[Chie]: 227.Short stories.LPC-entry: Never again

Writersco Lyrical Prose Contest – entry: “Never again” by Chie

I heard the noise from downstairs. I got up from my bed and crept all the way across my dark room. As I reached the threshold I paused. I was afraid of moving on to the stairs, afraid of what I might see.
Daddy was home.
I heard him yelling at my mom. Then I heard a loud thumping noise and dishes breaking. And I hear Mommy’s muffled scream. Now I had to see. I had to know.
I sneaked across the stair landing and stopped at the top of the staircase. I leaned over the reel and peeked at the scene in the kitchen.
Daddy had been drinking once again. Mommy was thrown onto kitchen table. I saw a trickle of blood running down from her temple. I was trying to blink away my tears as I watched Mommy getting up slowly and evading Daddy’s next strike, running on to the living room.
He was shouting and cursing. Calling her names, the kinds that I should never hear from anyone... I saw emotions flicker on Mommy’s face. Defiance and desperation, sorrow and fear. He was chasing her now and the ice-cold fist of fear gripped firmly my poor little heart. I was afraid that Mommy was running for her life.
I heard her scream again and fall down. Daddy caught him. He beat her now and I could but watch, my eyes wide and terrified, I was trembling and the tears I had been blinking away earlier were sliding down my cheeks like shadows. And then for awhile our eyes met. We understood each other perfectly, we saw into each other’s hearts. We were the same. And then He noticed me. He let out a snarl and took a few steps towards the staircase. I was trembling now, my hands squeezing the rail with all of their might. I had never been so scared in my life. It wasn’t the first time when Daddy was like this... But this, this was something I had never seen before...
Daddy had reached the foot of the staircase and was glaring at me, clenching his fists. I was rooted to my spot. I could only look back at him, petrified, and tremble, clinging to the rail for my whole dear life.
“Timmy!” my mother screamed. Her voice was high-pitched and it hurt my ears.
“Go back to bed!”
She then pushed Daddy. He immediately turned around, eyes burning.
“You fucking bitch!” Dad spat out, forgetting all about me.
I did as Mommy had told me to. I ran back into my room and shut the door. I fell onto the floor. Pitiful, helpless lump of clothes shaking and trembling due the powerful sobs running through my body. I curled up into a ball and wished that I could be somewhere safe, somewhere far away from here. Somewhere, where I could not hear my mother’s muffled screams as my father abused her.

It was early in the morning and my work shift had just begun. Some people might think that it’s exciting to work in a hospital but the truth is quite different. Today though, something suspicious and interesting happened. In the waiting room there was a couple. The woman was tiny and her skin was pale. Her auburn hair hang lifelessly, hiding her face from the world. By her side was sitting a young man, probably less than 30 years old. He had black hair and he was quite tall.
“The doctor says he will see you now”, I said.
The man rose up calmly and helped the woman to get up. I saw the woman flinch when he touched her, her legs trembled as she took a few steps forward. I could clearly see that it was hard for her to walk.
“I’ll wait here”, the man said in a steady voice.
I helped the woman into the room. When the door was closed she raised her head and I finally saw her face. I nearly gasped at the sight, never had I seen someone in such a bad state!
Her face was covered in ugly bruises , blood had trickled down to here cheeks were it had dried but her eyes – her eyes were the worst” They were dim, blank, dead.
I only could see a trace of muffled anger and desperation... But that was all. They held no other emotion.
“Good morning, Melissa”, the doctor greeted. Obviously the woman had been visiting here quite a lot. I didn’t know, I had just been transferred here from LA...
“Good morning”, she replied.
“You seem to have got yourself into quite a shape... What on Earth happened to you?”
She endured steadily the doctor’s questioning gaze.
“I slipped on my way downstairs and fell”, she said hoarsely.
“You fell down in stairs?” the doctor asked again, to confirm the matter.
“Yes, that’s right”, she replied nonchalantly.
I narrowed my eyes, looking at her closely.
“Are you sure that’s right? These injuries doesn’t look like – “
“I slipped and fell”, she cut in, her hoarse voice now louder and sharper.
I nodded in acknowledgement but I didn’t believe her for one second. She was lying to me. I thought she had her reasons so I shut up. I shook my head.
I escorted the woman back into the waiting room after her bruises had been tended. It was a miracle none of her bones were broken and the wound on her temple was rather nasty one as well. I had agreed with Doctor Rodgers, together we tried to talk her to stay in for a day or two so we could watch over her and be sure that those awful bruises and wounds of hers would start to heal normally.. But she shut her ears from our requests and demanded to go back home. Since there was danger to her life, we agreed – reluctantly – to let her go.
The man had been sitting on the chair while waiting his wife. Now he stood up and took a few steps towards us and placed his large hand on the woman’s shoulder. She was fully passive, giving him no response of this gesture. He flashed me an apologetic smile and started to walk out with his wife, his hand still on her shoulder. I watched them go, frowning. Something seemed to be a bit off with them.

