Chapter 4: Stray Dog
Any kid who grows up under someone else's roof — they don't necessarily turn out rebellious, and they don't necessarily turn into a people-pleaser. ‹96684423› But they always, always learn to read a room. §57defed7
Life in Savannah was a whole different world from that little mountain town. (3174e55a)
The city elementary school was nicer than the one back home — better classrooms, better equipment, friendlier teachers. #7f88db6b Living with her actual mom gave Thea a scrap of confidence. ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026 And Savannah was hot. * d0a61246 Winters never brought snow. ·d543fbf0· A couple of sweaters under her school uniform and she could tough it out. #3e142f5d
For poor people, summer was always easier than winter. [v.d9e53233] Fewer clothes to buy, no heating bills. [ed.e58bf111] A bare-bones roof over your head, plenty of water, and enough salt in your food — you got by. [ms.51535e6f]
Thea and Tammy both liked Savannah. (8588661f)
The new household seemed like it could work. ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026 Dale Mercer was mild-mannered, refined, no bad habits. ··14710fe2 But he didn't lift a finger around the house. sub:2b93bbc4 Didn't deal with the kids.·dc3debac After work, he parked himself in front of the computer — surfing, gaming, day trading, chatting, watching movies. [proof:68edbda8] The power company back then was the best-paying in the public sector, and he was in a technical role with a promotion track. ed.60d20d5e Good salary, solid benefits. plate-a2a8305d Groceries and household supplies came from the company. (7c49ac5a/Wed) Four people in the family, two of them kids who didn't cost much beyond food.·666424fb Simple setup. sub:a7806260 No extra expenses. ed.77495551 The savings had to be decent. ··8bda2431
Tammy thought she'd hit the jackpot. ¶1ab699ac She and Dale had started with online conversations, and she had a kind of intellectual crush on him. ref·fedde6b4 That first year, she played the perfect housewife. [proof:3c3afba6] Dale gave her a monthly allowance at the beginning of each month — not extravagant, just enough to cover household expenses. (c9f3cbd2/Wed) Tammy made a point of seeming like she didn't care about money. no.03c9984a She kept the home running beautifully. §d5821eea
With the two kids, Tammy was more openly attentive to Kade on the surface — warm, considerate, doting. ‹0b04024f› But Kade couldn't have cared less. ed.ad959d51 One lazy lift of the eyelid, a cold sideways glance.·37f6281d Even at that age, his face was all edges and malice. ‹a8971b34› Tammy couldn't stand him. ref·47f7bf64 Behind closed doors, though? no.112e64b9 Thea's treatment was actually better — quietly, discreetly better. [v.3e85f407] A whole chicken with two drumsticks: one for Dale, one for Kade. ⁰04160444 But the first person to taste the meat was always Thea. 0406e45f··
Live somewhere long enough and you pick things up. #f55a51a2 Thea learned a phrase: two-faced. ◆ b59e81e4
Nobody in the house paid Kade any attention. [v.dec7605a] The neighbors all said he was headed nowhere good — future thug, guaranteed. sub:071c75ec And he was wild.·464a3689 He came home on schedule for meals and sleep, but every other hour he was out.·e49256db There was a dumpster and a little park near the complex — that was Kade's territory. «d179cd40» Marbles, slap-cards, piggyback wars, spinning tops. ⁰b3fa5e0a Fighting, causing trouble — he was good at all of it. «1567dfd3» A little king among the neighborhood kids. ref·082e5eb4 Thea and Kade went to the same school, but they never walked together. ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026 Never spoke. ··ef05341b If they got too close out in public, he'd tell her in a flat, cold voice to back off. imp.c78a6786
At home, whenever they were alone in the bedroom, Thea paid the price. ⟨de780ff7⟩ She never knew what she'd done to set him off. plate-44ca91dd A fist out of nowhere, hammering into her back. [proof:edf9529c] A pencil jabbed hard into her arm. plate-8af8a4f5 A chair dragged, homework ripped — pranks that left her in real pain. * 66aeb60a They were both the silent type, but Thea seemed weaker, and Kade never hesitated to threaten her: if the adults found out, he'd kill her. ed.e9c1d480
