FREE FLYING HEARTS -- A collection of short stories from Tonig73

~~~ Larry ~~~

Warning  --  Domestic Violence

"Daddy !  Daddy !!"  Larry ran from his room to get to his daughter, who was having a nightmare.  He hated her having to endure even one second.  He sat in front of her, pushing her long curls from her beautiful, but now flushed and sweaty face.

"Ssshhh, sshhh, I'm here sweetie.  I'm here Ember .... "  She reached for him, as he pulled her into his body, rocking her, kissing her hair, holding her tight.  Never letting go.  She was his world.  His daughter, the light in his life, his anchor, his rock, his reason. 

"Mommy hurt you ...."  she told him suddenly.  He stopped the rocking for a split second, eyes glaring a hole in the wall opposite, then carried on, not wanting her to realize just what that statement did to him.  So she wouldn't realize that anything was wrong.  He gulped forcibly before he spoke to her, forcing not only the lump, but the guilt back down his throat.  

"Ember, why would you think that ?"

"Mommy hurts you, I know she does."  

"Don't be silly, girls don't hurt boys .... "  Larry gulped down his pride now too, because girls didn't hurt boys, well, not physically.  Well, at least they shouldn't.  But it happened.  Boys shouldn't hurt girls either, but that happened too.  His more than wounded pride if anyone found out that his girlfriend beat him.  His guilt, because Ember knew.  She might only be 6 years old, but she wasn't stupid.  She didn't buy his sorry explanation only the other day, about the bruises on his arms.  He told her he fell, that being the only explanation he could come up with so quickly.   She hadn't bought his story about hurting his foot playing soccer either, as he limped around the house for a day or two.  She wasn't buying any of it, and now Larry's reality was giving his daughter nightmares.  It had to stop, and he was the only one that could stop it.  God knows how, but it had to stop.  For both their sake's.  

Larry couldn't even find it in himself to stop Reign from abusing him, whatever form that took.  She was a big, strong woman, and if she lashed out at him, he would try to stop her flailing limbs, but he still got caught somewhere.  A black eye, a welt across the face, scratches on his arms where he held her down.  But he would never strike back, never, not even in self defense.  And she relied on that every time.  

Her hands were strong too, as his balls could testify.  She had grabbed them so hard one night, fighting about what, he couldn't even remember, but Reign was incensed about something.  Again.  She grabbed them excrutiatingly hard, sending him to his knees, his mouth open in a silent cry, grabbing her wrists to stop her, to steady himself in her vise like grip.  She stooped down to his level, squeezing again, twisting, as he gripped her wrists harder, retching, trying not to throw up right there on the carpet in the middle of the living room.  As tears escaped his squeezed shut eyes, she smirked at him.

"Reign .... please ..... "  

"That's right, beg, little boy.  You worthless piece of shit,..... beg."  He had toppled over as she walked away from him, leaving him whimpering in a fetal position on the floor.  She grabbed Embers hand quickly as she appeared around the doorway, not having seen what had just transpired.  Reign was talking happily to her daughter, her demeanour having changed in a second, just like that.  

"What's daddy doing ?"  

"He's tired, he's taking a nap.  Shall we go get some ice cream ?" 

"But, daddy .... "  Ember looked back at Larry, now rocking back and forth gently, his hands between his legs, his crotch feeling as if it were on fire.  He knew his balls had to be bruised at the very least, and he would have to come up with another explanation for his daughter tomorrow as to why he couldn't walk properly, or why he was taking more painkillers, or why he was avoiding her mother.  Ember tried to get around her mother to reach him, but she forcibly picked the squirming girl up, hurrying her out the door.