{ "submission_id": "2818794", "keywords": [ { "keyword_id": "4168", "keyword_name": "belt", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "4059" }, { "keyword_id": "37", "keyword_name": "cub", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "285785" }, { "keyword_id": "1520", "keyword_name": "dad", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "3784" }, { "keyword_id": "2172", "keyword_name": "domestic", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1317" }, { "keyword_id": "4192", "keyword_name": "mischief", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "823" }, { "keyword_id": "13201", "keyword_name": "parent", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1134" }, { "keyword_id": "22476", "keyword_name": "parental", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "77" }, { "keyword_id": "67", "keyword_name": "son", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "8211" }, { "keyword_id": "1885", "keyword_name": "spanking", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "9729" }, { "keyword_id": "17910", "keyword_name": "swearing", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "496" } ], "hidden": "f", "scraps": "f", "favorite": "f", "favorites_count": "1", "create_datetime": "2022-10-19 16:58:03.678914+00", "create_datetime_usertime": "19 Oct 2022 18:58 CEST", "last_file_update_datetime": "2022-09-25 14:19:59.576544+00", "last_file_update_datetime_usertime": "25 Sep 2022 16:19 CEST", "username": "SparkleShadowpaw", "user_id": "970606", "user_icon_file_name": "288902_SparkleSpanks_4531807_paddlepaw_4338067_paddlepaw_1211596723.sparkle_sparkbench2.jpg", "user_icon_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/288/288902_SparkleSpanks_4531807_paddlepaw_4338067_paddlepaw_1211596723.sparkle_sparkbench2.jpg", "user_icon_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/288/288902_SparkleSpanks_4531807_paddlepaw_4338067_paddlepaw_1211596723.sparkle_sparkbench2.jpg", "user_icon_url_small": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/288/288902_SparkleSpanks_4531807_paddlepaw_4338067_paddlepaw_1211596723.sparkle_sparkbench2.jpg", "file_name": "4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.txt", "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/4187/4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.txt", "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/4187/4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.txt", "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/4187/4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.txt", "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/4187/4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.jpg", "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4187/4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4187/4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.jpg", "thumb_huge_x": "300", "thumb_huge_y": "300", "thumb_large_x": "200", "thumb_large_y": "200", "thumb_medium_x": "120", "thumb_medium_y": "120", "files": [ { "file_id": "4187367", "file_name": "4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.txt", "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/4187/4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.txt", "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/4187/4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.txt", "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/4187/4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.txt", "mimetype": "text/plain", "submission_id": "2818794", "user_id": "970606", "submission_file_order": "0", "full_size_x": null, "full_size_y": null, "screen_size_x": null, "screen_size_y": null, "preview_size_x": null, "preview_size_y": null, "initial_file_md5": "ba248c985ace94863880921d8900c53f", "full_file_md5": "ba248c985ace94863880921d8900c53f", "large_file_md5": "", "small_file_md5": "", "thumbnail_md5": "02681be20a15c5cee291d08badef58c9", "deleted": "f", "create_datetime": "2022-09-25 14:19:59.576544+00", "create_datetime_usertime": "25 Sep 2022 16:19 CEST", "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/4187/4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.jpg", "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4187/4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4187/4187367_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.jpg", "thumb_huge_x": "300", "thumb_huge_y": "300", "thumb_large_x": "200", "thumb_large_y": "200", "thumb_medium_x": "120", "thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "pools": [ { "pool_id": "81077", "name": "Reckless and his Dad's Belt", "description": "A new series starring young 'Reckless', a tearaway cub who learns that discipline and love aren't strangers after all.", "count": "14", "submission_left_submission_id": "2818796", "submission_left_file_name": "4187369_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.txt", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/4187/4187369_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4187/4187369_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4187/4187369_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "120", "submission_right_submission_id": "2818793", "submission_right_file_name": "4187366_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.txt", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/4187/4187366_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4187/4187366_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4187/4187366_PaddlePaw_new_text_document.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "", "description_bbcode_parsed": "", "writing": "The next morning they did not continue their talk. They did not pick it up the next day nor the day after that nor even the week after that because Rex made sure of it. With each attempt by his father to take him aside and clear the air, the sixteen-year-old took off – whether to hang out with friends or work out at the skate park or just to escape to the bathroom made no difference to him. As long as he didn't have to hear any more of the old man's lies, he was fine with the status quo.