Topic: Moving Out

Skyler · Date: 2006-12-18 21:25 EST

Skyler arrived home late at night to find Molly sitting on the living room sofa, reading a magazine.

?Where?s Tommy?? he asked.

?Upstairs in Jenna?s room,? the maid replied without glancing up.

Skyler started for the stairs.

?I wouldn?t disturb him if I were you,? commented Molly, mildly.

He ignored her and kept going, all the way to the back of the upstairs hallway. He was feeling terribly weak tonight. His heart felt strange. It was beating inconsistently and causing him to break out in cold sweats at random times. Tonight probably wasn?t the best time to tell Tommy the news about him moving out of Cosmo Beach, but he couldn?t put it off any longer.

The door of Jenna?s bedroom was closed, but Skyler opened it and stepped inside without even knocking.

Jenna · Date: 2006-12-18 21:52 EST

Jenna sat on her bed in her pajamas, straddling Tommy, who was sprawled out on his stomach, shirtless. She expertly massaged his massive, rock-hard shoulders and his powerful, muscular back. Her fingers caressed his skin with love and affection. Perhaps if she did a good enough job, he wouldn?t get up and sleep elsewhere when the massage was done. Maybe he would be so comfortable and relaxed he would curl up with her and hold her for the rest of the night, like he used to do when she was little.

Was he asleep yet? Studying his face, she could see that his eyes were closed, but couldn?t tell whether or not he had drifted off. Jenna felt as if she?d massage him all night long without stopping once, if it meant Tommy wouldn?t go.

Her hopeful mood completely vanished when someone came into her bedroom. She whirled her head around, glaring angrily at him. ?Skyler!? she hissed. ?Leave!?

Tommy · Date: 2006-12-19 02:15 EST

Tommy was more relaxed than he could ever remember. Jenna had many talents, and her ability as a masseuse was superb. He loathed Jenna?s bedroom, though; too many girly smells and soft fabrics and cute decorations. As soon as her hands tired out, he would get up and go back downstairs and crash on his couch, as usual.

As comfortable as he had let himself become, he tensed horribly when the door of the bedroom opened. His eyes burst open, seeing that the entrant was Skyler. While that fact certainly meant he could relax again, he admitted to himself that his life could have ended at that moment, and he wouldn?t have been able to do anything about it. His gun was out of reach, laying on the floor with his shirt. Of course, he would have improvised and used Jenna as a human shield if the person had come through the door and started firing at him, but it seemed that wasn?t going to be necessary.

The Figure was instantly in a bad mood at having been surprised while unarmed. ?This better be good,? he warned Skyler, darkly.

Skyler · Date: 2006-12-19 18:31 EST

?Just wanted to say I?m going to live somewhere else from now on.?

Skyler saw the anger in Tommy?s eyes and had to look away. His voice had no strength, no conviction. He could never manage to show much of a backbone when dealing with Tommy. ?I was going to move in with Jewell. Her place is right down the road, you know.? He knew he should have made it sound more like a declaration than a request, but he just couldn?t manage it. Held in Tommy?s gaze, Skyler felt like a little kid with sticky hands and a runny nose and a dirty shirt and grass stains on the knees of his pants.

Skyler bit his lower lip, expecting the worst.

Tommy · Date: 2006-12-19 18:51 EST

Tommy sat up so quickly that Jenna flew off his back, tumbling onto the mattress indignantly. The Figure stood to his full height, the huge bulky muscles of his bare, tattooed, hairy chest clenched tightly. He closed on Skyler, deep gravelly voice booming. ?You work for me, so you live where I tell you to live. How much money have you made working for me? A shit load. I made you rich, you little bitch. Show some damn appreciation!? He shoved Skyler, hard.

Skyler · Date: 2006-12-20 13:40 EST

Skyler?s skinny body flew back into the wall with a loud thud. ?I?m still going to work for you, Tommy,? he groaned. ?I?m still going to log my hours and watch your back and be at your beck and call! I just won?t be living in this house.? Skyler gazed down at his ankles, cringing beneath the massive Figure of Tommy. He prepared himself to get punched, hit, beat up, shot, whatever. This was as furious as he?d ever seen Tommy, so he was pretty sure violence was coming. Skyler resolved not to lift a finger to defend himself. That would only make things worse. He would let the man take out his anger and not fight back. That was the best strategy, he decided.

