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!’

bolts, dashing for the bedroom. His mother snatches up the golf club,

‘Bitch!’

screams again,

while, the door

from under the bed,

slamming the bolts on the door, top and bottom, then rushes across. ‘It’s alright,

Sobbing, ‘You’re bleeding, Mommy…’

Sweetie. Don’t

face with the cloth, squeezing warm soapy water.

‘A bit.’

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

tell

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

the

upon a time, there was a

‘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

*****

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

‘Mommy?’

…

…

*****

well open up. I know you're in

the bolts straining on their screws until, with a crash, it bursts

in. ‘What the fuck?’ Fanning against a buzzing tide of bluebottles, he stares down

wrappers licked clean, tins wiped, one trailing what looks like

an open gash on one hand, swollen, the skin stretched shiny

is she?

little boy drops his head, tears trickling. ‘I

What the fuck’s that that supposed

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

charges around the apartment. As he pushes the bedroom door

pushes him into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. ‘You stay in there. Don't you fucking move from

listening to

door slams open and the man marches in, reaching down to haul him