\n\nMalcolm, for his part, was not fine with it, and as whole weeks began to pass without being able to finish a single conversation with his second youngest son or to just touch the boy without him growing rigid and backing away, he grew frustrated. And impatient.\n\nRex wasn't just ignoring him or avoiding physical contact, he was breaking curfew, ducking his chores, and disappearing without a word to anyone for hours on end – all of which were punishable offenses even when Malcolm had been lax. Well, as far as Malcolm was concerned, those days were over and he'd had more than enough. Reckless Barrett wasn't a man yet who could just run off and do as he pleased at all hours of the day and night. He was a boy of sixteen and he needed limits – not to mention a father who owed him years of affection and was bloody determined to give it to him. If the only way to make that happen was to tie-wrap him to the house, then that's what Malcolm would do – within reason.\n\nThe next morning, Malcolm snagged the teen as he was sneaking out the front door before breakfast, determined to end this game they were playing.\n\n\"Kurt wants to visit the Adkins site with Sonny tomorrow. How about you joining your old man today? Just you and me.\"\n\n\"No thanks, Mr. Barrett.\"\n\nRex turned to go but Malcolm pulled him back. The boy never called him \"dad\" any more. It was \"sir\", \"Mr. Barrett\" or nothing at all, and no matter how many times Malcolm corrected him, Rex kept it up. Since the bigger battle today was just to get Rex to spend a few hours with him, Malcolm decided to let it go.\n\n\"You haven't been to any of the sites in a while.\"\n\nIt was a very strong hint but Rex refused to take it.\n\n\"So?\"\n\n\"So I want you with me.\"\n\nRex rolled his eyes and waved a hand toward his brothers. \"Take one of your real sons.\"\n\nCut to the quick, Malcolm swiftly recovered.\n\n\"You are my real son, Rex, and I'd like your company.\"\n\n\"I doubt that, sir, and to be honest, I don't feel like going anywhere with you.\"\n\nThe teen really put some muscle then into twisting his arm out of his father's grasp so he could skip this pointless exchange but his dad wasn't letting him go.\n\n\"You got other plans for today?\" Malcolm probed.\n\n\"Yes, dammit. Can I go now?\"\n\n\"You mind telling me what they are?\"\n\n\"Why should I?\" Rex retorted angrily. \"If you knew anything about me, sir, I wouldn't have to tell you jack!\"\n\nMomentarily stunned, Malcolm tightened his grip on his son and gave him a shake.\n\n\"That's not true and you'd better watch that attitude with me. No dad on earth knows what his kids are planning every second of the day. He talks to them and gets them to open up the way I'm trying to do with you —\"\n\n\"Well good luck, Mr. Barrett, 'cause I'm not telling you shit —\"\n\nAs Malcolm let go the boy's arm to swat his bottom for his rudeness, Rex darted out of reach and took off. He was out the front door and charging down the middle of the street before Malcolm had reached the hall closet, and by the time his father had made it to the end of the driveway, Rex had turned the corner at the end of the block and hightailed it out of sight.\n\nInitially furious, Malcolm grew increasingly worried by late evening. He'd suspected Rex would skip lunch and supper, but when none of his brothers had seen or heard anything from him by ten PM, Malcolm began to fear that he'd run away for good.\n\nBy ten-oh-five, Malcolm couldn't stand the suspense any longer.\n\nHe couldn't wait another half a day for Rex's disappearance to warrant police involvement so he hung up with the few of Rex's friends that he'd managed to question, packed his three remaining sons into their cars and set out to search. He sent Dalton and Sonny heading north and east then fanning out from there while he and Kurt checked all the usual spots south and west of their house. Four hours later, there was still no sign of Reckless and they each returned to the house, grainy-eyed, exhausted, and troubled worse than ever. Exactly three minutes after Malcolm sent the boys up to bed, Rex strolled in the front door.\n\nThe man didn't hesitate.\n\nJust as he'd done countless times in the past when Dalton and Sonny had flouted their curfews during high school, Malcolm stormed over, snatched his sixteen-year-old son by the upper arms and rattled him.\n\n\"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?\" he boomed.\n\nRex couldn't speak. He'd never seen this side of his father before – at least not directed at him – and he was genuinely scared ... until he reminded himself that this was just another act. He shrugged as much as he could with both arms clamped in a vice and glared back at his father.\n\n\"Out.\"\n\nMalcolm was not satisfied. He shook Rex again, his voice dropping dangerously low.\n\n\"This is the last time I'm asking you, Reckless. Where were you?\"\n\nDetermined not to yield, Rex shrugged again.\n\n\"Out.\"\n\nHe smirked as he sensed Malcolm letting go of him but his glee was short-lived. Before his mind could absorb the abrupt change in direction, Rex found himself tucked under the man's left arm and swatted on the seat of his shorts, sustaining exactly three dozen heavy slaps as Dad lectured.\n\n\"WHEN I ASK YOU A QUESTION, YOU ANSWER ME! YOUR CURFEW IS NINE O'CLOCK, YOUNG MAN, NOT TEN, NOT MIDNIGHT, AND NOT 2 AM!!! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!\"\n\nAs Rex was forced upright again by Malcolm, he was too shocked to reply. His butt was stinging something fierce so he knew he couldn't be dreaming and that his dad had really spanked him. It hurt, but not nearly as badly as he'd always assumed a real spanking should, and the moment that thought sunk in, his resentment grew fivefold. Is this what Barrett called disciplining him? For fuck sakes, he hadn't even made him cry!\n\nStill holding Rex by the arms, Malcolm was too distracted by his own feelings to notice the change in his son. He'd been terrified that Rex had taken off like his mother, but now that the boy was safe and he'd made it clear that such shenanigans wouldn't be tolerated, he was just relieved to have his son back home. He let go Rex's arms and rumpled the boy's hair with a heavy sigh.\n\n\"You look hungry. Did you eat?