Niall |DISCONTINUED|

3

"Mama?" Niall questioned as he ascended the staircase.

Thud
Thud
Thud

He called for her one more time. Niall met the last step and turned the corner that led to his bedroom. There Maura sat, occupying the bay window where she carelessly clashed with the wall, in repetition.

"Lord help my child. He has lost himself."

"Mama, stop." Niall said heading to her. "Mama stop!" He repeated when she ignored him. When he sat she put a halt to her heinous activity. "I don't want to upset you ." He said this with sincerity. Maura turned and stared him straight in the eyes.

"So, you're a man now." It came out like a question, but both Niall and Maura knew it to be a statement. Niall still nodded even still, biting his lip in trepidation.

"And god made Eve from the rib of Adam. Eve was weak, she made Adam weak. And the first sin was what?" She paused waiting for Niall who refused to answer. "The sin of intercourse." Niall mimed her towards the end. "And god visited Adam with a curse, and it was the curse of the wicked. Say it!" Maura commanded her son.

"I'm not going to say it mama, that's not even in the bible, it doesn't say that anywhere!" Niall said. He stood up from the bay window and looked at Maura, irritation and confusion marking his features.

"Oh lord, help this little boy. See the sin of his day and ways. Show him if he had remained innocent then the curse of the wicked would not have come upon him as it did Adam." Maura said, overpowering Niall's voice.

"Mama, I'm not Adam. I didn't sin." Niall said in an almost pleading tone. He clasped Maura's hands.

"You showered with those other boys, you had lust-filled thoughts." Maura insisted.

"Mama, everyone has to shower everyone. It's just the rules." Niall almost screeched.

"But you must be different, because he can see you." Niall pleaded that he did not want to be different, that he wanted to be like them. "He can smell the sin on you. And he will punish you." Maura grunted on a particular word as she effortlessly whacked Niall with a bible and sent him to the ground. "I will not let that come upon you. Lord have mercy." Maura closed her eyes and resumed her 'reasoning' with Christ.

"No. The Lord is good. His unfailing love endures forever, and his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalms 100, verse 5." Niall recited whilst on the floor and looking up.

Maura decided that she'd keep Niall away from school in order to avoid the religious turmoil that could manifest in that 'wretched, sin-filled place.'

"You can't." Niall said, heading down the stairs.

"We'll pray together to save our weak-sullied wicked sinning-souls." Maura decided, trailing behind Niall.

"You didn't tell me, and they laughed. I didn't sin, you did." Niall went out on the limb and accused Maura.

"I did not. I.. Did. Not. Sin." Maura said, descending a single step with every word or so. It was a serious line of absurdity to believe that she had sinned of all things. Maura's face scrunched up in disbelief and disgust. "Go to your closet." She said.

"N-no Mama." Niall backed up, shaking his head with a heavy mixture of fear and resistance shown on his features.

"Go to your closet and pray! You pray for forgiveness." Maura's eyes produced a slovenly and feral look. She lunged forth grabbing her son and forcing him at the closet. Niall tried his best to fend her off, but his terror lost to her strength. If he had been in touch with his senses Maura would have been an easy opponent to overthrow.

"No! No! Someone please, help! Get off of me Mama, stop it! Please help!" Niall screamed as Maura finally got him into the closet. No one would help him, no one could hear. No one could intervene.

"You pray little boy, you pray for forgiveness." Maura said, closing and locking the door.

Niall shouted in agony before producing actual words. "God you suck!" Niall shouted to Maura. He sat back and let out many breaths before finally noticing something.

A crack in the door.