He was standing in the midst of a misty rain. Nothing made sense and everything felt to him as it was muffled through a pillow. He was awake...or...at least he thought he was. The short hair which usually fluffed with so much life was matted down from the rain. He lost track of how long he had been standing there. All he knew was that he was alone. He stood there, wrapped up in his dazed mind. Everything made sense, yet at the same time they didn’t. He wanted so much, yet had no yearning for anything at all. He was lost…
Reality wasn’t such a kind friend to him either. Abie stood, as anyone would observe, in the midst of a pouring rain. His eyes were dazed to the view of any onlookers. He didn’t look like he was himself either. He looked haunted. His Mentor stood in a doorway, arms crossed as the old Oban watched the water youth carefully. He had only had the twins for a year. They weren’t any older than 13 seasons. He watched for a little while longer before slowly walking forward with a blanket. The male was swift as he placed the blanket around the youth’s shoulders. Stepping back he was concerned as the youth merely pulled the blanket around him.
Abie was trapped in a living dream, to him, he was standing in the midst of a murky lake. He was alone. He was small. There were whispers and far off screams. He looked around as he could hear a low chuckle behind him. The child slowly turned fear trickling down his spine. He didn’t want it to be him...please spirits...higher powers that he wasn’t raised with any large amount of faith in...please. The child turned fully to see...him. He let out a whimper, a small trail of tears slipped down his face. He started to back up. No...not him...please not him!
The Beast Lord, Lord Parthllo. The child started to back up, in mists around him he didn’t notice the things that laid in his path. As he attempted to retreat he stumbled over something, maybe a log...he didn’t stick around to find out. The child stumbled up before he tried to take off. He let out a cry when he felt something grab his legs and keep him in place. He cried, he screamed. He made the mistake of looking back. The Beast Lord’s hand was nearly on his shoulder. Abie knew that if the monster got a hold of him he’d be dragged back to the hellish nightmare that he couldn’t escape from before.
Before the monster touched him, Abie heard a snarl. One that caused the Beast Lord to let out a yell of pain. Abie turned to look back. Standing there, all frills on end and claws ready to strike. Was a Snaptrotter. He knew this beast...it was his Mentor’s prized Snaptrotter. The very same beast that guarded him, which led to his Mentor buying him and Aqio from Lord Parthllo.
“Laqet…” he muttered. The red and gold beast was large...massive even. Abie recalled that every said Laqet was raised by his Mentor, so the beast was used to the harsh terrain of Oba. Another detail that didn’t escape him was that everyone said Laqet was far larger than most Snaptrotters in Oba, thus the beasts racing record was grand indeed. His mate was a graceful green and teal female named, Kyri.
Abie found the strength to stand reaching out he placed a hand on Laqet’s back. As he started to relax he felt sudden coldness race up his spine. The youth shot back to reality, panting as he slowly made his way to stand in the chilling rain. He was dazed for a moment, where was he? How did he get here? He shook in fear. Then let out a squeak when he felt something nose his side. He looked to see...Laqet. He let out a sigh. “Hey…” he reached up. Stroking the male as he looked up to see the rain slowing to a stop. Rain rarely lasted long in Oba, he had come to accept that. The youth looked down at the mud he was now covered in. As..was a blanket? When did he drag this out here? Abie slowly made to stand. Laqet easily slipping his large head under the youth’s torso to help him regain his balance. Kyri let out a soft trill as she came up on Abie’s other side. The youth stroked the two gently.
“Those two worry far too easily about you and your brother.” he jumped when he heard his Mentor speak. The male walking out with his arms crossed always made Abie feel as if he’d done something wrong. The youth looked down as the two beasts moved away at a hand signal from the elder. A pair of Janarim sat in the shade of the manor’s back deck, Laqet and Kyri soon joined them. The elder reached out, tilting Abie’s chin up. “I told you when you got here...always look ahead. You and your brother aren’t my pets. You’re not my slaves. What did I call you when you arrived?”
Abie smiled a little. “Sons. You said we were your sons.”
The Mentor nodded as he retook the arm crossed stance. “While at the moment, that is frowned upon in my level of society. One day, we’ll announce it.”
Abie smirked a little. “Like you’ll announce your affection for the Caretaker?” he ducked a little as his Mentor gave a small jump and ruffled his wet hair. The youth let out a series of giggles. “I give! I give! I won’t say it again…” he moved a little ways away from the bigger male. “Even if it's the truth!”
