bound_ezra (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} bound_ezra) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} bound_rp,@ 2014-11-21 23:21:00 |
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Date: August 3rd, 2005
Time: 6 AM
Location: Detroit, Michigan - New Orleans, Louisiana
Characters: Ezra, and Closed.
Description: Ezra attends his first family vacation, only to be reminded that he isn't part of the family.
Status: Private / Complete
Ezra had only been with the Hutsons for a few weeks, and in those few weeks, the phrase, 'How delicious is pleasure after torment.' One of the things he had learned was when it was 'lights out' he was safe from the twins. Oftentimes, bedtime, was something he looked forward to, at least at the Hutson House. Bedtime meant he was safe from the twins, and their screaming, pinching, pulling, yelling and kicking. Their parents didn't care, mostly, once when Ezra went to school with bite marks on his arms and legs, there were some concerns, but none enough to call protective services. It was one time when he relished in the howls of pain when Mrs.Hutson took out 'Ol' Brassy', which was a thick leather belt with brass seashells studded into it.
Ezra never really expected his life to get better, he was alone, and miserable, and he had already lost hope that things would get better. He knew that every glimmer of hope was overshadowed by the grim feelings of isolation, desperation, and cruelty.
He remembered the moment when the twins bursted into his room screaming and shouting, with smiles on their fat little faces. "FAMILY VACATION! FAMILY VACATION! WE ARE GOING ON FAMILY VACATION!" Their singsong voices cried out, clearly trying to taunt him. What they didn't realize, and what he didn't know, was that he was going too. Yes, Mrs.Hutson knew that she couldn't leave him at home, not only was he an 'untrustworthy street urchin who would burn the house down' but protective services wouldn't condone leaving him at home for a week. Perhaps a fifteen year old, but not a ten year old.
Mrs.Hutson waddled into the room, her cankles quivering underneath her immense weight, and flicked the back of their necks, gently. They jumped in surprise, and laughed when they saw their mother. "We are going on a family vacation, but Ezra is going with us. We can't leave him here, he'll burn the house down, most likely." She said staring right at him, but talking as if he wasn't even there.
The look of happiness on his face was one he hadn't had in a while. Ezra Winters was going on vacation. He just grinned and said nothing, as he tried to keep from fidgeting with excitement. The words from the twins didn't even faze him. "But he isn't part of this family. Nobody wants him, that's why he's here...with us." They said nastily.
"I know, it's true, nobody wants him, but nevertheless, he is coming." She said sternly, her tone signaling that their whines and protests wouldn't amount to anything. "Now, you two go and pick out your clothes, and don't forget to pack your swimsuits. Just lay it out on the bed, Ezra will pack for you while we eat dinner." She said with a smile.
"You, pack five pairs of underwear, shorts, shirts, and socks." She said, and stopped him before he even was able to ask a question. "No, you won't need a swimsuit." Normally his heart would have been hidden away, protected from their cruel barbs and spears, lobbed with precision at his self esteem.
"Okay." He said weakly. "I don't have anything to put my clothes into." He said weakly, wondering if he was supposed to use a plastic bag or something. It would have definitely been their style.
"Don't be so stupid. The twins got new luggage, so you can use one of theirs for this trip." She said, before she reached into the hall, and grabbed a beat up kid's suitcase, and tossed it onto the floor in front of him. It smelled of mold, and looked as if it was held together with duct tape. He knew to say nothing negative, and regurgitated the phrase he knew to say when given anything at the Hutson house.
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Hutson, for generously allowing me to use this suitcase." He said, without looking at her, instead staring at the suitcase. He refused to let it get him down. He was going on a vacation for the first time in his life!
"Get busy." She commanded harshly. "When you finish packing your stuff, you still have to pack for the twins, and you still have your homework. Then, you can have dinner." She said before ushering the twins into the hallway. "Daddy and I got you two two of those game-man things, or something, so you'll have something to do on the plane."
Ezra listened, his body teeming with jealousy. Perhaps he had deserved that treatment in some way. Maybe he had been Hitler in a past life, or something. Eventually, he would learn to internalize the treatment. Eventually he began to believe that he deserved to be treated poorly. He believed that he was a bad person, and he deserved the torment he received from the families.
