Bloody Red ~ Avengers/Alice In Wonderland ~

0.2

Interlude Two:

"Can we go play in the rain, mommy?" The young girl asked. She had copper brown skin and dark brown eyes that twinkled when it caught the sunlight.

"I already told you no," THE QUEEN said with a hefty huff. "You'll catch cold and paying a doctor's bill is the last thing we need right now. Now, go clean up your toys."

The girl pouted, but obeyed. THE QUEEN stayed in the kitchen, preparing the chicken breast for tonight's dinner. The door opened and THE QUEEN started, eyes wide.

Heavy footsteps came in through the front hall of the small house. Chills mixed with dread shivered down THE QUEEN's spine. But, she ignored the shaking of her hands and focused on her chicken.

A tall man came into the kitchen through the side room. His skin was dark from endless hours working in the sun. THE QUEEN looked up to acknowledge her husband before glancing back down again.

He came to her, and THE QUEEN stayed completely still. Large, dark hands trailed down her back and waist, and THE QUEEN inhaled.

"Hello, sweetie," THE QUEEN greeted the man softly. "How was your day?"

He put his face in the crook of THE QUEEN's neck and THE QUEEN held her breath. "Fine," he mumbled. "Still waitin' for that raise, though."

"Any day now," THE QUEEN replied complainantly. "You're home early, did something happen?"

"The rain," he replied gruffily. "It's messin' with the work. We gotta wait it out, so don't start askin' for anythin'. They'll be cuttin' out hours pretty soon, I'll tell you that."

"Well, hopefully, we'll be done with it, right?" THE QUEEN smiled and turned to the stove, setting it on the sizzling pan so it could cook quickly.

He glanced over and sniffed, raising an eyebrow, "What you got cookin'?"

"Just chicken and potatoes," she replied and he nodded.

"Better not have all that seasoning on it," he said with a distasteful grumble. "I hate it when you pour the entire can of seasonings on it. That's 'pensive seasonings, you know? And wastin' in on some goddamn dead chickens."

THE QUEEN stayed silent, allowing him to talk. Then, THE QUEEN's daughter ran in, smiling bright. "I finished cleaning, Mama! Can I go outside now?"

"Go outside!?" The man demanded, glaring from the girl to the woman. The girl, who hadn't realized her father was in the kitchen, stepped back. "You told her she could go outside?! In this rain!?"

"No, wait, Henry, I---" THE QUEEN stammered, but she wasn't able to get the words out. His hand came flying, as if out of nowhere, and striked her face. The woman collapsed, already weak from the beating from the night before.

"Don't you dare go outside!" Henry growled at the girl, who just nodded out of fear. "You know how much doctor's bills cost!? Too much! If I see you step even a toe outside this door, your ass will be beat!"

"Yes Papa!" The little girl cried, tears slipping down her face. Henry didn't seem to believe her answer.

THE QUEEN saw his hand go in the air again, and she screamed, "Don't touch her!"

The man turned back, eyes flaring. "What did you say to me?" Fear flashed on THE QUEEN's face. The man let the girl go, and she scrambled back quickly, tears in her eyes.