quiet. Then he’d looked up and realized he was in the room alone. There had been no sign of Chris. Shane had managed to drag himself downstairs to his mother. And the look on his mother’s face when she’d seen a bloodied Shane had broken Shane’s heart all over again. All Shane had managed to say

With a determined look on his mother’s face, she’d quickly cleaned him up as best as she could, given him some painkillers to swallow, and then packed up their stuff. Surprisingly, the hurt in his mother’s eyes had affected Shane

Then he’d left with his mother and never looked back. He’d never shed a tear…for anything, since that night. But he’d vowed to make something of himself in life, just to prove to himself that he wasn’t worthless. In a way, he had Chris to thank for his strive

was confused as to what it was and where it had come from. Then he saw the slit in

“Fuck!”