The sight that a few servants to the household saw was a heartwarming one. Abie ran away from the bigger male Oban. Laughing like any child his age should, a small smile was on his Mentor’s face as the male found amusement in the chase. The four racing beasts laid out on the back deck, ever watchful. As a slender frail looking matori youth. Abie’s younger Twin, Aqio. Sat in the middle of them watching his brother’s joy.
Word Count: 1056
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 9:21 pm
A Midnight Escape Abie meets Incanthis again and offers the Shifter a chance that he wished he had...
At Large :: World Event Abie meets another hybrid named, Skadravi. The two come across a odd new beast. Neither catch it.
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 9:55 pm
Class Solo Snapp-trotters or Lap-trotters?
Abie stared down at the journal in his lap. He had seen his Mentor’s many journals on each litter of Janarim pups he had ever raised. As well as the few he had on raising a few Snapptrotters. So, what was his reaction when his Mentor suddenly dropped a blank journal in his lap? He was confused at first before it sank in and he started to really analyze his clutch. The youth was curled in a hammock as he wrote. As he and Aqio underwent private lessons with their Caretaker and a Scholarly Assassin. So they were learned...enough. Abie tapped the quill on the top of the journal before he started to write.
“There are several things that I noticed Snapptrotters did as whelps which carried over into their older selves. Or at least from what I can compare between the clutch and the two sets of adults that my Mentor has.” Abie leaned back as he looked over the seven infants he had. “There’s seven whelps under my care right now. Four are from one clutch, the other three are from a orphaned clutch. The four siblings are Laqui and Junior, the two brothers that Incanthis and myself have a close bond with. Their eldest brother, Borqet and their slender sister, Kii. Laqui is the youngest as Junior is actually the second eldest.
Laqui’s color scheme is mainly a easy going cream with soft red and a burnt gold pattern. His red eyes are unique only to him as none of his siblings seem to have them. As the red eyes were a direct trait from the clutches shared Father, Laqet’s eyes were a rare trait in his bloodline that seemed to be from Father to Son only. The pattern on the whelp is reminiscent of his Father as Laqet’s pattern was a mix of oblong raindrops and geometric lines. While Laqui’s seemed to be just the oblong raindrops. His underbelly was a soft red, as was the tip of his tail and frills. The pattern was a burnt gold while the rest of his body is a rich cream.
Junior was named somewhat in honor of Aqio for their shared disgruntled expression. While the other whelp was slightly bigger, Junior took after their mother in the coloration department. Kyri is a graceful teal and green female with amazing gold eyes. Junior’s eyes were a interesting mix of green and gold. While his pattern was more geometric lines that harkened back to a shared trait of their parents, as both adults had geometric lines as apart of their patterns. He also took more after their maternal grandfather...at least that is what I was told.
Borqet the eldest of the four whelps is large and in charge. He makes it his mission in life to boss his siblings around. The large bright red whelp was hard to hide in the sands, but oddly enough his teal speckles took away from the red. It was an odd pattern that I saw once on an image of Kyri’s parents. The large whelps eyes were a bright gold, something he shared with his mother. An odd formation of the speckles was that I can see a arrow on his left flank. Though he was nothing compared to their sister…
Kii is a slender female, totally taking after her mother in the looks a poise department. Her main coloring seemed to be a pastel gold, while various pale teal spirals formed waves along her sides and the contour of her lithe frame. She was by far the smallest of the four siblings, but she knew how to use that to her advantage if the numerous moments of her outsmarting her brothers wasn’t enough evidence. Her eyes are this calming bright teal, something she stands out for. Though I know that her eyes come from a maternal grandparent as I read about them in one of the old journals.” Abie just knew he’d use her for breedings not that he was fond of the idea personally. It just seemed that she’d bring in a lot of offers. He sighed. “A part of me loaths to point it out that she would bring in valuable offers should I choose to use her for breedings only. That doesn’t mean I won’t train her to defend herself if the need arises. No one is going to bully my little girl around…” As he finished his sentence the youth chuckled as Kii leaped into his hammock. Stroking the slender little female he went back to writing.