I heard the door slamming shut and I knew he was at home again.
“Melissa, you bitch where are you”, he roared from the entrance hall.
I was at the breaking point now. I couldn’t stand him. He was always off in work, never being home. And then when he was home.... It hadn’t been like this when I married him. It had all started 6 years ago. I don’t know why he started drinking then, I don’t even care to know. The consequences are what matter, not the cause. And the consequences were these. I was tired of his beating. I was tired of his cursing. I was tired of him making me fear for my own life... And if it had been just me, I doubt I would have cared now. Maybe I then could next time annoy him until he’d beat me to death.
But it was not just me. It was Timmy. I had to fight back, for Timmy. If I would stand this longer, if I would give in, there was nothing which would protect my son from him anymore. Nothing.
“Melissa, you lousy whore!”
I clenched my fists. I wanted him to stop. I wanted all of this to stop. I would have cried then, if I only could have. But not anymore. My tears had ended long ago. I had run out of them. I didn’t care anymore. I only wanted it to end...
And I had it already in my mind. A smile rose to my lips, a smile. It was rare. I hardly ever smiled. I hadn’t laughed for years. But now... Now I smiled and I felt that I could even laugh! It was all going to end tonight.
I’ve had enough.
My fingers brushed the smooth surface of the cold metal and immediately my mind was filled with nearly divine calmness. I had decided...
I saw him standing in a door way. He was gazing at me, a smug smirk on his face. An empty bottle was in his hands.
“There you are, honey”, he bellowed.
“Welcome home, dear”, I spat out, pulling out the gun.
“Now, now, sweetie... That’s not a way to welcome your husband.”
He was laughing at me. His left hand , the one that was not holding the bottle, was clenched into a fist. He was ready to beat me down again.
But I was not about to let it happen.
Not this time.
I was ready as well.
“You’re just a woman, dear”, he said to me mockingly, “you don’t have enough man in you to pull the trigger.”
“I’m just a woman, eh?” I whispered softly.
Then I looked straight into his eyes.
“Go to hell, Richard.”
He growled. It was a wild, animalistic sound that made chills run down my spine. But I did not step back. He started to come at me.
He never made it.
The gunshot rang in my ears, it echoed in the kitchen where we both stood, it probably woke up the couple that lived next door. I didn’t care.
I watched his surprised expression coldly. He stared at me for awhile. Then he began to fall. It seemed to happen in slow motion. I just stood there and watched...
His grip of the empty bottle loosened and it fell down meeting the stone floor, shattering to millions and yet millions of pieces. The crystal clinging was followed by a loud thump as his already cooled body met the floor.
My shaky hand couldn’t hold the gun anymore, it fell onto the already crowded floor. My knees gave in and distantly I felt the tiny shards of glass pierce my skin but I felt no pain. I felt no remorse. I felt no sorrow. I felt no hate anymore.
I had done it.
I felt content.
I was free.

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Nickelback – Never again

He's drunk again, it's time to fight
She must have done something wrong tonight
The living room becomes a boxing ring
It's time to run when you see him
Clenching his hands
She's just a woman
Never Again

I hear a scream, from down the hall
Amazing she can even talk at all
She cries to me, Go back to bed
I'm terrified, She'll wind up Dead
In his hands, She's just a woman
Never Again

Been there before, but not like this
Seen it before, but not like this
Never before have I have
Seen it this bad
She's just a woman
Never Again

Just tell the nurse, you slipped and fell
It starts to sting as it starts to swell
She looks at you, she wants the truth
It's right out there in the waiting room
With those hands
Lookin’ just as sweet as he can
Never Again

Seen it before, but not like this
Been there before, but not like this
Never before have I have
Seen it this bad
She's just a woman
Never Again

Father's a name you haven't earned yet
You're just a child with a temper
Haven't you heard "Don't hit a lady"?
Kickin' your ass would be a pleasure

He's drunk again, it's time to fight
Same old shit, just on a different night
She grabs the gun, she's had enough
Tonight she'll find out how fucking
Tough is this man
Pulls the trigger just as fast as she can
Never Again

Seen it before, but not like this
Been there before, but not like this
Never before have I have
Seen him this bad
She's just a woman
Never Again