Shane has never managed to catch a break. His mother died when he was a teen and his father left home the day he turned eighteen. Then he met a man he thought would fulfill all his dreams. Little does he know that Tyler will plunge him into a nightmare of both physical and verbal abuse.<br><br>With his self-esteem destroyed and no friends to turn to, Shane lives every day in despair. But when they’re invited to a neighbour’s house for dinner, things begin looking up. Michael, their host, is no stranger to Shane, for they have often said hello over the fence.<br><br>But is he the one who will come to Shane’s rescue? Or will Tyler make sure their friendship goes no further than the dinner?

Something from Nothing

For a moment, he closed his eyes. He breathed deeply, feeling some slight discomfort as he did so. He placed a hand to his throat, tender to the touch.


Finally, he stood and looked around the room, at the clothes on the floor and the empty glass on Tyler’s bedside table. Cautiously leaving the bedroom, he went to the kitchen, where he found signs that Tyler had cooked breakfast, evidence in the form of dirty dishes on the table and a used frying pan on the stove. He’d left the butter out, and the milk, and spilt something on the floor


Shane wandered to the lounge room window and peered out. The car was gone. Good. I’m alone.Glancing at the clock on the DVD player, he realised he was two hours late for work and immediately called in sick, apologising for not having rung sooner.


“I was up all night vomiting. I must have slept through the alarm.”


Chapter 6