“The other three whelps that I was given to look after are triplets. Rare as a pure white Snapptrotter in the middle of the summer seasons. They are all a rich maroon color with silver tribal patterns that make me think of the Shifters. I can tell them apart by a two things. First off, their eyes while they are in the same color range there was a shade or two difference between them. Second, was a single marking on the center of their chest. They also seemed to be of different sizes but from a far distance I doubt anyone will take notice of that.
The absolute smallest of the entire group is the youngest of the trio. I call him, Lithe. Named mostly for the slender frame that makes me think the whelp would be a good sprinter when he gets older. His chest marking was a crescent shape that pointed downward, while his eyes were a bright golden-orange.
The second oldest of the trio wasn’t the biggest, nor was she the smallest. Though she is the second female I have among the group. She was bigger than Kii, though not bigger than Junior. I call her, Grace. Named in part due to her method of movement. I figure a nice feminine name wouldn’t mislead others. Her chest marking was a half circle which tilted to the side, while her eyes were a murky golden-orange.
The eldest of the trio seems to be in competition with Borqet on who is bigger. Due to this fact I call the large whelp, Bulk. I predict that Bulk will be the biggest of the group, but not the one I’ll pick as my future mount. Bulk was much more suited to be a guard of sorts. Which is what I am gearing up for training him for. His chest marking was a full circle, while his eyes were a dark golden-orange.” He paused in writing leaning his head back as he let his mind wander over the habits of his whelps. Their response to mere warmth varied, he noticed the smaller ones instantly would curl into the warmest spot while the bigger ones sunbathed a lot. It was the same with the adults his Mentor had.
“Its seems that the size of the beast plays into how affectionate they’ll be. Take Kii and Lithe, both will more than likely take the opening that you offer for cuddles. Though their seeking warmth to steal. Which is something Kyri and the smallest male, Meino both will do at times with Mentor.” he glanced over to the small group. Taking note of the little teams that formed up over the past few months. “Though that doesn’t extend to them forming packs. As I’ve noticed that Laqui and Junior seemed to take up being a team on their own. While Borqet has apparently teamed up with Lithe and Grace. Bulk sorta teamed up with Kii...which makes me want to pair the two off when they get older. Time will tell if that’s a smart plan or not…”
He wondered if Laqui and Junior teaming up had anything to do with their bond with earthlings. He looked down to Kii as she chirped at him. “Their intelligence is rather scary when you analyze it. The whelps have quickly come to know several bell sounds as various things. I started using an old bell with a repaired crack in its dome as their dinner bell. I switched it up after a month and noticed that they didn’t come for the newer sharper sound...then used the old bell and they came running. I used a small bell to signal bath time. Again, switched it out for a bigger bell after a month and no answer. Beyond their hearing, their sense of dominance is rather terrifying as well.” He sighed as he thought of that little slice of information. It was something that he’d never thought he’d see. Laqet had been next to Abie when one of the more vocal nobles had visited the manor to call on the youth’s Caretaker. When Abie had recieved him to inform the pure Oban male that both Lord Laofay and his companion, Orroi were out on a different errand. He was met with a spat venomous phrase that the youth was used to in a much different setting.
The change in the Snapptrotter next to him was nearly instant. As soon as the phrase was uttered and Abie flinched, lowering himself just a inch. Laqet let out a low hissed growl that sent a shiver through the spines of all those who heard it. Abie glanced to the beast in time to see the back frills on the creature had spiked, the corners of the beast's muzzle were crinkled showing off the white fang's hidden within the oddly lined mouth. Well...Abie paled as it sunk in when he saw the formation of the fang’s...not so oddly lined now. Before the youth could speak however a sharp bark of a halting command was heard. All those in the foray froze as Laofay walked in. Abie felt the Rider’s aura as if the other was getting bigger. Laofay had set his shoulders apart as he walked up, eyes never moving from Laqet’s own. The Snapptrotter slowly lowered himself to his belly. Laying his head down between his front claws, his tail didn’t lower. Laofay hissed between his teeth, something Abie rarely heard the elder do. Then the tail lowered to flop to the side. Laofay relaxed turning slowly on the intruder. Dismissing them without letting them talk to Orroi.
Later Abie was told in a lengthy talk after he told Laofay everything. He found it odd that Laofay asked if Abie changed his body language in any manner. The elder chuckled when Abie informed him of his flinch… He was informed that Laqet reacted to the flinch and the fact that Abie made himself small. “See, to Laqet this manor is your territory. As such...you are not to be threatened or your status questioned in any manner. You lowering yourself in the presence of a intruder signaled to him that you were threatened. You're a young alpha….you're my child to the beasts I’ve raised. As I am their Alpha. They expect you to rise to your own status.”
