Living With Them

Living With Them (3)

"Mommy, I think daddy's mad again," I whisper.

"Shh... Audrey, it's okay. He won't hurt you." her voice is choked, as she's holding me in her arms. We're hiding in her room, listening to Bert's slurred shouts of anger coming through the door. I feel my mother trembling and decide to focus straight ahead, at the violet painted wall in front of me. On the wall hangs a painting my mother had painted of a lighthouse, I study it and try to ignore my mother's rapid breathing.

Soon the door whips open. "Lookey here. Are you two hiding from me?" he slowly makes his way towards us. Each footfall causes both of our hearts thud faster. The stench of vodka hits us within the next couple of feet. He grabs my mother by the hair and pulls her away from me. "Little Daisy trying to protect her baby," he purrs in her ear. My mother winces. 

"Let me go Bert," she replies calmly. Bert chuckles. 

I don't listen to nobody," he throws my mother onto the ground and kicks her a couple of times. She curls in a ball to protect herself against the blows. He  then pulls me up by the arm. "The boys will be here soon for you. Now you will know how much fun Mommy has been having with Daddy's friends."

"You wouldn't dare doing that. She's too young! It's illegal Bert. You don't want to do anything stupid like that," As soon as Bert hears the word "stupid," he whips around and grabs another handful of my mother's hair. She winces, but stares him straight in the eye.  "I... I promise that I'll always cooperate and be obedient. I promise not to complain. I promise, if you let her be," she holds his glare, making him be the one who looks away first. After a moments hesitation, he lets go of her hair and ambles over to me. I try to be like my mother, but it's so hard for me to look in his cold, almost lifeless, eyes. 

"Oh honey, watch me." Bert grins evilly. He lifts me over his shoulder and walks out of the room. I start to scream and pound my small fists against his back. "Shut up," he growls in my ear. Terror ripples through as I wonder what is going to happen next.

I hear my mother trying her best to get to us. "Put her down. Now." she commands. Bert ignores her and keeps walking. Mom lunges at him and attacks him with flying fists. "You bastard! All you've ever done is cause us misery! I should have never believed you when you said you changed! I should have packed up and left with Audrey when I had the chance!" she screams. With every punch she lets out a sob and a screech in anger. Bert drops me on the ground and grabs my mother.

"You little cunt. This is your fucking life. Life is never easy, alright. You, bitch, should respect my decisions. Everything would be so much easier if you just shut up," he says, calmly, close to my mother's terriffied face. 

With that, he drags my screaming mother back into the bedroom, shoves her inside and locks the door behind him. I curl up into a ball and cover my ears, to block out my mother's screams.

I wake up with a gasp. I find myself lying in a pool of cold sweat and my legs tangled up in my sheets. With every blink, I see Bert's sweaty and red face close to mine. 

I place a hand over my pounding chest and lean my head against the headboard. He's not here, it's ok Audrey. 

"Audrey..." I screech and nearly fly off my bed. Pierce is on his knees next to my bed. The moon shines through the window, allowing me to see his expression. Rather than looking at me in his usual annoyance, he's looking at me with concern, with a hint of sadness.

I straighten up and notice he's wearing nothing besides boxers. My eyes involuntarily snap to look at his abs and stay there.

"You're drooling," he teases, with a smirk on his lips. My eyes snap back to his and narrow. "You wish."