***
"Haah haah."
Ryan tried to recover his breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow. While it was nearing the end of Spring, it felt as if Summer had arrived early, baking him underneath its heat.
Taking a large gulp of water, he looked at the large house where he'd grown up, a mixture of emotions painted on his face.
There was a sense of reluctance, like he didn't want to go inside. But eventually he gathered up the courage, walking up the long driveway and heading inside.
"You're back, very good." A deep voice called, causing Ryan to flinch.
"Yeah, I just went for a run." He replied, albeit a little meekly.
"Mmm."
The figure stood up, his wide shoulders and tall frame looking rather intimidating. He had a handsome face, but there was something a little off about it, almost like it was hiding something more sinister beneath.
Ryan only briefly met his father's gaze, before lowering his head.
"Have you been studying? You won't be able to attend Kansas State if you don't get a decent GPA." The man stated.
At the mention of Kansas State, Ryan's hands subconsciously balled into fists. It took a lot of willpower to keep silent, but he nodded in response.
"Good. I've already assured Coach Blanch that there will be no issues." With those words, he placed his hand on Ryan's right shoulder.
Ryan flinched, quickly stepping back from the man's touch.
"F—Father… What if I don't want to go to Kansas State?" Ryan blurted out, instantly regretting his words. For some reason, these words had been projected forth against his will.
In horror, he looked up at his father, only to see the man frowning deeply.
"It's been decided. There will be no further discussion." He stated, his tone sounding more dangerous.
A surge of anger rose within Ryan, stoking his emotions. Against his will, words that he'd been repressing for so long started flying out of his mouth.
"What gives you the right to decide this for me!? I worked my ass off to get here, and you want to keep controlling me?"
Ryan's father seemed taken aback for a moment, however his expression quickly turned menacing.
"You ungrateful little whelp. Do you think you could have gotten to where you are today without me? How dare you question my authority, in my own home no less." Despite not raising his voice, each word was like a dagger, slicing at Ryan's psyche.
Ryan shook his head, his anger out wrestling his fear. "No! I won't go to your damn Alma Mater. This is MY future we're talking about, not yours."
At this point, his father went silent, his expression stiffening. Without a word, he reached down towards the belt that was secured around his waist, unbuckling it slowly.
"It seems I have been too lenient with you lately…"
Seeing this, Ryan's face twisted in horror. Without waiting for the man to finish, Ryan quickly ran, leaping up the stairs towards his room as if his life depended on it.
Due to his earlier run, his muscles were still fatigued, but the adrenaline pumping through his veins gave him the boost he needed.
Arriving in the safety of his room, Ryan didn't relax. He knew that the man would be bearing down on him shortly, with his weapon in hand.
In a rush, he quickly locked the door and grabbed his bag, packing it with his essentials. Ryan never thought that today would be the day, but it was clear he had been thinking about leaving for a long time.
BANG BANG
"Open this door." His father's voice was even, but Ryan could tell that he was seething.
He ignored the man, gathering up the last of his things. He briefly looked at the room which had been more of a prison than anything before picking up his baseball bat and gripping it tightly.
Ryan stood to the side of the door, his eyes focused.
BANG BANG BANG
The door surged, as if someone was barging into it. Every time it moved, Ryan flinched, his heart beating out of his chest. He knew that he would only have a small window of time to complete what would happen next.
In the next moment, the door burst open, revealing the large figure of his father wielding his belt.
Ryan's eyes widened and he swung the bat with all of his might, aiming for the stomach of his father.
THUD
"Urgh."
The man let out a grunt of pain, quickly falling down to his knees as the wind was knocked out of his lungs. A look of shock and anger appeared on his face as he turned to Ryan like he was going to kill him.
However, Ryan was already a step ahead of him. He lifted his leg, kicking his father right in the solar plexus, sending him flat onto his back in the next moment.
Having incapacitated his father for now, Ryan wasted no time, leaping over him. But he was quickly stopped in place by the large hand now wrapped around his ankle.
Ryan turned around and wielded his bat once more, "LET ME GO!"
THUD
"ARGH"
The hit seemed to work, allowing Ryan to go free. Before the mad man could chase after him, he'd already flown down the stairs, running towards the front door.
As he exited the house his mind was blank, but his heart was still racing. He needed to get as far away as possible, before the man could catch him.
Thankfully, his car was already parked on the road since his father didn't like him parking in the driveway. He hopped into the Mazda and tried to start it, only for it not to turn over.
A dreadful panic assaulted him.
"No… Please no." He muttered, trying once more to start the car.
He looked back at the house, only to see his father appear at the doorway looking menacing.
"Please…" As his father got closer, Ryan felt as if his heart was going to implode. Why was this happening?
VROOOOM
Finally, the engine turned over, roaring out in defiance. Ryan quickly kicked it into gear and sped off, not daring to breathe a sigh of relief until he was far enough away.
He looked in the rear view mirror only to see his father standing in place, watching him leave.
"Thank God…" he muttered, finally feeling a sense of relief.