A Writers Challenge II Story: "Beauty may be only skin deep, but evil goes all the way to the bone..."
Correcting the child was impossible, as Diana's father found out. A gently spoken no could earn you instant laryngitis. The one occasion Daddy had forgotten and slapped her for getting too close to an electrical socket, he'd spent fourteen weeks in a cast with a shattered hand. As she got older, the tension between Daddy and Mommy became unbearable.
Beth remembered clearly the night he had tried to leave. There was a hysterical fight between the two of them, over Diana of course, and he had retreated upstairs to pack a bag. Diana sat in the middle of the living room floor, not quite sure what was going on, but clearly upset. Mommy had no compulsion to comfort her however. In fact, she was more scared of Diana's reaction to Daddy leaving. Frightened of what she would do when she figured it out.
Daddy solved that little mystery when he came back down, bag in hand. The rage hadn't left his face yet and it exploded again when he saw the apprehensive look on his wife's face. When it occurred to him that the look wasn't for him, but for Diana, he whirled to face the child looking up at him from the carpet. "This is your fault. You're a little monster, can't be satisfied with anything unless it revolves around you."
Noticing the slow darkening of her daughter's face, Beth made a restless motion and tried to interrupt. "No," he lashed out. "The freak's gotta know she can't do this to people." He turned to face the child fully, "We're not things you can push around like pieces on a chess board. Someone should smack some sense into you, teach you to stop hurting people. Thank God no one knows you exist. I'd be embarrassed to admit you're something that came from me."
Diana snapped and so did Daddy's neck. Beth barely remembered watching in disbelief as her husband's body crumpled to the floor like a used tissue. He twitched several times and lay still. Diana went back to playing with the few toys in front of her while Mommy started screaming hysterically. Then blackness descended into Beth's mind and the world was again quiet.
She woke to the sterile, pale green walls of a hospital room, a nurse checking her blood pressure. "Good Morning, honey. How are you feeling?" Beth mumbled that she was fine, where was her daughter.
"Oh, the sweetie's in the nursery with some of the other children. Nothing to worry about, you just get your feet under you again and you both can head home." There was no mention of her husband. Beth wondered what had been done with him. The nurse gave her arm one final pat and walked away. She rolled over on her side, away from the door and started to cry, softly. The sound of footsteps behind her caused a hiccup to settle in, a tissue was handed over her shoulder. She managed to choke out a thank you and rolled to face the owner of the footsteps.
A middle-aged man stood next to the bed. Without even acknowledging the badge hanging from his belt, she knew what he was there for. "Mrs. Bella? I was hoping to get a statement from you concerning your husband's accident on the stairs. Can you talk for a minute?"
Beth nodded, wiping her nose. Accident on the stairs? Is that what they're going to call it? She supposed she could accept that, rather than answer all the nasty accusations and bizarre stares that would go along with the truth. She gave him a slightly falsified version of the fight, fudging what she could and glossing over what the detective wanted to hear. A simple accident of tripping and falling down the stairs; she hadn't actually seen it. Had passed out when she saw what had happened to him. The detective seemed satisfied and left with a smile.
Beth got dressed and washed her face thoroughly before trying to find the nurse's station. She mumbled her request for her daughter. The nurse told her to wait at the desk and she'd go fetch Diana for Beth. Anxious to leave the confines of the benign smiles and semi-invasive looks, she trundled Diana down to a pay phone and called a cab.
The arrangements for the funeral were quick and rational, her husband's life insurance policy covered most everything and the rest was quickly drawn from their joint savings account. Diana stood quietly at her Daddy's graveside, carefully dressed in a plain black dress. If anyone thought it strange that Beth wouldn't hold her daughter's hand, at this of all times, nothing was said. There were no refreshments. Beth just wanted to be alone.
Diana's fourth birthday came and went with a single present from a compassionate neighbor, a small calico kitten. She had grown into a beautiful child. Pale complexioned with bright blue eyes framed in black curls. The eyes always seemed to have a startled, innocent look in them.
She was watching the morning sun reach for the clouds just beyond it's rays. They played, each trying to catch the other. She sighed, her breath fogging the glass and turned to pick up the kitten. She cuddled it against her, stroking it's head as it mewled up at her. She smiled as it struggled to get down and held it tighter to her.
The kitten squealed and began to struggle harder. Diana's eyes went flat suddenly and her smile vanished. She held the kitten out at arm's length, her tiny fingers tightening steadily around the kitten's middle as it spit and clawed at the delicate flesh. Diana gave a quiet giggle as the kitten's eyes bulged in their sockets, the blood oozing from several deep slashes on the backs of her hands. As her hands tightened even more, several popping sounds ricocheted in the room, the kitten's ribs giving out.
Diana's mother came rushing into the room, noticing that it was suddenly too quiet and screamed. She pleaded with Diana to drop the poor creature, trying to reach for the furry body, but all it earned her was a blood chilling glare. The little grip didn't decrease until the mind knew the kitten was dead.
