Pain

Narrator:
The girls had curled up in front of their fireplace together with Maddy, stroking her head as she slowly fell asleep in the warmth of the fire, and the safety of her mother's arms. The girls kissed Maddy's head as they rose. "I can't do anything about this Illusion," Rose said quietly, "he's going to find a way to divorce us, and we can't do anything about it. I'm so sorry." She looked at the ground, and sniffled. Illusion tilted her chin up.

"Don't worry honey. We'll find a way out of this. I promise." She rubbed Rose's growing belly. "Only two more months sweetie. Then we'll have another beautiful baby." She smiled as Rose grabbed her hand.

"I don't want to be away from you Illusion. I would die without you." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she bent her head down into her stomach and started to sob quietly. Illusion bent over and hugged Rose tightly.

"It's okay. I'll protect you."

Then, there was a soft knock on the back door. Their heads looked up as Maddy woke up and started crying. Illusion looked down. "I'll get the door."

"No, it's okay. Take care of Madeleine. I'll go get it." She got up slowly and headed to the door. She opened it, and there stood her father's whore. "What are you doing here?"

The woman looked at the ground. "I'm Eliza. Your father picked me up at the mall, and forced me to marry him. He's raped me, causing the three children that we have together to be born. They aren't very good, as they all take after your father, seeing as they are all boys. I just wanted to help you."

Rose looked at her stomach, and rested her hands on it. "I'm really sorry about the thing I said to you when you came with him. I didn't know, and I was just angry. It could just be these damn pregnancy hormones." She half smiled at Eliza, and she smiled back.

"May I come in?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, yes. Of course. Sorry I didn't ask a bit earlier. Just had to sort everything out. Sorry if Maddy's crying a lot. She was sleeping."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I know it's late, but your father's out drinking, so I thought it would be the best time to come."

"Oh. Well, tell me a bit about everything that's going on."

"Okay. Well, your father is 30 years older than I am. I'm 26. I had twins when I was 19, and 21 when I had the next child. He abuses me more than them. He yells at them, but never hits them. It's me that gets the bruises, but I'd rather be me than them. See?"

She pulls off her shirt, exposing her stomach, which is covered with bruises, and her arms, red and swollen. Rose covers her mouth in shock. She closed her eyes, then brushed away the tears. "I'm so sorry Eliza. Why don't you just divorce him?"

She sighed quietly. "He's threatened if I ever divorce him, he's taking the kids, and they will be getting all of his abuse. The verbal and physical ones. I can't leave them alone like that, with the twins, Alan and Connor, only 7, and Leo only 5."

Rose shook her head. "He's a monster."

"But, I came to let you know. He's said that if you don't divorce Illusion, he's going to wait to take your new baby and Maddy. I don't want him hurting them, just like he is to us."

Rose grabbed Eliza's hands, and held them tight.

"Run with us."