Simon's Summer

Simon's POV

For the summer, Dave, Alvin, Theo, and I were staying at my aunt's-Dave's sister's-house.

For some reason, however, my aunt hates me! No matter what I do, she always turns it against me. It also doesn't help that her son, Josh, is always tattling on anything I say or do.

When we all finished our breakfast one morning, Alvin went outside to practice his pitching, Theo went to the kitchen to bake something, I went to my room to read a book, and Dave and my aunt were in the living room, getting up to date about what had been happening during the time they hadn't seen each other. However, Josh, my six-year old cousin, decided that he wanted to bother me... again. He liked to push my buttons then tattle to his mom when I snap.

"So where were you yesterday, Simon?" He asked, somewhat innocently. I had gone out all yesterday to get away from him and his cruelty, but I wasn't about to tell him that.

"Why do you care?" I said back, trying to focus on my book. I buried my nose deeper in, trying to ignore him.

"How come you didn't say anything? We were all VERY worried," he said sarcastically, batting his eyelashes. I restrained from rolling my eyes.

"I don't know. Again, does it matter?" I said through clenched teeth. I gripped my book so hard, I actually wrinkled the page.

"Why didn't you get home till late?" He got onto my bed and started hopping, making the bed sway. He knew I hated that.

I was starting to get frustrated with Josh. "Why don't you shut up?" I said, slamming my book shut, turning on him and glaring.

That was probably the dumbest thing I had said all day.

"MOM, SIMON SWORE!" Josh yelled to his mom as he ran from the room.

I groaned in frustration, pulling on my hair. I just only said 'shut up;' not some kind of vulgarity. This has been the worst summer ever. Someone must be getting back at me, or something. Earlier, Josh broke all of his mom's antique vases and he blamed me. I wasn't allowed to go on the swim with Dave and my brothers. Then Alvin and Josh were playing together, and they ended up trampling my aunt's flowerbed. Alvin owned up, but Josh said I was the other person who helped Alvin. Because of this, neither Alvin nor I could go on the mountain climbing expedition thing. Josh didn't get any punishment whatsoever. And each time I was framed, my aunt gave me a lecture on being more polite, or something. I never really listened.

"Simon Seville!" My aunt yelled at me as she stormed up the stairs and stood in the doorway of my room, glaring at me. Josh clung to her leg, grinning evilly. "How dare you swear at my son?"

"Wait, no... I... I just..." I desperately tried to explain, but I couldn't find the words. After all, why take the word of someone you barely know over your own son?

"Come here," she growled, grabbing my collar and nearly dragging me out of my room.

At first I was intrigued; what could my aunt do to me? She couldn't hit me; that was illegal. And she couldn't reprimand me without Dave's permission... could she?

She pushed me into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. 'Crap,' I thought. 'It's just her and me now.' My aunt grabbed the front of my blue sweater and pushed me up against the wall, my feet not even touching the floor. I grabbed her large hand with both of my small ones, staring imploringly into her eyes. I just saw malice and evil there. I squirmed uncomfortably, but she took no heed. My aunt growled as she ripped my glasses from my face and threw them to the floor with a small crack. I was getting very afraid, so I didn't protest.

"How DARE you swear at my son?" She demanded, pushing the fist that was holding me up against my chest, making me wince.

I took a shaky breath. "I didn't swear; he was being annoying so I told him to shut up!" I said quickly. I could feel tears of fear well up in my eyes, but I refused to let them down. What was wrong with my aunt? She never got THIS angry before!

I don't really know what happened. All I remember after that was my whole face throbbing, my nose numb and bleeding, and my aunt's face so close to mine, I could feel her sour breath. I tried to comprehend what had happened. Did she hit me? I blinked.

"WELL?" She demanded. I hadn't even heard the question.

"Ub," I said, my nose plugged terribly from the blood. "I didudt hear the questud." Man, I sounded terrible. I tried wiping my nose on the back of my hand to clear the blood, but my whole hand got covered in the red liquid. I didn't realize I was bleeding THAT badly.

I saw her wind up this time before I heard a crunch. Electrifying pain shot through my body, starting from my nose. I barely stifled a cry as I held my broken nose with both hands. By now, tears were streaming down my face. I tried to shrink away, but she still had an iron grip on my shirt.

"Simon, swearing is bad," she lectured through clenched teeth. "I don't know where you even learned to swear; you're only ten-!"