Abie found that rather strange. So, from what he understood. To the beasts in the manor he and Aqio were the upcoming Alpha’s they only had to prove themselves to the beasts within. Any outsiders weren’t allowed to question or stagger their progress. He saw that again in Laqui a few months later. It happened out in the yard where Abie had all the whelps with him as he ran through a few training experiments. Incanthis had skittered off inside, Junior trailing the Shifter as Abie heard footsteps. He turned to see a newcomer, someone that was curious about how Laofay taught Abie to handle his beasts.
Abie stood tall as the newcomer came closer. The youth flinched only when he saw that the other carried a wicked looking sword. As soon as he flinched the youth saw Laqui leap to his side. The small beast’s back frills were taller. Abie’s eyes widened slightly...Laqui reacted just like Laqet. The youth squared his jaw as he set his shoulders apart a little and looked back to the male. Asking they leave before the twin Janarim his Lord trained escort the male. A smirk as the two slowly stalked out from the shadows where they had been waiting for a signal. The newcomer left to deal with Laofay for a personal matter.
Once the other was gone. Abie turned to Laqui, shoulders set and eyes locked. The whelp quickly lowered to his belly, head and tail in line. Abie glanced up to the other whelps quick to make sure they all knew who was in charge. Bulk was a tad rebellious but Abie stepped up and the whelp buckled. After a few moments Abie smiled gently before whistling. The small group quickly retook their chirps and play with one another.
Coming back to his current task the youth smiled as he looked down at Kii. He finished his observation. “As their handler it's important that I remember three key things. The first is that they react to my body language. If I show submission to someone outside of the manor, they view that as a territorial threat. Therefore, I must make sure that I’m careful about my body language from now on. I don’t need them reacting badly if we’re traveling. I’ll see about enforcing halting signals beyond a mere word. Mentor has a few that I’ve seen. There’s even a rather effective hand signal that even his most volatile Janarim halts to.” He tapped the quill against the top of the journal. Looking around as he thought of how to word the rest.
“The second is eye contact. They seem to react to that as well. I’m starting to suspect that they can read us as well as we read them. Perhaps even better than we can read them. There’s been many times that Laqet has been able to halt Aqio or myself when we were younger and prone to our little personal outbursts. I noticed that if I keep eye contact, even Bulk. Who I can see being my problem child as he gets older. Will buckle to my command.” he glanced over to Bulk. Making a tsking sound as the whelp snapped at his brother. Bulk jumped about a foot in the air and spun to look at the youth. Abie’s face was one of not having any foolishness from the whelp. Bulk’s tail lowered Abie knew that he got the message. Sighing he went back to his writing.
“The third thing I need to keep in mind to always read them if they're at my side. They seem to keep my body language as either a mirror to their own or the standard of theirs to some degree. If that even makes any sense to me later I’ll be impressed with myself. Well, not if they’re at my side. I should say regardless, if they're in my line of sight I should read them to make sure they don’t act up. The largest indicator of their Aggression seems to be their back frills. If I see them either taller or rather--” he paused trying to think of the right word. “Fuller. Perhaps it's them pumping blood into their frills to look more intimidating. Mentor did say that their back frills helped control their body temperature.” he nodded to himself. That seemed about right…
“Anyways. The moment I see the back frills change, I should be cautious. Their mouths are interesting. One would think that their fangs were apart of the muzzle itself. It's more like the mouth line, or rather their lips, are shaped around the fang’s themselves. I’m not sure how many rows of fang’s they have exactly. I haven’t had the honest nerve to check.” he shuddered at the thought that they had more than one row. That would hurt if he got bitten by one…
He leaned back in his hammock looking up to the skies. He glanced down to the journal. Thinking of a good way to end it with. He felt warmth on his leg. Looking down he smiled as Lithe crawled his way up to curl against the youths thigh. Abie reached down to stroke the smallest whelp before he felt the rest climb in and curl in random spots around him. He let out mock sounds of irritation as he shifted to get comfortable. As he settled he balanced his journal on his bent knee. Laqui rolling to watch Abie write.