He packed his things, and then the twins' things. His homework was easy, and he finished it quickly. He loved English homework the most, because it was easy, and it made sense. Not only that, but he loved reading, so it was natural that he'd enjoy a subject that required him to read.
Once finished, he calmly walked downstairs, his feet tickled by the threadbare carpet on the stairs. Mr. and Mrs. Hutson were in the living room watching some television program. He knew to wait for commercial, or he'd be punished, so he stood at the stairway landing, and waited patiently, silent like a fox in a chicken coop, and just as hungry.
When the commercials started, Mrs. Hutson pushed herself from the couch, and walked into the kitchen. "Sit down. I'll make your dinner." She said with a sigh, obviously not interested in his health or growling stomach. She pulled out two pieces of bread, and stuffed them into the aluminum toaster, without care. "You better have finished your homework." She warned him. It wasn't like it was normal homework, it was an assignment from social services people so he wouldn't be behind when the new school year had started.
"It is, Mrs.Hutson." He said, as he clutched his stomach, waiting for his food. He heard the toaster pop the bread up, and she pulled two pieces of cheese from the refrigerator, took them from the plastic wrapper, and placed them on the pieces of toast. He was confused by the next noise, which was the electric can opener. He perked up in his chair and waited patiently.
"Eat up." She said as she set a plate down in front of him. Cheese toast, and cold canned carrots. It was more, and less than he normally got. He never got vegetables, but he also normally got some form of lunchmeat. He knew not to complain, and instead said thanks. "Thank you so much, Mrs.Hutson, for generously feeding me the food from your table." It sickened him to say such words, but he had no choice. It was either that, or not eat. He had learned his lesson when he refused to say the words to her for two days.
Ezra scarfed his food down, quickly, and did his own dishes, which he also knew to do, or else. He hoped to slip away for some alone time, but he was called into the living room, where the twins and Mr.Hutson were already waiting. He sat on the love-seat by himself, and listened to his foster parents talk about the trip.
"We are going to New Orleans in the morning, by plane, so that means we'll be in a huge hurry." Mrs.Hutson said, before she turned to Ezra. "And God as my witness, if you hold us up in the morning, the destruction of Babylon will be nothing compared to the paddling you'll get." And she was serious. At least she had warned him, so he could be extra careful. "Now, we booked our seats together, except for yours. You are sitting in the last row because quite frankly, you weren't supposed to be here until next week, so it was the best we could do." She said without an ounce of caring.
"Well, that and he isn't even part of this family." One of the twins said, unabashedly. While the words were cruel, they were absolutely right. He had nobody, nowhere.
"Now, off to bed." Mr.Hutson said, and Ezra knew that he would need to be extra careful not to antagonize or get on anyone's nerves, and perhaps things wouldn't be so bad.
It took him nearly no time at all to fall asleep, and six 'o'clock came faster than he could have even realized. The morning was a blur, and people rushed around the house to get everything ready. At approximately seven, they were all in the car, ready to go.
Once at the airport, things became hectic. What seemed to be hundreds and hundreds of people everywhere, swarmed like ants around them, as they ran through the airport towards their gate. Several times, Ezra felt like he was going to get swept away in the throng of people, ebbing and flowing like an ocean during a monsoon.
As they approached the gate, they heard the gate attendant call out to begin boarding. Ezra watched as the Hutsons boarded, as their row had been called. He pulled his suitcase to an empty seat, and sighed as some of the duct tape ripped, and his suitcase fell open. He tried not to panic, but he had to hurry and get everything back in so he didn't miss the flight.
After what seemed like an eternity, he approached the podium and handed the lady his ticket. She scanned it, but her face looked confused. "Uh oh. This is odd, but it looks like we double booked your seat. Let me see if we can find out what's going on here..." She said as her fake nails clacked across the keyboard. "Well, you are in luck, little man. We have a seat open, and it looks like you are going to luck out." She said with a smile, as she read the fear in his face, which nearly manifested as hot tears.
"We are going to put you in first class." She said with an excited smile. Ezra just smiled and waited for her to do something.