\"\n\nMalcolm never got an answer. he moment Reckless was free, he boxed him off and scrambled up the stairs to his room, slamming the door. Seconds later, a tentative knock came from the other side and a very sleepy, but curious, eleven-year-old slipped inside.\n\n\"Hey, Rex, where'd you go?\"\n\nOn the verge of rubbing his bottom, the teen drew his hands away and pointed angrily at the door.\n\n\"None of your business,\" he hissed. \"Go back to bed.\"\n\nKurt was oblivious.\n\n\"Dad was worried about you,\" he scolded his older brother with a yawn. \"He thought you ran away.\"\n\n\"Get out of my room, Kurt!\"\n\n\"He made us drive around looking for you for hours. I think we —\"\n\n\"Get out!\"\n\nWith Rex taking a murderous step before him, Kurt wisely decided he'd said enough and stumbled back the way he'd come. Alone at last in his room, Rex shut the lights, stripped down completely and stood naked by the window where he could look down on the street. While he rubbed his backside in peace, he thought about what his little brother had revealed.\n\nHe wanted to believe it.\n\nMore than anything, he wanted to believe that Kurt hadn't exaggerated, that their dad really had spazzed over his disappearance and that the reason he hadn't been spanked to tears was because it was late and the man was just trying to make a quick point. He wanted to believe all of that...but he couldn't. If he let his guard down and Dad started ignoring him again, Rex knew for a fact he wouldn't be able to stand it. Already his sleeping patterns over the last month had become erratic, his nights tormented by visions of waking up and finding himself alone. The nightmares had begun to taper off a little over the last two days, so he was finally starting to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, but they were sure to return with a vengeance if his dad turned his back on him again. It was safer just to keep his distance.\n\nOf course, safer didn't necessarily mean happier, and over the following weeks, Rex grew increasingly miserable. He categorically refused to accept that the household rules now applied to him too and rebelled against each new punishment that his father handed down for breaking them, stubbornly convinced the man was just stringing him along.\n\nAccepting Malcolm's love was also out of the question. The moment his father stepped too close, Rex shied away and left the room, seething whenever he returned only to spy his brothers getting the affection he secretly craved. Not once did it occur to the teen that the only thing standing in his way was himself or that his dad was even more anxious to hug him than he was to be hugged.\n\nInevitably, things came to a head.\n\nDucking out after supper as usual and meeting up with two of his friends one Sunday night, Rex accepted their dare to freeboard down Lakeshore Boulevard. He only had to travel one block to win the dubious title of \"Kamikaze King\" but the section agreed upon was steep, the traffic was steady, and only a fool could hope to accomplish such a feat while escaping serious physical injury.\n\nRex did it anyway.\n\nAs he careened down the southbound lane at twenty miles an hour and neared the intersection, a pothole caught his left front wheel and sent him tumbling along the asphalt, narrowly missing both cars and trucks. By the time he rolled to a stop amid squealing tires and blaring horns, he stung in more places than he could count and wondered just what the hell had possessed him. He had thought it would serve his father right to have to attend his funeral, but since he wasn't dead, only hurting – and he never really wanted to die anyway – the whole thing suddenly seemed like the stupidest, most foolhardy stunt he'd ever pulled.\n\nHumphrey Folsher wholeheartedly agreed.\n\nAt least seven irate drivers exited their cars to see if the idiot child they'd nearly flattened was still alive and Rex groaned as he spotted a neighbour among them from down the street. Of all the millions of people in the world why did \"The Fuckster\" have to be one of the few to witness Rex's lunacy and swerve to avoid him? That old man was easily the most cantankerous bastard on the block and exactly the kind of moth-eaten old coot who'd never let a thing like this go. Even on the best of days, he was like a hungry dog with a bone, and the moment he recognized Rex and realized that it was a brat from his own neighbourhood who'd nearly jacked his insurance rates, he went off.\n\nThe man yelled and swore at such a pitch it was impossible to pick out individual words and almost immediately the other drivers returned to their own vehicles, rightly sensing that they couldn't compete. That was all Folsher seemed to be waiting for and he swatted Rex in the direction of his car, ordering him to get in. With both his buds watching but keeping a very low profile across the street – obviously not coming to his rescue – Rex limped over and sprawled in the back seat, aching in too many places to care what his neighbour kept screaming. Frankly, he was just glad he didn't have to walk his ass home.\n\nOf course, when he got there, and saw the anger building in his father's face as Folsher called him a \"goddamn menace\", he quickly reconsidered. It wasn't worth getting a lift if he had to listen to the man rat him out but it was too late now and there wasn't a blasted thing he could do about it. He couldn't even defend himself. Every time he opened his mouth to interject, Dad shot him a black look and tightened his grip on his neck so there was no misunderstanding the implication.\n\nFinally, Folsher finally ran out of insults and left.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "The next morning they did not continue their talk. They did not pick it up the next day nor the day after that nor even the week after that because Rex made sure of it. With each attempt by his father to take him aside and clear the air, the sixteen-year-old took off – whether to hang out with friends or work out at the skate park or just to escape to the bathroom made no difference to him. As long as he didn't have to hear any more of the old man's lies, he was fine with the status quo.

