Play the music for a much better experience

Enjoy✌️

***

I woke up, and I looked around to find myself in a dark place with thick fog around. That's the only sentence I can explain for this situation.

Am I dreaming? Or am I dead? Because I feel cold.

Something is not right here.

I can sense trouble just by feeling it.

"Claude? Is that you?" a familiar voice said behind me. I saw Kinsley with the same expression as mine, "are you seeing this right now?"

"Yeah," I said and looked around. I patted my body to make sure, "are we dead?"

"No, no, we're not. I can still feel your heartbeat. I think we're in a dream," Kinsley speculated.

"Another dream? But, don't I already know all about Joy's past?" I didn't even feel relieved to hear that I was not dead because I'm still confuse.

"You do," I can see Kinsley starts sweating.

"Then, what is it this time?" I asked as I stepped closer to her.

"I don't know. I didn't plan this," Kinsley said. Then we saw a figure from afar. It's vague, and I can't tell who it is. Kinsley noticed the person before she looked at me in worry, "I guess we better find out."

We walk towards the figure as it becomes clearer. The person had blond hair, and he was wearing a suit, "Mr. Wayne?" I was shocked to see him here.

"Wayne?" Kinsley wasn't calling him. Instead, she said his name in utter confusion about Wayne's presence, "why is he here?"

"Can he see us?" I asked as I waved my hand in front of his face. I was startled when he turned his eyes to me, "Oh, I'm sorry-"

"Have you ever wondered what it's like to live my life?" Wayne asks of a sudden.

Kinsley and I looked at each other. We didn't know how to answer that question.

"They say, I live inside a pot of gold. I was living in a big mansion with unlimited wealth," Wayne turned his eyes to Kinsley, "but they didn't know the pot of gold was a hell."

'1982'

The darkness suddenly shifts into something. After one blink, we were inside a room—a dining room, bigger than Wayne's but older. In the center of the room, there is a long dining table, even though there were only three people present, with antique chairs that no one uses anymore.

I looked around to find Wayne's disappearance. He's not with us anymore.

"That's- Joy's grandparents," Kinsley said as she stepped towards the family. I followed behind her, "yeah, that's Joseph and Mary. Joy showed me a photo of her grandparents, and it looks exactly like them."

"Is that- Wayne?" I asked as I noticed a young blonde boy cross his mother with his father sitting at the end of the table next to them. Wayne looked young here, and I'm guessing he's around twelve. He doesn't even have wrinkles on his face, and he hasn't grown his beard. But, his eyes were swollen, and he got a cut on his left eyebrow.

"Son," the man of the house called for his son.

"Yes, father?" he looked up to his father.

"Is it true that you were in a fight today?"

Wayne stopped eating his food and looked down, "yes, father."

Joseph looks at his son, "it didn't look like you won the fight."

"Joseph-" Mary called his husband to stop, but he brought his hand to her face.

Joseph stopped as he looked at his wife, "I do not raise a loser in this house," he looked at Wayne with disgust on his face, "how does it feel to lose to a kid with glasses and braces?"

I saw Wayne's hand trembling, "I- I'm sorry."

"Tsk, pathetic. Get your ass in your room, now!" Joseph's tone startled everyone in the room.

Including Kinsley and me.

With tears in his eyes, Wayne ran towards the stairs to his room.

"Joseph! You can't do that to your son," Mary fumed at Joseph, but he didn't even make a face at her comment. Instead, he pounds the table with his fist. The sound of the smacking echoed around the room.

"This is my house, my rules. You live under my roof, and I expect you to follow!" Joseph said, "you don't tell me how to discipline my son."

"He is also my son, Joseph!" Mary stood up and threw her napkins to the table. She stomped towards the stairs and, I'm guessing, saw her son, "you didn't even ask about his injuries," I heard her say before disappearing upstairs.

"That was..." clearly; I had nothing to say about what I saw.

"So, this dream is about Wayne now?" Kinsley asks.

"Yeah. We're about to learn his back story," I said as I circled Joseph. He's now eating alone.

"Is this how he learns that a man is always strong?" Kinsley asked me, but I was confused by her question, "I mean, he chose a man to continue his business. He didn't even consider Joy, as a woman, to continue his business because a man is better."

"I don't think that makes sense," I said.

I thought that' was the only thing I'd see this night. But no, I was wrong.

'1986'

Suddenly in environment shifts again. This time, we're in a bedroom, and it's huge. This must be Wayne's room. But, he doesn't have any wallpaper like any other boys—everything, including his king-size bed, is antique. I could say that Joseph is richer than Wayne.

The door opened, and I saw Wayne stomping his foot loudly as he threw his duffel bag on the floor, "for fuck sake!" he cursed. He was still wearing his football uniform. He lay on his bed and put his hand on his eyes while catching his breath.

Wayne looked older this time. His hair color is getting darker, "Did we just switch to another memory?" I asked.

The door opened for the second time. Joseph entered the room with no expression.

"Shit, you can't take another memory," Kinsley said.

"Can you take me out of here?!" I was starting to get panic.

"I can't," Kinsley approached me and held my shoulders, "don't worry, relax. We'll think of something."

"Get up," Joseph's stern voice startled us.