"You can go on...well here, come with me." She said as she motioned for another employee to watch her gate, and she placed a hand on his back and walked with him down the hallway, and onto the plane.
"Heya, girl. Someone overbooked, and I moved this little guy into first class. It's his first time flying, so keep an eye on my buddy." She said with a grin.
The flight attendant smiled at her, and then him. "Will do, Shonteisha. Now, let's get you to your seat. Give me your bag, and I'll put it up for you." She said, and he handed her the suitcase, immediately embarrassed.
It took her less than a minute to get him situated, and the lady next to him smiled at him. "Would you like the window?" She said with a smile, before switching seats with him. "So, where are your parents?"
"Oh, my foster parents are behind the curtains, I guess the airplane people overbooked, and since I was the last person in line, I got lucky." He explained calmly.
"Well, I'd say you did! First class is the best, they'll even bring you cookies." She said, and smiled at his reaction.
"Cookies?!" He hadn't had a cookie in quite a while, perhaps years.
She laughed, and nodded.
He had fun with the lady on the flight. She played cards with him, and they talked about books. When they announced that the plane would be landing soon, Ezra frowned, but kept a positive attitude. "It was really great to meet you, Mrs.Erica." He said with a smile.
"It was nice to meet you too, young man. Have fun in New Orleans, maybe we'll run across each other again!" She said before the descent, which freaked the young man out. "We'll be fine, just close your eyes." She instructed, and before he knew it, they had landed.
It didn't take long for the Hutsons to find him. Mrs.Hutson found him first and greeted him by grabbing his ear. "What in the hell did you do? That better not have cost me any money, or I will wring your neck." She said, chastising him in a hushed tone. He squirmed as she pinched his ear. The twins sniggered in the background. "Let's go." She said angrily.
Ezra looked, and saw Erica watching him. He waved, and smiled weakly at her, before falling in line with the Hutsons.
It was a quiet trip from the Airport to the hotel. It seemed like it was way nicer than the Hutsons could afford, but that wasn't his business really. "Yes, the Hutson family, checking in!" Mrs.Hutson said with a smile. "And our little tag-along!" She said ruffling Ezra's hair.
He looked at her with a weird look. She was never nice to him. Ever. The lady behind the desk pulled out a key. "You're booked for two queen sized beds, non-smoking." She said as she looked at the children. "I could upgrade you to a room with a pull out couch-bed, if you'd like. Your kids may have trouble sharing a bed." She said with a smile.
"No thank you, ma'am. If you have a cot, that will be fine." She said as she pinched Ezra, and he smiled and nodded.
It took them very little time to get up to their room, and unpack. "Alright, it is time for lunch. Let's move out, Hutsons!" Mrs. Hutson boomed, and Ezra began to follow them, but was stopped dead in his tracks.
"Did you bring any money?" She said as she poked him in the chest.
"I don't have any money." He said with a frown.
"Well, it looks like you'll have to stay here, then. If you get into any trouble while we are out- that's your ass." She warned him, before they disappeared through their door, and went out to enjoy New Orleans.
He was beyond shocked, hurt, and on the verge of tears. He opened the curtains, which exposed the window that overlooked the pool. His hand rested flat against the glass as he watched a family play in the pool, laughing and having a good time. He hated his life, and at that moment wondered if he jumped from the window, if it would end quickly enough. He knew that nobody would miss him, he was a nothing, a nobody. A burden.
Ezra backed away from the window slowly, before he heard a knock at the door. At first he had decided not to answer, but when he heard the words, "Room service!" call out, he crossed the room faster than he would have ever imagined possible. The man in front of him smiled as he held out a tray. "Here ya go!" The man said cheerfully.
The tray had rice, seafood, and what looked to be some sort of desert made of bread. "I didn't order this." He said, calmly, as the idea of food tortured his stomach.
"Actually, it was sent to you from room 423, a lady down the hall. " Ezra pushed forward, and poked his head out into the hall, and saw a very familiar face, with a familiar head of red hair. She motioned for them both to come down the hall, and Ezra happily obliged.
"What are you doing here?" He asked curiously, very glad to see her, he could have hugged her.