Malcolm, for his part, was not fine with it, and as whole weeks began to pass without being able to finish a single conversation with his second youngest son or to just touch the boy without him growing rigid and backing away, he grew frustrated. And impatient.

Rex wasn't just ignoring him or avoiding physical contact, he was breaking curfew, ducking his chores, and disappearing without a word to anyone for hours on end – all of which were punishable offenses even when Malcolm had been lax. Well, as far as Malcolm was concerned, those days were over and he'd had more than enough. Reckless Barrett wasn't a man yet who could just run off and do as he pleased at all hours of the day and night. He was a boy of sixteen and he needed limits – not to mention a father who owed him years of affection and was bloody determined to give it to him. If the only way to make that happen was to tie-wrap him to the house, then that's what Malcolm would do – within reason.

The next morning, Malcolm snagged the teen as he was sneaking out the front door before breakfast, determined to end this game they were playing.

"Kurt wants to visit the Adkins site with Sonny tomorrow. How about you joining your old man today? Just you and me."

"No thanks, Mr. Barrett."

Rex turned to go but Malcolm pulled him back. The boy never called him "dad" any more. It was "sir", "Mr. Barrett" or nothing at all, and no matter how many times Malcolm corrected him, Rex kept it up. Since the bigger battle today was just to get Rex to spend a few hours with him, Malcolm decided to let it go.

"You haven't been to any of the sites in a while."

It was a very strong hint but Rex refused to take it.

"So?"

"So I want you with me."

Rex rolled his eyes and waved a hand toward his brothers. "Take one of your real sons."

Cut to the quick, Malcolm swiftly recovered.

"You are my real son, Rex, and I'd like your company."

"I doubt that, sir, and to be honest, I don't feel like going anywhere with you."