“While there are still many things I need to learn about these whelps. I can honestly say that I’m looking forward to learning everything about these little ones. Just like the adults, each will be their own signature soul that shines in its own brilliance. For right now. Them being them is enough.” he felt like he could stop there. Setting the quill in the journal to save his spot he shifted to set it on the ground next to his bag. Retaking his spot the youth hummed a soft tune…
“Hush now my baby, Pretty little baby. Sleep and dream sweet. Your Papa’s here, So there’s no fear. Sleep with ease, sweet.
Hush now my darling, Pretty little darling. Your dreams haunt you still. The nightmare seems To real to be a dream. Sleep is harder than you think.”
It was a lullaby that Abie had sung to himself and even Incanthis during one particular night. The shifter was in a dead sleep as the water youth laid awake. Feeling the other shift, Abie started singing the two verses that he remembered softly. It seemed to ease Incanthis into a lull for a bit...then Abie slipped into his own darkness. To this day he made sure that he kept the lullaby in mind, wondering if the tune was something his Father or Mother sang to him. He sighed as he just...couldn’t remember. The youth glanced around to the now dead to the world clutch of whelps. He supposed that they had a proper name. What was it again? Hatchlings? That sounded about right. It was just that right now they seemed more like Lap-trotters than Snapptrotters.
It was the moment that Abie was dreading. The day that he would never forget for the rest of his life. The water male had been training outside, he was at a arena that his Mentor, foster Father, Lord Laofay had built for the training of any beast in his stables. Given that the arena was fairly small not many knew of it. So, what was it he was dreading so much? That was easy. It was the Oban male currently standing in front of him. Eyes dark as they ever were in his nightmares, crystals glittered with false innocence that everyone saw at first glance. Abie both feared and loathed this male with every fiber of his existence.
The Beast Lord. Parthlio.
His former master.
Now under normal circumstances, Abie would be turning around and running for his gods forsaken life. Obviously someone up there had a twisted sense of humor or else he would not be staring at his former master and the ruler of his nightmares. Nope. No he wouldn’t. The youth took a deep breathe before he placed a steady hand...steadier than his knees...on the top of the slightly bigger whelp that was Laqui. A few of the other whelps were gathered around him as well. Junior and Kii were with Incanthis as the healer was back in the main estate. Abie gathered himself before he spoke.
“What do you want?” again...steadier sounding than his knees that slightly quaked behind Laqui’s bulk.
Parthlio smirked. “Heard you were growing into a fine young man. Wanted to see for myself. I gotta say...Laofay is not one to disappoint.” he chuckled darkly.
Abie felt as if the male was making a direct jab at his Foster Father. Knees set, Mind made up Abie spoke again. “You’ve seen your proof. Get lost.”
Parthlio’s eyes flashed a dangerous gleam. One that Abie remembered vividly. His hand came up to trace along the corner of one eye. The Oban took three steps forward before a sudden unholy snarl came from Borqet. The largest of the whelp’s easily would dwarf Abie in a year’s time. The youth gave a sharp whistle, grateful that the whelp lowered himself as was the intended reaction.
At least that part of training paid off. Parthlio drew closer, Abie stepped forward. “You no longer have any power over me or my brother. Get. Lost.” he said firmly.
Parthlio was silent for a moment. The male had also come to a stillness. Too still for Abie’s comfort. He knew the male was fast, he’d seen him fight plenty of times. He’d seen him kill his sparring partner far more than the male spared them. If he moved, Abie wasn’t too confident he could block with all certainty. Wasn’t too certain he could even predict which hand would be the striking one. He knew Parthlio favored his left as he dealt a bit more strongly with that one, but there were times he used the right...Abie was so caught up in trying to analyze his opponent that he failed to see Parthlio’s eyes tracing his shirtless form.
“You covered my marks.” the male sounded almost as if he was pouting. Abie’s blood was ice as he looked back up into the male’s eyes. There was not a single depth of emotion to them. Not a trace of a soul. “That’s upsetting. I wanted to see you branded in more than one way by me. Covering them up means Laofay won…” the last phrase was uttered with pure loathing.
Abie had heard from their Caretaker, Orrio that Laofay and Parthlio actually were friends at one point. After a heated argument the two parted ways when they were in their mid-teens. Abie had always wondered over what...or who….they could've argued over. He had his suspicions, the way Orrio talked of the past. The way that Parthlio had glared at the hybrid noble all those years ago, when Abie and his brother were taken from the Beast Lord and given to the Rider Lord. He couldn’t help it. He smirked. “Just like he won, Lord Orrio---!!!”
