Part Seventy-Eight

Gage sat in the dark living room, watching the view of the city across the horizon. Darkness had always been his friend. It had to be. He’d made the darkness a part of himself, just like Dominic had.

Gage didn’t fear the darkness, he welcomed it. He’d been young when he realized that the darkness could be his friend rather than his enemy. It hadn’t really been a choice, it had happened naturally and Gage had found his place in this world, in the darkness.

** The hallway always seemed so long but that day it was the odd noises that drew him out of his room. He’d always been a light sleeper and even at the age of three, he’d moved stealthily. The door was ajar and the light was on.

“No! Don’t touch me!”

The slap across her face was so forceful that she turned and fell on the bed. He was on top of her in an instant, pulling her nightdress up her back. The sound of his zipper being pulled down seemed too loud but it was her sobs that would stay with him forever.

The grunts came later and