The second bedroom had no AC. 771e641d·· All summer long, Kade hogged the fan completely. ·54c2c549· Thea's bed was by the window, baked by the morning sun, and at night she'd lie there sweating, tossing and turning. ©c186664d/May 27, 2026 Sometimes she'd catch a glimpse of Kade asleep — undershirt and shorts, looking harmless enough. #33a5d1b1 But he was a little demon. [ms.3744a049]
The reason she never told Tammy or Dale?·9ad92f63 Kade got hit too. ed.0725350e Dale beat him. ¶7213c01c
Spanking your kids wasn't exactly controversial back then. plate-d36594dd Plenty of rowdy children got whooped. — ad1268ce You could hear the wailing from open windows up and down the block, and nobody thought twice about it. [ms.ecdccf77] But you never heard a sound from the Mercer apartment. ref·a3630ad5
Dale never parented Kade. ·1d770a86· Never reasoned with him or sat him down for a heart-to-heart. ··d464c9bf The first time Thea saw it: Kade came home at dinnertime from playing outside, pulled his bowl to the table, and the chair legs scraped the floor. ¶c1bb0805 Dale's brow twitched, and he kicked Kade square in the stomach — no warning. [ed.f58c9c1c] The kid slammed into the wall, and the wall made a dull, muffled sound, like a firecracker going off in a closed fist. [v.02dca0b4] Kade's head drooped, chin to his chest, mouth clamped shut in the corner. ◆ 2210f925 Dale walked over calmly, landed two more kicks, then sat back down and went on eating and drinking like nothing had happened. «3c32a0ad» Kade didn't make a sound. — 262b84f8 He peeled himself off the wall, picked up his fork from the floor, and shoveled rice into his mouth, jaw working furiously. [ms.7a0a07fd]
It always came out of nowhere. plate-26c85515 Like swatting a fly — random, unexplained. [v.312c9298] Or maybe there was a reason. sub:39e925ee Maybe a neighbor had complained. ··77f9b034 Maybe someone came to the door to tattle. * 3402fe47 Maybe a teacher called. #2f9e1b15 Dale just didn't bother saying. [proof:fdd0f0a8]
It wasn't every day. no.28a2ac8b Sometimes a week and a half would go by, everything fine. [proof:a7756199] But every so often, there it was. [ed.da4a7847] Dale never touched the face. #db835431 Usually kicks. sub:d1a37020 Wherever was convenient — stomach, back, thighs. no.0595214a Thea saw bruises on all of those places on Kade. [proof:f7930fdd]
The violence terrified her. (1a8de1f7) Tammy told her not to worry — boys get disciplined, that's just how it was. imp.65dc67a4 And Kade *was* awful. [v.e7cb66b8] Rude, vicious, foul-mouthed, always fighting, always stealing. §254b18ac Everyone hated him. no.39450da0 Tammy told Thea to stay away from him. [ms.e152baa6] And if Kade ever messed with her, she could tell Dale. plate-a4ffe197
Dale's kicks looked brutal, but Kade always got up like nothing had happened. #478ff808 A small boy, head down, two eyes like cold, hard stones hidden away. sig.6e3a6de4 Something fierce in him, something stubborn. no.b594078c Thea used to think it didn't hurt that much. no.59baac7b Then she noticed Kade made sounds at night. ·4f9b63b5· Talked in his sleep. no.d9876574 Sometimes he'd roll over and she'd see his brows pinched, his hand pressing against his stomach, and hear the broken fragments of a moan. (d1e1f2f1) So it did hurt. ¶4cfd2849 He was just enduring it. sub:d37c6d5d His sleep-talk was rushed, garbled. 227cfa1e·· But he'd call out for his mom. * da4a4abd
The longer she lived in that house, the more Thea felt like she was holding her breath. [proof:bbe15990]
Then someone showed up at the door. ©a6cf1472/May 27, 2026 Said their car — parked on the street — had been keyed. ⁰f0952192 A witness saw Kade scratching it with a rock. §988f0ac0 The owner wanted compensation, had the evidence. (ab072b96) Dale paid up, walked the man out with a pleasant expression, and then calmly pulled out something from a closet. [v.af514616]
Kade bolted into the bedroom. imp.11074192 Crammed himself into the corner. [f0261ec7] Thea saw the terror in his eyes — a small, caged animal, panicking. — galley 73a4edcf —