"Well, I'm on vacation, and when my son was young, he and I used to come here all the time, so I decided to visit. He has a family of his own, and they couldn't make it this year, so here I am." She explained with a weak smile. "So, how is it that you are here, and your family is out and about?" She asked curiously.
"Well, I guess they wanted some family time, or something." He said, only protecting them out of fear for his own wellbeing.
"Have you eaten?" She asked, and pointed at the tray, and pushed her sleek red hair away from her face.
"No, but I was just about to order something. " He replied, lying obviously. She just nodded. "Why don't you go and get your swimsuit, and we'll eat by the pool and swim." She said with a smile. "I was going to go on a graveyard tour later, but I think this will be more fun." She said with a smile, and took the tray.
"I don't have a swimsuit." He said meekly. "I've never had one." He added, face red with embarrassment.
"Fine. We'll get you one then." She said, determined to treat the young man to what she saw that life had cheated him out of.
Ezra simply shook his head. "I can't. I don't have any money, and my fosters will kill me if I leave the room." He said, revealing the Hutsons' true nature for the first time.
Erica huffed up, her gravelly voice filled the hall. "We'll just see about that." She was a firecracker, even at her old age. "Come on. We are going to the gift shop. Can you put the tray on my table outside please?" She asked the man with the tray.
"Yes, ma'am. Will do." He replied before he disappeared down the hallway whistling.
The rest of the afternoon was wonderful. He ate food he had never had, and swam with his new friend. He was sure he would pay for it later, but he didn't care in that moment. He got a taste of what it felt like to be loved, or at the very least- liked.
As the daylight turned into evening, Erica escorted him to his room. "Now, if you feel like you are in any danger, you just come get me. I'm right down the hallway." She said before kneeling down in front of him, and gave him a tight hug. "Now, go on, scuttle off. Maybe we'll meet up tomorow." She said.
He hugged her back, and thanked her for the wonderful day, before he walked quietly into his room, took off his swimsuit and put it in a drawer and hopped into the bathtub to wash the chlorine from his skin and hair. Not a moment later did he hear the Hutson family pile into the room.
"Ezra?" A high pitched voice called out to him.
"I'm in here, Mrs.Hutson, in the bathtub." He called out, back to her.
"What are you doing in the tub? Wasting water?" Clearly she wasn't in the mood for him doing so much as breathing.
"No ma'am, I thought I'd get my bath early so you guys would have plenty of time to relax." He said, hoping that would appease her, and luckily it did.
"Well hurry up. We brought you dinner." She said, still a little annoyed at him, for no reason at all.
He finished his bath, dried off, and got dressed in his pajamas, and exited the bathroom to find a sandwich wrapped in a napkin. "It's a Monte Cristo. There are some fries too." She said before leaving him at the table to eat the cold sandwich and soggy fries.
Things took a turn when one of the twins opened Ezra's drawer by mistake, and found the teal blue swimsuit, still wet. "Whose swimsuit is this?" They asked and held it up in the air.
Ezra swallowed hard, and turned around to look at Mrs.Hutson. She looked back at him with narrowed eyes. "Where did you get that?" She said, emphasizing each word. "You thieving little rat!" She shouted, and crossed the room in anger.
He felt her hand hit him in the head, but he didn't feel anything at first, but just saw stars floating around his head. The second and third hand to the side of his head, did hurt though, and his eyes filled with tears as he tried to protect his head. She screamed and yelled at him, but he wasn't listening, he knew it was best to wait for her to wear herself out.
She stood over him panting, face red with anger. "I didn't steal it. It was a gift." Ezra tried to explain, but that infuriated her even more, but before she could do anything, he felt his body lift off the ground, and his back slammed against one of the walls. The breath escaped his body forcefully, knocking the air out of him. He gasped for breath as Mr.Hutson hit him against the wall, yelling at him. His head was swimming with stars, as tears fell from his eyes.
Mr.Hutson dropped him to the ground, and turned to his wife. "Call Gil, we'll get him to come home early to watch...him." He said as if he had eaten a bad oyster.
That was the end of the family vacation for Ezra. When his foster parents fell asleep, he slipped into the hallway, and wrote a thank you note to Erica, and slipped it underneath her door, before he went back to his room, and went to sleep.