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It always started out the same. Every night since he could remember.
He'd be thrown back behind the school, face shoved in the dirt where they would take turns beating him while his body crumbled underneath the weight.
He would taste the blood in his mouth; white hot and metallic as it bubbled in his throat. He would try to hold it in for as long as he could, but it always proved to be too much. After retching it all on one of their shoes, the beating would get worse.
He would try to shield himself, though it was useless. Instead, they'd pin him down and bolt him to the ground. He'd kick back and beg them to stop but they never listen. They didn’t care. They were having too much fun killing him to notice.
The pain eventually becomes dull as his face grows numb. His eyes shift wearily, looking past their twisted faces.
It has to stop soon. I'll wake up and it'll be over...
It almost is when he sees him. Watching with a gaze like ice.
The pain then comes flooding back and his chest bursts.
Anger, fear, and helplessness come crashing down, until he wakes up.
He opens his eyes and the room is in frozen chaos.
Every time. The same thing.
Slowly, he balls his hands into fists and tries to find order.
C-Calm down. Calm down. You have to calm down…! He chants.
It’s too hot. He goes to undo his nightshirt but his fingers fumble over the buttons. Desperate, he tears it off of him, and the cold air bites his skin.
Some nights would better than others, then some would be just like this. He was alone but he would deal with it. Eventually, he'd go right back to sleep, the nightmare being only another memory.