Jekyll & Hyde: Mary's Story

Clouds overtook the blue sky on the cold winters eve, the day before Christmas. Kids and parents all over town bombarded each other trying to get their last minute Christmas gifts and wraps to give to one another Christmas day. Some were extremely fortunate, whilst some were not as fortunate. Just North of the little town called, Reillyville, a small cottage laid in the middle of nowhere, where everyone who lived inside of it could see outside the small window, and into the town of people who were fortunate enough to purchase presents and dinner packages for their loved ones, while the family in the cottage were less than poor. A little girl who went by the name Mary looked out the window with her hand rested on her chin, her eyes had circles under them from the lack of sleep she had been getting, and for a 12 year old girl, she needed all the sleep she could get. For someone of such a young age she was the only working one in the house hold, her mother had retired due to multiple strokes, and wasn't able to perform the simplest tasks like she once did, only just months ago. Her father was an abusive alcoholic who beat on Mary and her mother every drunken and sober chance he got. He wasn't exactly parent material, and as much as they wished they could have run from him, they stayed with him as he was the only one who had any source of income, social security checks came in weekly from an accident he had, when he chopped off his right hand a year ago. They said it was a work accident, but Mary and her mother knew better, he always had a way to mess things up for himself when he got drunk, and he was drunk more than he was sober, which made him a constant mess up.

As she looked out the window, she caught herself watching the snow fall onto the window pane, she let out a deep sigh and looked behind her, her mother was sitting on the couch knitting a sweater she had promised Mary as a Christmas present, it was the thought that count and Mary couldn't have been more grateful.

"Mum, where's father. Isn't he supposed to be home now? He's been gone all day." Mary stepped away from the window, away from what she wished her life looked like. She needed a break from her fantasy world and decided it was time to step back into reality.

"The less of that man the better, darling. Why must you pester over things that don't need questioning?"

"Sorry mother, you know he's the one who brings food here. My job only pays me once a month, that's not enough to survive, at least not for much longer."

"We'll manage sweetheart. The less he's around to hurt you, the better it is for me. I don't like to see my daughter suffer. So you won't suffer as long as I'm around."

"But you're suffering too, mum. He beats you like he beats me."
Mary's mother, Carrie, looked down at her unfinished knit sweater and let out a deep huff. She didn't care whether or not she was beaten, or killed. She wanted her daughter to be safe and out of harms way, it was the kind of behavior she had as a loving mother, and not someone who didn't care whether their husband beat their child, it was the opposite. She cared more than she knew she ever could.

"I have a better job opportunity for you. Something more up your alley." Carrie told her daughter, who grabbed a piece of bread out of the cupboard an began chewing softly around the crust, as it was her favorite part.

"What would I be doing, mum?" Mary seemed delighted. Her current job was working as a maid for her father's friend, which her father was often at. It was a never ending beating, between her own father and his friend, she had no way to get out of it. She was fast, but never that fast to where she could outrun two overweight men, or as it seemed, two overweight DRUNKEN men.

"You'll move away from here, far enough away to where your father cannot get to you anymore. You'll serve in a mansion just south from here, and only an hour away so I can visit you anytime, and of course I always will." Carrie seemed joyful, she took in her own joy and Mary's joy. It seemed at the time Mary was on board, that was until it was time to run Mary's background check to make sure she had enough experience to take on such a substantial position. It wasn't just the many chores and tasks she had to endure, but the master of the home had specific instructions on who would stay where and who would eat certain foods, and who would take care of him while he was ill. Mary had hopped she didn't have to meet him, so she could stay away from any unnecessary drama. She just wanted to clean, and be on her way.

"I'd have to live there with other people, adults? I'd be the youngest there? Is this a good idea, mother?" Mary seemed concerned than.

"This will be the best thing for you. You get paid good money, and at that time maybe your father will have drank so much it would drive him into a coma, than you can come back, and we can move into a place of our own where you wouldn't ever have to be scared again. Oh.. My sweet Mary, things are going to be looking up from here on out." ..

Maybe Carrie was right, maybe this was the perfect moment for Mary to make a good life for herself, a mansion she could live in, food to eat and a proper bed to sleep on, it made Mary smile to herself for a minute, before escalating back into reality when she heard harsh footsteps walking up to the front door.

"OPEN UP! OPEN THE BLASTED DOOR YOU WHORES!" Their father stood at the doorway, drunken and incoherent. He was the worst when he drank, which was 24/7. There were the occasional days where he was so hung over the thought of drinking made him even more ill, those were the only days he didn't beat on Mary or Carrie, because he'd be too busy sleeping in bed to care.
Mary quickly ran to the door and unlocked it, her father bursting through the door like a mad man, he was starving and angry, which only meant one thing, that if either Mary nor Carrie cooked dinner for the old drunk, that's when there'd be hell to pay.