"I will," the high schooler Wayne answered.

"Now," Joseph walked towards the bed and pulled Wayne by the collar of his clothes, "Is this how you handle yourself when you're not chosen to be the football team's captain? Man up, Son!"

Wayne just stood silent as his father screamed to his face.

"I never raise you to be a loser. You look fucking pathetic right now," Joseph said and laughed bitterly.

I saw it in Wayne's eyes, the anger overflowing his body. His veins throbbing in his neck, jaw, and fist were clenched with his chest puffing up and down. Joseph noticed his wrath, and he looked satisfied after pushing his son's button, "what are you looking at, son? Do you want to punch me?"

Joseph leaned closer and said, "fucking do it, I dare you!"

Wayne didn't do anything except his fist was tighter until his finger started to get pale. He didn't let his father provocate him.

Joseph pushed Wayne towards the nightstand, knocking down the lamp, and pinned him down. Joseph struck his fist at his son's face a couple of times until a hand covered my eyes.

"You don't want to see this," Kinsley said, "gosh, he didn't even defend himself or fight back."

"Oh my lord- Joseph! Stop!" A woman's voice came inside the room, stopping the beating. Kinsley removed her hand from me as I saw Wayne sitting down, leaning on the nightstand, with his face full of blood.

Mary ran towards her son and checked his wounds.

"You can't keep doing this, Joseph," Mary said to her husband, "He's still a sophomore, and he has two years left to achieve that."

"I can, and I will until he gets that captain position," Joseph said.

Wayne releases his mother and spits some blood, "I- I'm sorry, father. I'll make sure to work hard for the captain title in Junior year," he said, stumbling in his words.

Joseph rolled up his sleeves and cracked his fist, "Change your outfit and grab your guns. We're going hunting," he said and walked towards the door, "now," without looking back, he closed the door.

"Dion plays football in high school, and maybe this is why he plays. Does that sound logical to you?" Kinsley asks.

"I think so," I replied.

'2021'

The place shifts again. I recognize the place. We're at Wayne's house, and everyone is in formal attire. I looked around to see a hint of this occasion.

Dion's graduation party.

"Is this Dion's graduation party?" Kinsley asks.

"Yeah," I said as I observed the surroundings. I still remember the aunts that kept touching my hand too.

"Shit, we got another dream—three memory in a row. I don't think you could handle this," Kinsley said in worry.

"Shut up, Kinsley," I said because I was intrigued to know his memory. I want to know more about Wayne Wright.

I found Joy with Martin and her father. It looks like they were talking over something that didn't look good.

"Wayne said something that upsets Joy. I think we're about to find out what it was," I said, walking through the crowd, and Kinsley followed behind me.

"Father, did you know Jocelyn has a play at her school?" Martin said, grinning at Joy.

"For fuck sake," Joy said in her thought and rolled her eyes.

"Really?" Wayne turns his eyes to his daughter.

"You looked surprised, father. I also had the same expression as yours," Martin said, "guess. Is she going to be the actor or the writer?"

"Just tell me, Martin," Wayne squinted his eyes.

"The writer! Surprising, isn't it?" Martin laughed along with Wayne. Joy looked uncomfortable between the two laughing men.

"You? Jocelyn? You can write a play?" Wayne shook his head in disbelief, "unbelievable. My mother used to write a play for Broadway shows, and let me tell you. No one has ever surpassed her."

I saw Joy clench her jaw as she griped her champagne glass tighter, "well, father. You better believe it because my teacher already approved my script."

Wayne shook his head and said, "Good luck with that."

Then everything was happening at the same time. Joy starts to scream at Martin and Wayne. They were disinterested to listen at her ranting. Joy ran towards the stairs and came down with me, threw her coat to Martin, and left the house.

This is where I'm about to find out what happened when we left.

Dion came down and asked Martin and Wayne what was going on. He came outside to find Joy's car was already gone. I saw Wayne finishing his drinks and said sternly, "we're going."

"Where?" Martin asks.

"To her play. When is her play?"

"I think it's in two weeks," Martin answered.

"Then, bring Emilia and Dion along too. They have to see Jocelyn play," Wayne said before leaving, "you're also coming, Martin. Don't think about leaving."

I can't believe what I just heard. All this time, he was underestimating Joy's play.

And now it's all become clear. He's like this because of how his father raised him.

He is always hard on her because his father always does that.

Now that we have already learned something about Wayne. But what about Joy's mom?

Joy said he was a family man. But, it's hard to believe that now.

However, I want to learn about Wayne and his wife.

***

This chapter is only about Wayne origin story. I just want to add this if that's alright.

Don't worry, I'll upload the real chapter... someday 😉 I can't promise you that I'll upload it tomorrow, but I'll see what I can do.

Anyway, Soooooo 1.9k readers, huh??!?

We are this close 🤏🏻 to reach 2k!

I just want to say, thank you for everyone who's reading this story, voting, and adding it to your library. Without you, we wont reach this far.

and of course. Without you, I won't make this chapter.

This chapter dedicated to cassyanders2000 thank you so much for you support and the idea. 🙆‍♀️

Oh and, lets reach 2k shall we?

-Chicken