The teen really put some muscle then into twisting his arm out of his father's grasp so he could skip this pointless exchange but his dad wasn't letting him go.

"You got other plans for today?" Malcolm probed.

"Yes, dammit. Can I go now?"

"You mind telling me what they are?"

"Why should I?" Rex retorted angrily. "If you knew anything about me, sir, I wouldn't have to tell you jack!"

Momentarily stunned, Malcolm tightened his grip on his son and gave him a shake.

"That's not true and you'd better watch that attitude with me. No dad on earth knows what his kids are planning every second of the day. He talks to them and gets them to open up the way I'm trying to do with you —"

"Well good luck, Mr. Barrett, 'cause I'm not telling you shit —"

As Malcolm let go the boy's arm to swat his bottom for his rudeness, Rex darted out of reach and took off. He was out the front door and charging down the middle of the street before Malcolm had reached the hall closet, and by the time his father had made it to the end of the driveway, Rex had turned the corner at the end of the block and hightailed it out of sight.

Initially furious, Malcolm grew increasingly worried by late evening. He'd suspected Rex would skip lunch and supper, but when none of his brothers had seen or heard anything from him by ten PM, Malcolm began to fear that he'd run away for good.

By ten-oh-five, Malcolm couldn't stand the suspense any longer.

He couldn't wait another half a day for Rex's disappearance to warrant police involvement so he hung up with the few of Rex's friends that he'd managed to question, packed his three remaining sons into their cars and set out to search. He sent Dalton and Sonny heading north and east then fanning out from there while he and Kurt checked all the usual spots south and west of their house. Four hours later, there was still no sign of Reckless and they each returned to the house, grainy-eyed, exhausted, and troubled worse than ever. Exactly three minutes after Malcolm sent the boys up to bed, Rex strolled in the front door.

The man didn't hesitate.

Just as he'd done countless times in the past when Dalton and Sonny had flouted their curfews during high school, Malcolm stormed over, snatched his sixteen-year-old son by the upper arms and rattled him.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" he boomed.

Rex couldn't speak. He'd never seen this side of his father before – at least not directed at him – and he was genuinely scared ... until he reminded himself that this was just another act. He shrugged as much as he could with both arms clamped in a vice and glared back at his father.

"Out."

Malcolm was not satisfied. He shook Rex again, his voice dropping dangerously low.

"This is the last time I'm asking you, Reckless. Where were you?"

Determined not to yield, Rex shrugged again.

"Out."

He smirked as he sensed Malcolm letting go of him but his glee was short-lived. Before his mind could absorb the abrupt change in direction, Rex found himself tucked under the man's left arm and swatted on the seat of his shorts, sustaining exactly three dozen heavy slaps as Dad lectured.

"WHEN I ASK YOU A QUESTION, YOU ANSWER ME! YOUR CURFEW IS NINE O'CLOCK, YOUNG MAN, NOT TEN, NOT MIDNIGHT, AND NOT 2 AM!!! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!"

As Rex was forced upright again by Malcolm, he was too shocked to reply. His butt was stinging something fierce so he knew he couldn't be dreaming and that his dad had really spanked him. It hurt, but not nearly as badly as he'd always assumed a real spanking should, and the moment that thought sunk in, his resentment grew fivefold. Is this what Barrett called disciplining him? For fuck sakes, he hadn't even made him cry!

Still holding Rex by the arms, Malcolm was too distracted by his own feelings to notice the change in his son. He'd been terrified that Rex had taken off like his mother, but now that the boy was safe and he'd made it clear that such shenanigans wouldn't be tolerated, he was just relieved to have his son back home. He let go Rex's arms and rumpled the boy's hair with a heavy sigh.

"You look hungry. Did you eat?"

Malcolm never got an answer. he moment Reckless was free, he boxed him off and scrambled up the stairs to his room, slamming the door. Seconds later, a tentative knock came from the other side and a very sleepy, but curious, eleven-year-old slipped inside.

"Hey, Rex, where'd you go?"

On the verge of rubbing his bottom, the teen drew his hands away and pointed angrily at the door.

"None of your business," he hissed. "Go back to bed."

Kurt was oblivious.

"Dad was worried about you," he scolded his older brother with a yawn. "He thought you ran away."

"Get out of my room, Kurt!"

"He made us drive around looking for you for hours. I think we —"

"Get out!"

