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

But it was a fleeting thought. He was too preoccupied with the note. Tyler was going to be in a rage when he realised there was no one there to cook dinner for Michael. Or any other meals, for that matter.


A smile flickered on his lips, then was extinguished.


The following day, around noon, Shane’s money came through. After catching a bus into town and visiting an ATM, he found a cheap motel with a double bed and a dirty bathroom quite near where he worked. He paid for a week and put his things in a pile on the floor in the middle of the room. He fell backwards onto the bed, smiling. He was finally free. Tyler would never find him now.


He went for a walk around the block to familiarise himself with the neighbourhood, and to enjoy the sunshine on his face and on his bare arms. He felt alive. For the first time in four years, he knew what it was like to be free and to believe that someday he might be happy.


Chapter 9