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!’

His mother

‘Bitch!’

screams again, and

a while, the door

under the bed,

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

Sobbing, ‘You’re bleeding, Mommy…’

nothing, Sweetie.

with the cloth, squeezing

‘A bit.’

but let's have a sleep. We'll both feel better

you tell me

will.’ She’s talking all funny.

about the train to the

in beside him. ‘Once upon a time, there was a little boy called

‘Mommy?’

in the morning.’ She pulls him close, humming as she strokes his hair. After a while, she stops humming and her hand falls

*****

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

‘Mommy?’

*****

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

the bolts straining on their screws until, with a

Fanning against a buzzing tide of bluebottles, he stares

kitchen bin lies across the tiles, the contents scattered: wrappers licked clean, tins wiped,

open gash on one

she? Where's your

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

What the fuck’s that that

She won't wake up and talk to me. I want her to tell me a story and she won’t. And

apartment. As he pushes the bedroom door

boy and pushes him into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. ‘You stay in there.

to the clatter and the cursing from beyond

to haul him up by the injured hand

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255