With Rex taking a murderous step before him, Kurt wisely decided he'd said enough and stumbled back the way he'd come. Alone at last in his room, Rex shut the lights, stripped down completely and stood naked by the window where he could look down on the street. While he rubbed his backside in peace, he thought about what his little brother had revealed.

He wanted to believe it.

More than anything, he wanted to believe that Kurt hadn't exaggerated, that their dad really had spazzed over his disappearance and that the reason he hadn't been spanked to tears was because it was late and the man was just trying to make a quick point. He wanted to believe all of that...but he couldn't. If he let his guard down and Dad started ignoring him again, Rex knew for a fact he wouldn't be able to stand it. Already his sleeping patterns over the last month had become erratic, his nights tormented by visions of waking up and finding himself alone. The nightmares had begun to taper off a little over the last two days, so he was finally starting to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, but they were sure to return with a vengeance if his dad turned his back on him again. It was safer just to keep his distance.

Of course, safer didn't necessarily mean happier, and over the following weeks, Rex grew increasingly miserable. He categorically refused to accept that the household rules now applied to him too and rebelled against each new punishment that his father handed down for breaking them, stubbornly convinced the man was just stringing him along.

Accepting Malcolm's love was also out of the question. The moment his father stepped too close, Rex shied away and left the room, seething whenever he returned only to spy his brothers getting the affection he secretly craved. Not once did it occur to the teen that the only thing standing in his way was himself or that his dad was even more anxious to hug him than he was to be hugged.

Inevitably, things came to a head.

Ducking out after supper as usual and meeting up with two of his friends one Sunday night, Rex accepted their dare to freeboard down Lakeshore Boulevard. He only had to travel one block to win the dubious title of "Kamikaze King" but the section agreed upon was steep, the traffic was steady, and only a fool could hope to accomplish such a feat while escaping serious physical injury.

Rex did it anyway.

As he careened down the southbound lane at twenty miles an hour and neared the intersection, a pothole caught his left front wheel and sent him tumbling along the asphalt, narrowly missing both cars and trucks. By the time he rolled to a stop amid squealing tires and blaring horns, he stung in more places than he could count and wondered just what the hell had possessed him. He had thought it would serve his father right to have to attend his funeral, but since he wasn't dead, only hurting – and he never really wanted to die anyway – the whole thing suddenly seemed like the stupidest, most foolhardy stunt he'd ever pulled.

Humphrey Folsher wholeheartedly agreed.

At least seven irate drivers exited their cars to see if the idiot child they'd nearly flattened was still alive and Rex groaned as he spotted a neighbour among them from down the street. Of all the millions of people in the world why did "The Fuckster" have to be one of the few to witness Rex's lunacy and swerve to avoid him? That old man was easily the most cantankerous bastard on the block and exactly the kind of moth-eaten old coot who'd never let a thing like this go. Even on the best of days, he was like a hungry dog with a bone, and the moment he recognized Rex and realized that it was a brat from his own neighbourhood who'd nearly jacked his insurance rates, he went off.

The man yelled and swore at such a pitch it was impossible to pick out individual words and almost immediately the other drivers returned to their own vehicles, rightly sensing that they couldn't compete. That was all Folsher seemed to be waiting for and he swatted Rex in the direction of his car, ordering him to get in. With both his buds watching but keeping a very low profile across the street – obviously not coming to his rescue – Rex limped over and sprawled in the back seat, aching in too many places to care what his neighbour kept screaming. Frankly, he was just glad he didn't have to walk his ass home.

Of course, when he got there, and saw the anger building in his father's face as Folsher called him a "goddamn menace", he quickly reconsidered. It wasn't worth getting a lift if he had to listen to the man rat him out but it was too late now and there wasn't a blasted thing he could do about it. He couldn't even defend himself. Every time he opened his mouth to interject, Dad shot him a black look and tightened his grip on his neck so there was no misunderstanding the implication.

Finally, Folsher finally ran out of insults and left.", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Reckless & His Dad's Belt (5)", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "text/plain", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "1", "rating_name": "Mature", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "2", "name": "Nudity", "description": "Nonsexual nudity exposing breasts or genitals (must not show arousal)", "rating_id": "1" }, { "content_tag_id": "3", "name": "Violence", "description": "Mild violence", "rating_id": "1" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "f", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "3", "views": "142" }