Masters & Lovers Box Set Three

Klempner – The Present

Mine…

My daughter…

Mitch’s daughter…

Alexanders’ words haunt me…

You locked her in the dark with the corpses of the murdered...

I try to escape into sleep…

… The stinking breath

The blood-shot eyes, wild with rage

The fist…

Da... No...

And a scream of anger. ‘Leave him alone you bastard! Don't you touch him! Don’t you dare touch him…’

The smack of knuckles into flesh and another scream, now of pain…

‘Mommy! Don't hurt Mommy!’

The figure so tall…

The screams of pain becoming shrieks…

The smack of knuckles into flesh…

The little figure grabs for something… Anything…

… He swings the big metal stick with all his might, aiming for the ankles… ‘Stop hurting Mommy!’

A scream of rage and pain. ‘You little bastard!’

‘Run, Lamb, Hide!’

bedroom. His mother snatches up the

‘Bitch!’

screams again, and

a while, the door slams. It goes

out from under the bed,

then rushes across. ‘It’s alright, Lamb. He’s

Sobbing, ‘You’re bleeding, Mommy…’

Sweetie. Don’t

his face with the cloth,

‘A bit.’

I know it hurts but let's have a sleep. We'll both

you tell me

course I will.’ She’s talking all funny. ‘What

about the train

lifts him into the bed then climbs in beside him. ‘Once upon a time, there was a little boy called

‘Mommy?’

better in the morning.’ She pulls him close,

*****

Is it time for breakfast?’ But she

‘Mommy?’

…

…

*****

I know you're

heaves, the bolts straining on their screws until, with

buzzing tide of bluebottles, he stares down at the small, filthy figure on

the contents scattered: wrappers licked clean, tins wiped, one trailing what looks like

has an open gash on one

is she?

tears trickling. ‘I don’t like Mommy any

that that supposed to

to me. I want her to tell me a story and she won’t. And

gapes then charges around the apartment. As he pushes the bedroom

closing the door behind him. ‘You stay

small, trembling, listening to the

marches in, reaching down to haul him up by the injured hand