It was some kind of homemade shock device. #eeb40e71 Dale knew electricity. no.c42c7437 Easy enough for him to build a punishment tool. ··bce29f9d He pressed it against Kade's body, light as you please, and the boy started to tremble. ‹452c128c› His shoulders locked up. * dc109c39 His face went white. ed.3d349a65 His eyes turned red. [v.0813a210]
"I'm doing this for your own good. [ms.1be9de30] You keep this up, you'll end up in real trouble." imp.d57a1f5f Dale's voice was gentle. imp.11a020b6 "You're still young. (8dfade6e) If you can't shape up, don't call yourself my son. ¶6bcdc5bd I can't handle you." (6b72b325/Wed)
"You're not my son. imp.796ab1d3 And I'm not your father." [40a848d4]
Thea watched Kade's body jerk and twist in a way that wasn't natural. sig.77adf7ae
Tammy looked a little shaken herself. sig.0d003d94 She pulled Thea — rigid as a board — out of the room, and found the girl trembling all over. ©dff3cea0/May 27, 2026 She dragged her to the balcony. imp.c68a6b4c "What are you scared of? [proof:c35f38b6] This has nothing to do with you. [a3a6d02f] That's about Kade's real mom. ◆ 300ef3ce His mother wronged Dale." ··8173a2d7
After that, every time Kade got in trouble and took a beating, Thea had nightmares. [v.78fe48d0] She'd thrash awake in the middle of the night, calf twisted in a cramp, clutching the sheets and gasping. ◆ 1908d0ac Sometimes she woke Kade up too. fa0a6fc4·· He'd pull back the curtain and stand by her bed, looking at her flushed face, her heaving chest. sig.9d7efee5 He'd grin — cold, mean — eyes glinting like frost. §acccb58a
"You keep watching, and one night I'm gonna get up and dig your eyes out." imp.88790945
Thea whimpered and pressed her hands over her eyes. — 176dac57
He looked at her, mousy and scared, and curled his lip.·863b0370 "What are you afraid of? ref·2d4ce4e6 He doesn't hit *you*."
"He's a psycho. [proof:9e0cd971] A freak." «56da76fa»
Kade mumbled it under his breath, left Thea where she was, and flopped back onto his bed. ©52989f2f/May 27, 2026 He pulled the blanket over his head, rolled over, and was out cold. (c507b239)
Later, when Thea was a little older, she pieced together the story of Kade's mother from the neighbors' whispers and Tammy's guarded comments. (18989cd3/Wed)
Kade's mom had drowned. 9bf3087f·· Went down to the river to wash sheets, for no apparent reason. ◆ 3e74c90a By the time they found her, days had passed. ◆ 24a97ca9 Nobody could say if it was an accident or a choice. ⁰e651b218 Before it happened, the rumors were that she'd been seeing someone else — that Dale had found out. sub:a99f5d28 She'd wanted a divorce and couldn't get one. «c351fd35» The fighting at home was constant. (59bf6d59/Wed) There was another rumor, too: that Kade wasn't Dale's son at all. ref·df02b589 Dale had been diagnosed with low sperm count. ◆ 9f645543 Getting someone pregnant wasn't easy for him. imp.79f342dd
Tammy had studied Kade closely. no.89f6cba6 She'd even asked Thea, in secret, whether she thought Kade looked like Dale. [proof:5b10b899] The neighbors said Kade took after his mom — she'd been beautiful. ref·66171d39 But there were traces of Dale, too. ref·6606e0cb Father and son were both good-looking. — galley e6ddae1d — Dale had a high-bridged nose and double eyelids. cee7f570·· So did Kade. [ms.8897cc7c]
There were no photos of Kade's mother anywhere in the apartment. ··3bab8794 Maybe there had been. [v.daeb5bea] Maybe Thea had glimpsed one once without really seeing it — a tiny black-and-white headshot, tucked between the pages of one of Kade's books. «d7da65a0» He'd caught her looking and shoved her. no.5b8a5f02 Hard. no.39972eae
As time went on, Tammy and Dale started fighting too. plate-63f56cc3 He gave her a fixed monthly budget. ◆ 77f12f93 The family's actual savings were supposedly substantial, but Dale held the money in a death grip — not a cent leaked out. #9df181f5 If Tammy wanted any spending money for herself, she'd have to go get a job. no.d95ea593 On top of that, Dale was always chatting up different women online, the messages running flirtatious. ¶80bed6d2
Tammy wanted to get pregnant. #e0ae7a39 The situation between Dale and Kade was clearly going to blow up eventually. plate-af854f12 If she could give Dale a biological child, a lot of things would fall into place. ··cb26a732