Where's the food dammit! I've been busy all day and I come home and there's no food, why do you think there's such a thing as slaves, because their meant to serve their men!" He walked over to Mary, grabbing her by her night gown collar, inspecting her up and down, licking his lips viciously.
"You know you're a bad girl, Mary. You know what happens to bad girls? They get spanked over and over again, as hard as possible, with a firm hand." Mary's eyes watered, she knew sooner or later this would happen again. But this time Carrie stepped in, limping over to the man and pulling Mary away from his grip.

"You will never lay a finger on my baby again, do you understand those words coming out of my mouth? Take your drunk ass and go back out those doors and to whoevers house you want, but you won't come here and try to rape your own daughter!" Carrie threw Mary out the front door to run away, but Mary didn't want to run away, she knew if her or her mother talked back to him, there would be hell to pay. Mary knelt down by the window next to the front door and looked in, worried that he would hurt her mother worse than he ever did.

"Who do you think you are speaking to me like that, bitch?" He raised his hand and smacked Carrie right on her mouth, blood gushing like a bad rain storm. Mary sank to the gravel beneath her, her hands covering her face. She jolted each scream her mother cried out, some screams were telling Mary to run away so her father wouldn't come out and grab her, and that she wouldn't suffer the same fate as her beaten down mother. She couldn't bare to leave her in there alone to suffer, she wanted to suffer along with her mother, she loved her mother dearly and didn't want to see her in anymore pain.
she started to get up, wiping away the mucus from her nose, following with rubbing the tears off her face with her gown sleeve. She opened her eyes to see a tall man standing in front of her. He looked about 6 foot, dark hazel eyes, and wore a tuxedo and a top hat, he also carried a cane with him. Although the cane was more of a show instead of him actually needing it, for he never limped. He lifted Mary off the ground and back onto her feet, they both stood there staring at one another for a few moments, while still listening to Carrie's groaning from the brutal beating that seemed to never end.

"Why are you out here alone?" The man spoke just loud enough for Mary to hear, but barely. She looked him up at him with tears falling down her face, her cheeks were red, and so were her eyes. He took her cheek and rubbed it gently. He peaked inside her cottage, her father was getting tired and had to take a momentary break from beating up Mary's mother, as he jolted his head to see the man looking back at him.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU, GET AWAY FROM MY HOUSE FREAK." He shouted out, but his words didn't phase the mysterious man. He turned back to Mary and took her hand, attempting to walk away with her, but Mary pushed away and stood in her place, freaking out.

"Who are you, and where do you think you're taking me, I can't leave mum. He'll kill her!" Mary tried running back inside her house but the man grabbed her waist and pulled her away.

"Your mother instructed me this morning to come and get you and take you to my mansion, where you'll work for me and my servants. It's a simple job, do as you're told and there will be not a problem at all. Can you do that? Can you do it for your mother? She's a strong woman and can deal with this like strong women do." The man let go of her, and Mary looked back up at him, re-wiping the tears from her face, and not moving for a moment before finally making a choice.

"Okay, but as long as I can still see her I'll do it. Is that okay?" Mary folded her arms as the man smirked. He liked a strong young lady and agreed firmly.

"Let us go now, before your father notices your absence, if he hasn't already." The man took Mary's hand and gently guided her to a horse carriage. He lifted her up into the seats and sat next to her, not looking away from the little girl who was bruised and battered and had looked like she went through a slaughter house.. twice.
It was a long ride there, a little over an hour long, Mary had fell asleep in the man's lap, but not realizing it, he didn't seem to mind however, he caressed her long blonde hair smoothly and leaned his head back against the seat.
As soon as they arrived he woke her up and took her inside his home, she looked around in awe, shocked at some of the things and vintage objects she'd only seen in movies. There were older women walking around in lingerie and men in butler suites feeding the ladies one by one, she looked down at her gown and realized she was most certainly underdressed and expected to be getting a maids gown at any moment. But as the night grew and Mary grew more tired, the man took her upstairs and pointed to a small room at the end of the hall.

"Bed, sleep in it. Wake up at 6 A.M and come to my room a couple doors down, in the morning and we'll get you started. Welcome to your new life, Mary Reilly.

"Thanks sir." Her voice cracked as she made her way to her room, he watched her sadly as she disappeared behind the door, and walked away back downstairs to attend to the women he had left just earlier that day.