The youth went flying as soon as the first syllable of the name left his mouth. Sliding to a stop on the wall he hissed as he spat out blood. The whelps all had scattered. Laqui leaping in front of Abie as all frills and claws were bared in defense. Borqet snarled once again as he leaped up. Abie whistling again to keep the whelps in place.
Again, training paid off as none of the whelps moved once he whistled. He sighed as he stood up shakily. A tap and Laqui moved as well. Parthlio’s eyes were darker than they ever were. “You, know nothing of the past! Laofay was mine!”
Abie paused. It wasn’t Orrio that Parthlio wanted?!? He looked up as the noble spoke again. “We were friends first. Then that hybrid abomination came into play one day. His parents were two different types of noble...or so we were told. He was being raised by his Oban parent due to his looks. Filth was filth. The Matori were ours to own before the rest of this world intervened because their moral compasses couldn’t take reality.” he scoffed.
As the male kept talking, Abie was finding it difficult to focus on his words. His blood was pounding in his ears. He couldn’t stand this...this...this monster wanted his Foster Father. Laofay was strong, Abie knew this...but...he couldn’t bear to think of Parthlio getting ahold of him. He would break his parent...he would take him from Orrio...no...he couldn’t. He. Wasn’t. Allowed.
“Borqet!” a harsh bark of the whelp’s name accompanied by a sharp hand signal. The whelp was up and had launched himself at the Oban. A yell of pain and Abie came to his senses. No. What did he just?!? He ran over to Borqet’s large form. Partly relieved when he saw that the whelp merely had sliced open the Oban’s arm. Abie let out a long breath as he looked down at Parthlio. He could end it here. The nightmares. The threat. The danger. Everything. He glanced to the dagger he had hidden on his belt for a dire need. He slowly let his eyes drop to the male that had tormented him and his sibling. He could end it all.
He could take revenge.
As he slowly reached for it a heart shuddering whimper sounded behind him. Abie jerked then looked back. Lithe, the smallest whelp was shivering as he looked at Borqet. Abie blinked then looked at the blooded whelp. He sighed. This wasn’t how he wanted them raised, not with blood and pain like he was. He reached out, placing a hand on Borqet’s side. “Move.” The whelp unlatched his claws from the Oban’s arm before backing up. Abie moved with the large whelp, barely looking as Parthlio sprang up. Before the male could move, a figure dropped from the dome cage guard above them.
Orrio stood silently between them. A faceless mask covering his face. Abie knew it was him due to the clasps in his braid that trailed behind him. The youth blinked in wonderment. Wow. This was Orrio in his work mode…
Uh. Oh.
This was Orrio in his work mode. Was Parthlio about to die?!? He leaned around really wanting to see that. Only Parthlio was reading something...paling the male turned and fled the arena. Orrio waited a few more moments before turning to remove his mask.
“I’m proud. If you would of had either killed him or allowed Borqet to kill him, I would of covered his death. You know I have those means…” he chuckled. His eyes showing that sadistic gleam Abie knew as his ‘enjoying himself’ gleam. “The fact you let him live showed your better than him.”
Abie should of felt proud of himself...he did. To a small extent. Yet at the same time. He felt sorta hollow. He looked at the dagger. “I honestly would of, Orrio...but I didn’t...Lithe...I couldn’t show them what a monster was. I want them to live as innocently as I should of.” he sighed. “The blade you and Mentor gave me...Its not going to be stained by the likes of him.” He smiled up at the elder.
Orrio hugged him for a moment before releasing the youth and turning to help him gather up everything. The Caretaker touched the side of his face that Parthlio had hit. Abie was bleeding slowly still. A small huff and Abie could only chuckle. He told himself once he returned home he’d kiss Incanthis. He felt like it and the other was good to calm his nerves when he got like this. He wondered what a kiss would do…?
Word Count: 1477
Lesson Learned
Abie learned that while revenge might of closed a few doors in his nightmares...it wasn't worth robbing someone else of the innocence he was denied. Its a complicated moral lesson that Abie will always remember. While he didn't take his revenge he's content to have showed his tormentor that he is stronger than the monster expected or wished him to be.
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