"Exactly! Thed why are you hurtig be?" I blurted out without thinking.

Anger flashed in her eyes and I saw her hand coming again. This time, she punched my stomach, making me double over in pain. Well, as best as you can double over when you're held up against a wall. I wrapped my arms around my stomach to try to ease the sharp pain. But as I removed my hands from my nose, blood poured all over the floor.

I tried to catch my breath, eyes clenched shut, as she continued. "You're only ten, so you should be taught what is right and what is wrong before you pick wrong and it's too late to help you..."

I bit back a retort.

"... So, to make sure you stay with what's right, I'm going to teach you a very valuable lesson," I braced myself for another hit, but instead I felt her drop me. I landed on the floor with a yelp. However, as I looked up questioningly, her shoe flew into my stomach. I cried out and curled into a fetal position, trying to protect my stomach. Her shoe collided with my back then, instead. I moved against the wall, trying to protect as much as I could. But her shoe collided with my body again and again. I kept crying out every time, then comforted whatever was sore.

At one point, as she was in a blind rage, she swung her shoe from way behind her and smashed it against my face. I shrieked bloody murder at this, feeling my whole face go from a throbbing pain to an electric shock pain to a so-painful, there's-no-words-to-describe-it, pain.

My one breath as I screamed seemed to last a good five minutes. In that time, I was vaguely aware of my aunt slipping out the door, locking it as she left. See, this door needs a key, and without it, it won't open.

I writhed on the floor in agony, trembling and sobbing. My whole face felt like it had been popped in, like a ping pong ball when it's been hit too hard. I couldn't touch my face to comfort it, so instead I laid on my sore back and continued to try to breathe through the unending pain. I kept shaking uncontrollably, whimpering in pain.

My vision became hazy, and not because I didn't have my glasses. I think it was because of blood loss. Tears blended with blood on my face as I sobbed to myself. I tried to be quiet, but every time I breathed in, it was a hiccupy breath that was very loud.

After some time, the pain was still as sharp as ever, but I heard a concerned voice on the other side of the door. "Simon?" Theodore asked. "Are you in there?"

I wanted to respond, but all I could do was hiccup as I tried to breathe. I also couldn't move from my spot on the floor; my body was too stiff and in shock, and didn't let me move. I had to tell Theo I was in here so maybe he could get help. So I did the only thing I could do: I tried to yell. But it came out as a weak moan. Thankfully, Theo heard it.

"Simon? Simon, are you okay?" He asked. I could hear genuine worry in his voice. The doorknob shook, but since it was locked, Theo couldn't open it. "Hang tight, Simon, I'm gonna get something to unlock this door," he said, and I heard his voice fading as he quickly ran to get something. I panicked a bit; I didn't want to be alone. Suddenly, my nose started to throb painfully, but I barely brushed my fingers over it before electric pain shocked me again. I whimpered in agony; my voice was hoarse from screaming.

I panted for breath, and as I did so, I faintly heard the lock on the door being jiggled. I was so delirious, at first I thought it was my aunt again, and I started hyperventilating from fear. What if she was coming back to kill me? But then I heard Theo's worried voice again, and relief washed through me. "Don't worry, Simon; I'll get you out of there... Stupid hanger, please work!" I couldn't help but smile at my brother's innocence despite the overwhelmingly painful feelings surging through me.

After a minute, Theo got the door open. From my spot on the floor, I looked in his direction, but without my glasses I only saw a green blur. There was an awkward silence. I can only imagine what Theo saw. Blood all over the rug, floor, and my body, my glasses on the floor, broken glass around them, and me, lying as a bloody, broken mess on the floor. Poor Theo.

I saw the green blur take a step back, then I heard the metal hanger drop to the floor, and Theo ran to my side, whispering my name. "Simon... Oh God, Simon,"

I panted to try to talk. "Theo..." was all I got out.

I heard his voice tremble. "Yes, Simon?" He placed a comforting hand over mine, careful to not touch anything else; he didn't want to hurt me.

"Get... Dave..." I mouthed, closing my eyes. My body was in so much agony, it was shutting down, and I could feel it: breathing became a struggle, my body started going numb, and my mind became fuzzy.

I heard fabric rustling as Theo got up quickly and ran downstairs, screaming for Dave. I was able to stay awake long enough to see Theodore running back, nearly dragging Dave with him. But that's all I saw before blackness consumed me.