Save Me From My Nightmare

A small gasp at the other side of the room caused my head to jerk around to see little Holly staring in horror as she took in the position I was in. Iain stepped back from me, allowing my spine to straighten out again as he crouched in front of the little girl. She looked fearfully at him, glancing up at me for support. I didn’t have a clue what to do. Noticing the huge pan on the oven; I grabbed it as quietly as I could and crept up behind him. Iain was grabbing Holly wrist, seething words in her face as her eyes filled with tears. Motioning a finger to my lips as if to tell her to be quiet, I slammed the pan down on his head as hard as I physically could. His body fell to the floor with a blunt thud.

Holly looked as if she were about to scream but I covered her mouth quickly, looking back at the body on the kitchen floor with fear. ‘Just stay quiet, okay? Don’t tell anyone what happened. He just collapsed, okay?’ I whispered, allowing my hand to slide from her mouth as we looked towards the body on the floor. Holly nodded quietly, wiping her eyes and rubbing her sore wrist gently. She scampered away to get some help as I hid the pan and pretended to be worried about Iain ‘collapsing’. As I was moving some hair from his eyes, trying my hardest to be worried, Matt came gushing in with a concerned look on his face as Zacky came in behind him.

‘I dunno what happened. One minute he was chatting and laughing, the next he was on the floor,’ I sobbed, standing up again as Matt scooped Iain’s lifeless body up into his arms. Zacky came over to me and wrapped me in his arms, allowing me to rest my head on his chest as his hands smoothed my back softly. The smell of his clothes was enough for me to forget the agony in my back with each time his hand moved along my flesh. I breathed deeply, intoxicating myself in the mingling scents of beer, tobacco and his natural smell that I wanted to lock into a bottle for the times when I couldn’t bear to get up in the morning. Fingers tangled in my hair, running through to the tips and moving back again to start the journey once more.

‘It’s alright, babe. Matt’s taken him up to bed so he should be fine in a couple of hours, I promise.’ The way his words were gentle against my skin made me fall deeper into his soul, gripping to the back of his shirt so he would never let go of me. Wishing he would never let go of me. A tender kiss pressed against my head, the sensation missed by my body and causing me to shiver at the softness. He was treating me like a priceless china doll, so fragile and caring as if I would crumble away if he were to let go of my body. ‘Thank you, Holly,’ Zacky murmured, finally allowing me to be set free from his arms as he bent down to kiss his daughter’s cheek.

I pretended to wipe my eyes, winking subtly at Holly who rested her head on her father’s shoulder as he picked her up. ‘I think we need some ice cream to soothe the shock, eh?’ Molly said, looking over at me with a soothing smile and grinning up at a nodding Holly. Zacky took my hand with his free arm, telling me to take it easy as he led me out to the garden once more. The sky overhead was dark, twinkling stars glimmering down on me as if they were applauding my heroic act. The ring around my wedding finger burned, feeling as if it were trying to bury itself beneath my skin forever to bind me to the evil that lurked upstairs.

Wrapping my cardigan tighter around my body, I tried my hardest to act like the worried fiancée though a glow of accomplishment still lingered in my stomach. It was so hard to shake. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I allowed my breathing to calm as my head lulled back against the post of the swinging chair. The moon glowered down on me from above, scorning me for my actions. But I ignored it. It felt too good having some power to allow it to slip away. I guess it’s time Keeley Darke fought back for once. Shuffling next to me caused me to sigh as I turned my head to see who’d disrupted my musing.

‘Auntie Keeley?’ Holly whispered; a bowl of ice cream clasped between her hands as she looked over at me with gentle green eyes. I nodded, propping my head up properly to view her better. ‘Why was Uncle Iain being nasty to you?’ The question caused my stomach to lurch. A lump formed in my throat and I gulped it down, trying to process some words that wouldn’t sound too scary in my mind. What was I supposed to tell a seven year old? Uncle Iain’s an alcoholic who abuses women and has chosen to make me his life long victim? Auntie Keeley was a naughty girl so Uncle Iain was telling me off? We were just messing around? None of them seemed to make any sense, even in my own mind.

‘Uncle Iain had just had a little bit too much to drink, I think, doll. So Auntie Keeley just put him to sleep so he wouldn’t hurt you, Auntie Keeley to the rescue, eh?’ I lied, ruffling her blonde hair gently as she giggled. ‘Where’s Penny? I missed her.’ A pout etched over Holly’s features as she looked down at the ice cream in the bowl. Something was wrong; I said something wrong again didn’t I? Fuck. She stirred the ice cream round and round the bowl, turning it to a yellowy liquid that glooped and sloshed against the sides of the bowl. Sliding it into her mouth like some kind of sweet medicine, she sighed and told me her mom took Penny with her so she wouldn’t forget her baby.

‘I know, let’s go girlie shopping tomorrow when Iain’s at work.’