Her interest lost in the matted fur in her hands, Diana let the little thing drop to the floor in a wet plop. She smiled up at her mother, who stood and stared at Diana in sickened horror. "I think it likes me," she said in a sweet voice, turned on a patented-leather heel and left.
Beth Reynolds knelt next to the tiny corpse with a sob. But no tears would come, she'd forgotten how to cry. She headed for the kitchen, tired and heart-sore. The bottom cupboards yielded up a garbage bag and a spray canister that promised to remove any stain in a carpet. Back in the corner was a tiny box of MouseRid. Her hand shaking, she reached for it, bringing it closer to the front of the cupboard, but not removing it from its hiding place. She went to clean up the kitten.
Beth called her daughter to dinner, setting the plates on the table. The bright face appeared from the den only seconds later and appraised the offerings. "Mmmm, macaroni and cheese! My favorite." Mommy feigned a smile and sat down to her salad. Halfway through her third hot-dog, Diana started to show signs of being tired. "Mommy, I don't feel good." Beth suggested she go lay down in the living room until she finished the dishes.
Beth scrubbed Diana's plate with a vengeance that turned her hands red, but she couldn't risk anyone finding out. Diana whimpered in the other room and then there was quiet. Beth paused, listening. Was it over already? Was that all there was to it? She turned off the scalding water and put the plate down in the sink.
Cautiously, she made her way through the dining room and stood on the threshold of the living room, peering at the tiny form sprawled out on the couch. She wasn't moving, and as far as Beth could see, she wasn't breathing. Beth made her way to Diana's side and knelt next to the still form. She pushed the dark curls away from her daughter's angelic face, "Goodnight Diana." A large lump was forming in the back of her throat, but she wasn't ready for the tears yet. She picked her daughter's body off the couch and carried her upstairs.
She lay Diana in the child's bed and sat on the floor, rocking herself and let the tears come. Relief. It was over, it was finally over. After a while, Beth wasn't sure how long, she pulled herself from the sitting position and went to take a shower. The hot water washed the last remaining threads of tension from her body. Then she lay down for the first good night's sleep she'd had since the baby was born.
Sometime after three, a pair of tiny feet padded their way down the hall and through the doorway to Mommy's room. She hurt in her tummy. It was Mommy's fault, she remembered that the macaroni and cheese had tasted funny. Mommy was asleep. She giggled, Mommy snored. She'd never heard Mommy snore. But laughing made her tummy hurt again, though it was beginning to go away. She walked over to stand next to her Mother's sleeping form and stood there staring at her.
Mommy made a restless motion and her eyes opened. For a second, she looked like the kitten had this morning. Annoyed and frightened at the same time. It bothered Diana that Mommy could look like that. She was making a strange gurgling noise that sounded like water going down the bathtub. She was impatient and Mommy was making her 'upset.'
"Mommy, why did you make me eat that yucky stuff? It makes my tummy hurt. Why did you hurt me Mommy?" Diana's voice tried to be appealing and scolding at the same time. Mommy cringed, very slowly creeping backwards on the bed. "It hurts, Mommy, " Diana accused.
The pain was fire exploding in Beth's stomach. There wasn't even time to breath. Someone had grabbed hold of every vital organ and was very slowly twisting them into a knot. Turning her face to the mattress, she vomited forcefully. Blood mixed with the contents of her stomach and she struggled for the air to scream. Her throat closed and the blossom of agony in her intestines caused colored bits of light to dance in front of her eyes. Diana's face was just a blur.
"Don't ever hurt me anymore, Mommy."
Beth stopped fighting; letting the cold nipping at her toes encompass her mind and blot out the anguished sound of her daughter's voice.
Diana looked at Mommy, laying there in the puddle of smelly stuff that had come from her tummy. There wasn't any of that yucky stuff in Mommy's tummy. Mommy's eyes were open, but she wasn't doing anything. Just laying there. Diana went to get her shoes and wash her face. She wasn't supposed to go out of the house by herself, but Mommy would understand.
The nice lady next door with the white hair gave her the kitten. Maybe she could help with Mommy. Diana calmly climbed the stone stairs, waiting patiently until the white-haired lady opened the door. She was wearing a bathrobe and looked like she had been sleeping.
Diana squeezed some tears from the corners of her eyes, "Daddy went away and now Mommy won't wake up. Can you wake her up, please?" The tears were worth the look on the lady's face and she picked Diana up to hug her.
Diana could see the kittens from her vantage point, over the lady's shoulder. They were cute. Maybe they would play with her.
Bio:Shalane is currently working on several new projects (aren't we all) and is also trying her hand at her first Sci-Fi genre story. Any tips or encouragement in this department is sincerely needed and appreciated...
E-mail: penchant_shalane25@yahoo.com
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