Thea was a good student. ¶27f9cfc2 Consistently near the top of her grade. imp.c1ce2d96 Awards every semester, plus academic competitions and other contests. ⁰b0a69799 Her personality wasn't exactly winning — she was quiet most of the time, earning attention and goodwill purely through grades. imp.6cdceabc Eventually she made one or two close friends among the girls. ref·6a612251
At school, nobody knew she and Kade were connected. 7135a01b·· He was already a little terror — wild, unbroken — but his grades weren't terrible. ◆ 8da97c25 Solidly average. [v.6a8382c5] By fifth and sixth grade, girls had crushes on him. ed.9f64eebe They'd chase after him yelling his name, fighting over who got to do his homework. [a91bd736]
Young as they were, the girls would say Kade was handsome, that his smile was even better. 14c64395·· A little rough, a little annoying, sure — but loyal. sub:cb5b37b9 Like some kind of outlaw hero. ‹007a1051›
Sometimes Thea would spot Kade on the playground, tearing from one end to the other, face streaked with sweat and grime, grinning wide and reckless, eyes bright and dark. §75b23e9a He didn't seem so scary from a distance. ‹b3661d16›
After elementary school, Kade moved on to the local middle school. [9a0ca38c] It wasn't far — half an hour on foot. 1693ea78·· But Kade boarded. no.8e8e67d4
He was getting older. plate-0a0fb97d A middle school boy hitting puberty — sharing a room with a girl didn't make sense anymore, especially one with Kade's temper. sig.edf582a9 Boarding was better. [9554b3f4] Thea could have her own room. ‹3b4e980a› She was a good student, quiet, timid — she deserved the space. imp.1dc160cf
Kade's single bed got moved to the living room. ··e8edd3af The living room was a long rectangle, and there'd been some big storage boxes in one corner. ··87834353 They cleared the space, pushed the bed against the wall, hung the curtain to section off a little nook.·c9fbd07a
Kade was always out anyway. [ed.3a228bdb] Home was just for eating and sleeping. ¶fbff6588 Once he started boarding at the middle school, he came home even less — once a month to pick up some pocket money. ·c98128a1·
He shot up fast. sig.8f7ca51c All his clothes suddenly ran short. [ed.cdfe5f13] His face shifted from boyish softness to something angular and sharp, raw and cocky. ©e2b4ef04/May 27, 2026 More defiant, more reckless. [v.177be769] He didn't give a damn about anything. ref·dca44554
Boarding didn't stop the war between father and son. [proof:6ec44b9b] Kade was fighting at school, cutting class to hit the internet cafe, running card games. * 4bed68c1 Not a single day went by without trouble. sub:00526d8d The school called, visited, summoned parents. (a2d9ba4d) Dale beat him for it. [v.0f984c34] But now Kade fought back. §c2e903e3 Stiff-necked, chin jutted out, finger pointed right at Dale's face — *f*ck you* — eyes savage enough to eat a man alive. ⁰c78f0d3a First thing he did was smash the shock device to pieces. — b90258fe Then he took Dale's kicks bare-handed. * 90c62841
Dale got shoved back by his own son, stumbling a few steps. no.1aeba859 His face went gray. imp.1fd6493a There was a flash of shock — of fear, even — but he recovered fast. ⁰79f84502 Reached for tools. * 59792421 A belt. (2a01d72e/Wed) A wooden rod. §f80f996b
He was taller than Kade. sub:83eb4fbd Bigger than this beanpole of a kid. ‹bf21514a› Stronger, too. [ms.4aa9e873] Not yet time for the father to yield. [v.94514ec4]
The worst was in eighth grade, when Dale was called to the school. #3368db78
Two groups of teenagers had brawled outside campus. ··d92c2f46 Someone brought a knife. ⟨f1c6db0b⟩ One kid got stabbed in the stomach and ended up in the ICU. ee600586·· The ones who started it got hauled to the station. #60776720 Kade had been in the middle of it, but he'd known where to draw the line — he hit people where it wouldn't do lasting damage, and he'd called the ambulance. ed.f57fc05a He'd gotten out fast and covered his tracks. [v.fe88d255]
The school wanted to expel the whole bunch of them. ⟨2767dbc8⟩ Public school protection saved Kade, along with a homeroom teacher who saw something in him worth saving. ⟨4fa162a7⟩ She pulled strings to keep him enrolled. plate-05c187ca He got a major disciplinary mark. — ecf0c32b