Tommy · Date: 2006-12-20 13:41 EST

Tommy wasn?t fooled by Skyler?s innocent demeanor. If he wasn?t ready to get the hell beat out of him, he shouldn?t have come to him with this news. He knotted his huge, massive fist in Skyler?s girly hair and dragged him out of the bedroom. All the way down the hallway he toted the boy, finally emerging onto the balcony overlooking the living room.

Molly was down there, still sitting on the couch reading her magazine. When Tommy and Skyler appeared, she stood up abruptly and looked at the two of them with great concern. ?Tommy, no!?

He ignored her plea. Tommy clamped both hands on Skyler and hurled the teen over the railing, watching with cruel eyes as his body plummeted toward the hardwood floor of the living room.

Skyler · Date: 2006-12-20 13:46 EST

I guess I should have fought back. This was the only thought going through Skyler?s mind as he sailed through the air, arms and legs flailing. He tried to spin himself around so he could get his hands and feet underneath him, but he couldn?t seem to turn his body. All he could do was gaze helplessly at Molly for those few horrifying seconds before his body struck the floor. He saw sadness and outrage and pity in her eyes, and then he landed, and the only thing he was aware of was pain. Excruciating pain. He landed flat on his back, and all of his breath flew out of his lungs. Also, his head thumped hard against the floor, cracking open. Try as he might, he couldn?t suck any more air in. He was vaguely aware of blood oozing down his scalp and soaking his hair, but that fact didn't seem to matter at all while he couldn't breathe. Skyler writhed and wheezed, but it was hard to do much. Landing on his back in that manner seemed to make all his limbs lose their strength. His extremities tingled with numbness.

Tommy · Date: 2006-12-20 13:48 EST

Tommy stood at the railing, glaring down at the boy hatefully. He pointed a big meaty finger at Skyler and issued a cold warning. ?If you miss one assignment, I?m going to kill you. If you don?t show up even one night, I?m going to kill you. You had better check in every day with me and get your jobs, because I?m not hunting your bitch ass down. And you better not screw up, because after I kill you, I?m going to go kill that whore girlfriend of yours. The only way out of my employ is death. Remember that.?

So, Jewell had won this little battle in the tug of war over Skyler. Fine. The Figure of Tommy's day would come. Jewell Ravenlock had vexed him for the final time.

Molly · Date: 2006-12-20 13:51 EST

Molly?s face was full of fear and concern as she ran to Skyler?s body and knelt down beside him, placing one hand delicately on his chest and holding the back of his head with the other. She didn?t know what she could possibly do for him, but she wanted him to know she was there. The fall he had just taken had looked sickening, and the sound he made when he landed was grotesque. She watched in agony as he tried to fight for breath that wouldn?t come. ?Breathe,? she pleaded, a tear forming in her eye. ?Please, just breathe...? Helplessly, she could only watch, her fingers turning crimson from the oozing wound on the back of his head.

Tommy · Date: 2006-12-20 13:54 EST

Tommy had not left the railing. He was still peering angrily down at the two of them. ?Molly,? he commanded in his deep gravelly baritone. ?Do not help him. Leave him there. If he wants to move out, he's going to have to drag his ass out of here. Go to bed. Now.? The authority in his voice was cold, hard, and absolute as he pointed toward Molly's bedroom, banishing her like a disobiedient child.

Molly · Date: 2006-12-20 13:56 EST

A look of shame consumed the maid?s face. Ashamed that she was too frightened to disobey Tommy, even if Skyler?s life was in jeopardy, she slowly stood up and backed away from the boy. ?I?m so sorry,? she mouthed down to him. As she turned and ran away from where Skyler lay, her tears began to fall. She sobbed as she went, running up the stairs, dashing past Tommy and slamming her bedroom door.

Tommy · Date: 2006-12-20 13:58 EST

When the two of them were alone, Tommy slowly descended the staircase. The only sound was the cadence of his big boots thumping down the steps. He didn?t even glance down at Skyler as he passed right by the gasping, flailing boy, went to the light switch panel and flicked off everyone switch. Darkness fell upon the house, as all of the lights went out. The Figure disappeared down a dark corridor, his slow, pounding footfalls echoing away. A door slammed far off in the shadows, and Skyler was then abandoned in the dark, writhing and trying to breathe in his state of anguished semi-paralysis.