began to shake.
“Do you have any suggestions, you ridiculous pile of blubber?” his father asked.
“None, sir,” he responded, trembling.
“You realize I do this because I love you, correct?” his father asked as he circled Ryan’s body slowly.
“Yes sir,” Ryan responded.
“If I didn’t care what your fat little ass weighed, I’d let you turn yourself into a human fucking beach ball. You’re disgusting, Ryan. In fact, I can’t even decide what to do with your fat little ass next. Nothing seems to motivate you,” his father bellowed as he now stood in front of Ryan and stared at his slightly overweight frame.
“Well, we have tried giving you enemas. That didn’t work. You remained disgusting. We tried starving you, and somehow you found food - so that’s out. I can’t force you to exercise, I haven’t got time,” his father paused and shook his head at the young boy.
“Lessons. Life is about learning lessons. The earlier in life we learn them the quicker we are able to make corrections to our lives. Does that make sense?” his father asked.
Ryan, now crying, nodded his head slowly.
“And another thing. You’re always crying about something down here. Every damned time we come down here, you cry about something. It makes me damned near as sick to hear you cry as it does to look at your disgusting fat little ass. Stop. Fucking. Crying,” his father demanded as he stood before him with his hands on his hips.
Ryan bit his lower lip with his teeth in an attempt to stop sobbing. The attempt made the crying much worse.
His father held his left hand in the air and pointed up with his index finger. His hand was rock steady as he spoke. “Do you realize why I am as successful as I am?”
“No…”
“No sir,” Ryan blubbered.
His father moved his index finger within inches of Ryan’s face. The tip of the finger was missing, making the finger square at the tip. It had been that way as long as Ryan could recall. Ryan focused on the finger and wondered the significance.
“I can’t stand to even look at you any longer. I think I may need to go upstairs and vomit. You disgust me. Thirty days, Ryan. Thirty days. We’ll mark it on the calendar upstairs. You have thirty days to lose twenty pounds. If not, you’ll be taught a lesson the hard way. I’m going upstairs. I don’t want to see your fat little face again tonight. Sleep in the room down here. I’ll tell your mother you’re sick. Get dressed, you fat little bastard,” his father turned and walked to the stairs.
As Ryan heard the basement door close, he picked up his clothes and got dressed. He spent the night as he spent many nights as a child. Alone and attempting to determine what he could do to earn his father’s praise and love. Regardless of his lack of ability to lose the weight his father had demanded, this day was the day he would turn his life around.
As Ryan opened the trunk of the car and tossed in the gym bag he shook his head. The thought of his father made him tense. He had started his daily workout today a little earlier than normal - to relieve tension. As he got into the car he took another deep breath and exhaled slowly.
He turned his left wrist and checked the time. The inexpensive digital Timex watch he wore to the gym confirmed he had forty-five minutes to drive home and prepare for the volunteer to forfeit her life.
As he started the car and backed out of the parking stall Ryan considered all of the options that may take place in the events of the morning. As he weighed each of the possibilities, he smiled. He was certain not many people on earth had ever put a plan in pace with such intricacies and potential rewards.
Even his father would be proud.
CHAPTER EIGHT
VOLUNTEERING TO DIE.
EIGHT. Ryan took a deep breath and pressed his left ring finger to the pad beside the door. As the magnetic lock
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