The Affair

Chapter 26.3

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CONTENT WARNING:
Physical/Emotional Abuse - ⚠️🦝
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"Hmmm... I know! How about we play our favorite game?" the mother suggests as she holds Falcor just out of reach of Fallon's hand. "Remember all the fun we'd have when you were little? Well, littler."

Seeing the sheer amusement on her mother's face as she dangles Falcor in front of her was demoralizing. Fallon closes her eyes as she continues to sob, trying not to think back to the memories of her mother's cruel game and all of the painful consequences that would result from her losing. The mother knew her daughter had never won her game, which made the scared and panicked look on her face all the more pleasurable.

"Mom-m-muh-mee, please... I don't w-w-wanna p-play that game," Fallon sobs, wishing Amy would come running into the room and rescue Falcor, "Please, just give him back... I know I'm a worthless, retarded little girl... I know Amy isn't really my fr-friend. And I'm s-sorry for making you c-come all the way out here... I'm so sorry, mommy! I'm sorry for what I am! Just please give him back to me! I need him!"

As Fallon pleads for her mother's sympathy, the mother had once again pulled her flask from her purse and taken another drink. She softly grunts from the alcohol's sting and tosses the flask back into her purse before looking back to her daughter with a more playful demeanor.

"I'm sorry, were you saying something?" the mother snickers, acting as if she had not heard Fallon's pleas. "Anyway! You remember our rules of course? I say something, you say it back, without stuttering, and then you get your stupid toy back."

The mother's playful nature suddenly shifts to a scornful glare.

"I mean it, Micaela... If I hear just one fucking stutter, this piece of shit is coming with me and you will NEVER see it again," the mother adds. "Do you understand? Answer me, child!".

"Yes!" Fallon cries, desperate and willing to do anything to get Falcor back into her bed.

"Good..." the mother says with a grin, "Here, I'll even make it nice and easy for you. Repeat after me.... 'Please give me back my wolf, mommy'. See? Easy. Now it's your turn!"

Fallon closes her eyes and does her best to think back to her dream from the other night. Like an artist with a blank canvas, Fallon starts to paint the moment in her mind when her father was looking into her eyes, admiring her and telling her she was special. With the memory of her father now in the forefront of her thoughts, Fallon is able to draw some semblance of confidence from his advice.

"Slow down when you try to talk, okay? You don't ever have to be scared or nervous with me," Fallon repeats her father's words in her mind, "Be brave, Fallon."

"Please..." she begins.

Holding onto the vision of her father's loving smile, she takes steady breaths as she calmly thinks through her words.

"Give... Me... Back..."

"What did I ever do to deserve such a special baby girl?" his words echo in her head.

"My... Wolf... Mom..."

Fallon's eyes suddenly fall upon her mother. It was as if her mother knew all along that she would look her way and had therefore prepared herself with the worst possible condescending sneer to scare her. To Fallon's dismay, it worked, and she feels a cold tremble permeate throughout her body.

"Muh..."

Fallon closes her eyes but could no longer put herself in the comforting moment with her father in her childhood bedroom. She was in a cold hospital room with only her mother, and she was laughing at her.