The Dead Among Us

6. The lighter

Sabin's POV

    I had checked multiple times, but my lighter was undoubtedly not in my pocket. When I arrived home, Benji went out of her way to hug and pull on me. At first, I just brushed it off as one of her loving moments. But now, discovering my lighter miraculously in my coat, I realize that she was slipping it back using the hug as a distraction. 

    Typical Benji, trying to avoid the consequences of her actions, flies down the stairs when I confront her. I think she forgets there's nowhere to hide in this house, and she knows better than to run out in the street.

    I chase after her, leaping over two to three steps at a time. My hand grazes her shirt as we hit the bottom floor, but the fabric slips through my fingers.

    "You're making this worse for yourself!" I holler out, pursuing her into the kitchen. She dives under the table, reappears on the other side, and then takes off to the living room, jumping on top of the couches to try and escape.

    God, if Papi were here, he'd kill her for that.

    "Benji, stop!" I yell, reaching the other side and taking hold of her arm. She deadweight and flops to the ground, kicking and screaming like a toddler, and I'm really losing my patience.

    Kenji, the poor dude, is sitting there with his hands clasped over his ears.

    As I bend to pick Benji up, one of her rogue feet strikes me squarely in the face. 

Startled, I stagger backward and clutch my nose, which is now dripping and pooling blood into my palm.

    Now she's really gonna get it!

    Before I can react, Benji screams at the top of her lungs, "No! No! Let me go!"

    I look up at the woman from the woods. What was her name again? Fa something. She has Benji by the arm and is looking at me with concern.

    "You good?" she asks, all while wrestling with Benji, who's pulling out all the stops to free herself and somehow hasn't broken free.

    I nod and throw my head back, squeezing the bridge of my nose to stem the bleeding. I make my way to the kitchen and quickly grab a rag to tend to my nose and the trusty wooden spoon to handle Benji. As the sound of clattering utensils reaches her ears, her panic escalates.

    "Let me go, bitch!" she curses at Fa.

    She knows better than to use that language. Even Kenji looks at her with horror, who's usually always the one to defend her.

    I've heard and seen enough she's in for a good spanking.

    I round the table, drop my bloody rag on the floor, and snatch Benji tightly by the forearm as I steer for the couch. I plop myself down, pull her across my lap, and land ten to fifteen hard spanks over her leggings with the spoon. Honestly, I ain't keeping track of how many.

    She's already crying, screaming, and kicking her feet but not fighting to get off me. She knows that won't work and will only earn her penalty smacks.

    When I stop, she lies there gripping my jeans and crying; I can tell she's embarrassed because I did it in front of Fa. She is burying her face into the cushion.

    Grabbing her shoulders, I stand her up in front of me, taking hold of her hands.

    She's avoiding my gaze, looking down with crocodile tears spilling down her cheeks and landing on the floor.

    "That was for running, kicking me, and saying the B-word," I scold, piercing her with the most severe face I can muster; it's not hard, considering I'm livid right now.