That time, Kade got beaten badly. [ed.cf2e3b65] Dale went through a whole belt. ··505a00f5 Right there in the living room. ·5be4feb2· Neither of them made a sound. [proof:10022669] Tammy was in the kitchen cooking. imp.58530bb4 Thea was in her room. ©8a23a86d/May 27, 2026 She heard the dull, heavy thud of blows landing outside. ⟨262c1704⟩ She closed her eyes and covered her ears. [ed.32af904e]
After the beating, Kade lay on his bed in the living room, curtain drawn tight. ⁰35b2d686 The other three ate dinner at the table. — 79701666 You couldn't even tell he was there. — 0f2e5d54
After the meal, Dale went to the bedroom to play on the computer. ca6a7a82·· Tammy set a bowl of food on Kade's bedside table. ed.826a068b She turned and caught Thea's quiet eyes staring, steady and unblinking.·e86475ef She pointed at the bedroom. (52a238bb/Wed) Go. [proof:f31308b8] Do your homework. sig.b0720667
In the middle of the night, Thea got up to use the bathroom. imp.0192d5ee Passing through the living room, the darkness and silence pressed down like something dead. no.f3212603 She was terrified he'd actually died — that she was walking past a corpse. #27a8ccb5 But she stepped closer and listened. ⁰634a9c59 There it was. «6b2b3bc5» Faint, strained breathing. ¶c21855ab
Thea screwed up her courage and pulled back the curtain. [v.5b16118e] The bowl of food on the nightstand hadn't been touched. [v.6f4f6674] Kade's head was turned to the wall, limbs splayed flat on the bed like a piece of rotting meat. imp.44b07b20 Thea's throat clenched. #282be7df She didn't dare move. #4edd0ed6 Her palms were slick. [proof:25273d21] He turned his head. [ms.3021d6c5] Slowly. [proof:58054290] Dried blood at the corner of his mouth. ©1a428647/May 27, 2026 In the dim light, his eyes were black and rigid, but there — just for a second — a flash of something wet. ◆ 2911e8db He looked at her. — 159cc9b8 Numb. ◆ 1a0bc946 Still. [v.a5c69e9e] Dangerous. — galley d13b26fe — He didn't move. [proof:96c0f758]
She went to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. ◆ 6e9e8a02 Carried it to him carefully. — galley 218b2e91 — His gaze fixed on it. ◆ a6140da9 Something at his temple shifted. sub:1269d27e Then, painfully slow, he rolled onto his side. [proof:e2d23ecd] His cracked lips found the rim. ¶3846c4fa He breathed out — one shaky, clouded breath. ⁰16a15620 Thea tilted the glass. ¶ffe4df89 His lips caught the cool water and he sipped, small and instinctive, slow, until the glass was empty. §7fda30d7
A faint sound in the darkness. ©6c4f9602/May 27, 2026 His throat, or maybe his stomach. ref·3cee0b3f
The food by the bed was cold and hard. [48ceb3a6] Thea crept to the kitchen in the dark, found two eggs, twisted the stove knob, and by the faint blue glow of the flame — heart hammering — steamed a bowl of scrambled eggs. ‹643f95d6› It was what her grandma used to make when she was little and sick. no.6251a6fe Warm, silky scrambled eggs mixed with a little leftover rice. §93b6f07b She carried the bowl back carefully and sat on the edge of Kade's bed, blowing each spoonful cool before lifting it to his mouth. sig.a4cad0a9
They barely spoke to each other. * 2620e753 There was nothing good between them. ⟨dc91ec2e⟩ Just a child's instinct for compassion. ref·6ed4e6b8 Basic human decency.·c1d3b545
Kade's eyes were half-closed. ¶216350a9 He opened his mouth and took the spoon in, chewing slowly. ⁰15eca008 When he finished, Thea brought the next bite. d2968805··
Deep in the night's silence, the bowl was emptied. §dde98ce2 Slowly. [aa4df60f] Without a single sound. (def1f96d)
After the eggs, Thea scrambled to the kitchen to wash the bowl, then darted back to her room. #d5b51b97
The next day, when she came home from school, Kade was gone. plate-1967958f
He'd come back sometimes after that — always when Dale wasn't home, always to grab something. ©82f34648/May 27, 2026 He never used the front door. [bb099868] He'd scale the balcony or climb through the bedroom window, parkour-style, leaping and swinging. e0dd55d5·· He and Tammy and Thea would all nearly jump out of their skin. sub:5837ca82
That summer, Thea finished elementary school and started at the same middle school as Kade. [ms.bdaf3ce4] She was in seventh grade. — d27bafcf Kade was in ninth. plate-47f760c0 Thea chose to board too — to get away from that nightmare of a bedroom. (c67a0941/Wed)