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 golf club, then

‘Bitch!’

again, and

while, the door

from under the bed,

slamming the bolts on the door, top and bottom, then rushes across. ‘It’s alright, Lamb. He’s gone now.’ Crouching down, she rocks him

Sobbing, ‘You’re bleeding, Mommy…’

Sweetie.

the cloth, squeezing warm soapy

‘A bit.’

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

tell me

will.’ She’s talking all

the train to

lifts him into the bed then climbs in beside him. ‘Once upon a time, there was a little boy called Larry....’ She speaks slowly, her voice going

‘Mommy?’

just a bit tired, Sweetie. I'm going to go to sleep now. You sleep too. It’ll be better in the morning.’ She pulls

*****

I'm hungry. Is it time for breakfast?’ But she doesn't answer,

‘Mommy?’

…

…

*****

open up. I know you're in there. Your car’s at the front. Open the

minute the door bangs again, heaves; bangs and heaves, the bolts straining on their screws until, with

tide of

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

small boy has an open gash on one hand, swollen,

is she? Where's your

little boy drops his head, tears trickling. ‘I don’t

What the fuck’s that that supposed

me. I want her to tell

he pushes the bedroom door open, clouds of flies swarm up

turns, grabs the little boy and pushes him into the bathroom, closing

to the

the man marches in, reaching down to