Tainted: Origins of a Psycho

Hell

Vincent:

Tense silence dominated the room for what felt like an eternity before Dad cleared his throat.  The vein in his forehead was swollen and throbbing, and his jaw was clenched so tightly that I thought he was going to chip his teeth.  The look in his eyes dared me to say another word, but I held my tongue. 

It would only cause more trouble for Katherine and Molly if I tried to help them now. I had to bide my time and go along with his plan, or else there was no way they would make it out of here alive.

Dad looked over at Violet. "Do you want to prove to me that you're still my little princess?"

Violet's eyes twinkled with excitement. This was the first time in a while that Dad had showed her any kind of approval. Their relationship began to crumble when she met her first boyfriend. He was jealous that she was showing affection for someone other than him, especially another man.

"Yes, Daddy."  She answered, "I want to more than anything in the world."

The vein in his forehead stopped throbbing and his lips curled into a smile.  He pointed to Katherine and said, "Punch her as hard as you can."

Violet didn't hesitate.  She balled her hand into a fist and punched Katherine in her stomach, causing her to collapse to her knees and wail in pain.

I chewed on my lip and looked away.

"Stop whining, bitch!"  Violet growled, kicking her in the ribs for good measure.  "This is all your fault.  You shouldn't have messed with us."

Dad watched her with his arms folded across his chest, his eyes beaming with pride.  "That's right, princess.  Show her what happens to people who fuck with the Graves family."

Violet kneeled down beside Katherine and grabbed a clump of her hair, spitting in her face. "I'm going to make you wish you were never born." She raised her fist in the air to punch her again, but Molly screams startled her into stopping for a moment.

"Please, Victor!" She pleaded, clasping her hands in front of her. "Don't hurt my baby anymore!"

Dad ignored her and looked over at me.  "Shut that bitch up before I put a bullet in her brain."

Beads of sweat swelled on my forehead as I took a cautious step towards Molly.  I wanted absolutely no part of this, but he was testing me to see if I would obey him.  My eyes landed on Molly and I pressed my finger to my lips, silently urging her to be quiet. 

"Why are you letting him do this to her!?"  She screamed, "Katherine is your friend!"

"I'm sorry."  That's all I could say before I mashed my fist into her face, stunning her into silence.

Dad put his hand on my shoulder.  "Good job, son. I didn't think you had it in you."

I brushed his hand away. "Why are you making me do this? I don't want to hurt women."

"Women are like children, son. They need to be punished when they act out." He took Molly by her chin and forced her to look at him. "What kind of man would I be if I let this bitch order me around?"

Molly tried to tear away from him and he grabbed her hair, pulling her head back. "You can't ever let a woman think she's in charge. You must always make sure that she knows her place. Do you understand?"

I nodded my head. "I guess so."

Disappointment washed over his face. "What do you mean you guess so? Haven't I taught you right?"