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,

the door slams. It goes

under

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. Don’t

the cloth, squeezing warm soapy water. ‘Is

‘A bit.’

have a sleep. We'll both feel better

tell me

She’s talking all funny. ‘What story

one about the train to

him. ‘Once upon a time, there was a little boy called Larry....’ She speaks slowly, her voice

‘Mommy?’

in the morning.’ She pulls

*****

Is it time for breakfast?’ But she doesn't answer, doesn't open

‘Mommy?’

…

…

*****

door bangs. ‘Fucking well open up. I know you're in there. Your car’s

bangs and heaves, the bolts straining on their

buzzing tide of bluebottles,

the contents scattered: wrappers licked

boy has an open gash on one hand, swollen, the skin

is she? Where's your

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

fuck’s that that

and talk to me. I want her to tell me a

he pushes the bedroom door open,

little boy and pushes him into the bathroom, closing

hunching small, trembling, listening to the clatter and the

man marches in, reaching down to