Chapter Text
Wally's back hit the wall hard knocking the breath out of him. He gasped putting his hand up to his throat and trying to remember how to get air back into his lungs.
"GET UP!!" His dad screamed towering over him but Wally was still struggling, trying to remember how to breathe, every rough gasp felt painful and left him choking on air. "I SAID GET YOU YOU STUPID BRAT" His dad pulled him up by the hair off of the ground. Wally thrashed in his hands but he was too short to make contact. He just wanted to run away, he wished the flash would come and save him.
"I'm sorry, I'll be good I promise" he begged, choking out the words painfully but already fully knowing it wouldn't work. In fact, it had the opposite effect and his dad grew even angrier throwing him back against the floor and throwing a still half-full beer bottle at him. Instinctually Wally put his hand up trying to try and protect his face, but it only partially worked as the glass bottle hit his arms shattering and sinking into the pale skin on his arms and his cheek.
He screamed in pain scattering back and looking up at his dad who was now taking off his belt, Wally swallowed hard and tried to run back to his room only to be grabbed by the hair and thrown back down. The impact of the wall dug glass farther into his arms and the impact of the belt drove several shards even deeper till he physically couldn't stop himself from screaming in pain.
Wally woke up screaming, he wasn't sure where he was or what was going on. His entire body hurt, everything hurt. He could feel the glass in his arms and the welts that the belt had left on his skin and the blood dripping down his arms. He knew he needed to be quiet before he woke up his father and got punished again but he couldn't stop. He balled his fists into the sheets screaming again not really sure why he was even screaming. If his father heard him he would beat him for sure. He heard his door open, he needed to be quiet but couldn't remember how. He felt hands on him and he lashed out violently, he knew this was a bad idea. He was too short to injure his father and even if he did it would only result in a worse beating.
Still, he couldn't stop himself from thrashing in the arms that were now holding him. There was a voice talking to him but he couldn't hear it over the sound of his own screams. He was waiting for impact, for his father's fist, or belt, or another beer bottle. He knew it was coming and was honestly surprised it had taken this long. "I'm sorry" he begged "I'll be good, I'll be quiet. Please, Daddy, don't hurt me." He braced himself for impact or for his father's screams but neither ever came leaving him confused and even more terrified. He slowly risked opening his eyes, he was in a room.
"Wally," a voice said, he recognized the voice. He couldn't place from where though, why were they here? Was this man going to hurt him as daddy did? Wally struggled and thrashed in the stranger's arms wanting free. The hands let him go and he scrambled back till he hit the headboard had and curled into himself. He was rocking slightly and he knew if his daddy caught him rocking it would only make the punishment worse but he couldn't help it. This was too much, everything was too much. A broken sob escaped his lips.
"Please, please don't hurt me." he hiccuped burying his face deeper into his hard knees."Don't hurt me, don't hurt me ill be good, I can be a good boy I promise, please don't hurt me" his words tampered off into another sob and he heard the other person moving around the room. He felt a dip near the end of his bed and he whimpered expecting a belt to hit him. Instead, he felt a hand softly sit down on his knee and he touched away.
"Wally, nobody is going to hurt you. open your eyes"
Wally shook his head, he was too scared. He wished they would just get it over with, stop pretending to be nice and hit him. Tell him he's been bad.
"bad, stupid, useless, worthless child, bad, stupid, useless, worthless child, bad, stupid, useless, worthless child" He whispered it over and over like a mantra. He had heard his father say it so many times and he knew it was true. If it wasn't true then why had his daddy said it? He shifted on the bed trying to move farther from the person and realized with a shock of horror that the bed and his shorts were both wet.
His father slapped him causing him to stagger to the side. "GOD DAMN IT BOY WHAT ARE YOU A BABY? WETTING THE BED LIKE A SCARED LITTLE BITCH CAUSE I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO BE SCARED OF"
His eyes flew open and he tried to back up more but he couldn't "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't mean to I'm sorry I'm..." He was breathing too fast and he couldn't make sense of what was going on. He knew that he knew the person sitting in front of him. the person looking terribly concerned, but he couldn't figure out who it is. The person was talking, he couldn't seem to figure out what was being said.
"Please don't hurt me" he whimpered and the person frowned.
"Wally, it's me. Uncle Barry?"
Uncle Barry, Wally had defiantly heard that name before. That was Aunt Iris's husband and they had adopted him after his parents went to jail for child abuse when he was fifteen. Reality all seemed to come back at once like a slap. He covered his face with his hands and let out another loud long shriek trying to get rid of all the confusing emotions that had built up inside his chest. He let himself scream till it finally tapered off as an exhausting sob. He was so tired
"u-uncle-uncle Barry?" he whispered. He covered his mouth feeling like he was going to be sick. "I'm sorry I um..." He wasn't sure what he was trying to say but his words blurred together "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, i..." he began to lean heavily to one side like he might pass out.
"It's okay kid" He saw Barry get up and exit his field of vision again only to come back closer and wrap his arms tightly around him. Wally leaned against him heavily breaking down completely.