~Hey besties, this chapter might be triggering to some of you so I just wanted to warn you beforehand. It describes physical abuse (without going into too much detail) so skip it if that might make you feel uncomfortable.
If you want to, I'll text you a summary of the chapter so you don't have to read it.
Him:
I check the watch that mommy gave me for my birthday. She said that now that I'm six, I am old enough to go to the park on my own, as long as I always return on time.
My house is only a few minutes away, but it's already 4:32pm and I was supposed to be home at 4:30pm so I have to run as fast as I can. Daddy doesn't like it when I'm late, even if it's just a few minutes.
I arrive home at 4:37pm. Clutching my chest as I try to steady my breathing. These shoes make me super fast, mommy says I'm the fastest kid in the neighborhood, I'm so excited to tell her that it only took me 5 minutes to run back from the park, she is going to be so impressed.
I have to duck down as soon as I walk inside. I'm very fast so I crouch in time to dodge whatever daddy has thrown at me. The sound of the object hitting the floor is very loud, I don't like it.
"Come here, Nicolás." Daddy says in a firm tone.
I look up and I see that he is holding a broken glass bottle. Daddy drinks a lot, sometimes he feels very angry when he drinks and that makes mommy worry and cry. I feel sad when mommy cries so I always follow daddy's orders.
"Hi, daddy." I greet him as I approach him.
"You are late."
"I know, I'm sorry." I tell him. "I was having a lot of fun at the park and I forgot to check the time. It will not..."
I have to stop talking when daddy puts his hand on my neck, it is very difficult to talk when he chokes me. I don't understand why he asks me questions without giving me enough time to answer.
"I don't want fucking excuses, Nicolás."
Daddy is frowning, I think he is angry. I try to grab his hand to push it away from my neck but he is very strong. He is even stronger than me, and mommy says that I am the strongest kid in the neighborhood, mommy never lies.
Daddy is squeezing very hard, sometimes he does it so hard that I fall asleep for a few minutes. I don't like it because my head hurts when I wake up and because mommy says that daddy can touch me when I'm sleeping. I don't like it when he touches me.
Daddy must love me a lot though, because he lets go of my neck as soon as I see the little black dots on my eyes. My ears play the ringing music for a bit so I can't hear daddy very well.
"Get up." He says, and I realize that I'm sitting on the floor now so I stand up.
"Good boy, now turn around."
"Yes, daddy."
"If you move, mommy will cry."
Daddy knows that I don't like it when mommy cries so he always lets me choose to make her happy or make her cry. I love mommy, so I will not move.
"Take off your shirt." Daddy says.
I don't take it off because to do that I would have to move and if I move mommy will cry. I have learned that daddy likes to take off my shirt anyway, so he will be happy if I don't move.
I feel his arms on my waist as he slowly pulls my shirt up. I like this shirt very much so I hope it doesn't get dirty.
Daddy must love me a lot because instead of throwing my shirt on the floor, he uses it to tie my wrists together so that I won't lose it.
"Get down." He says.
This time I obey, I know that when he tells me to get down it means that he wants me to kneel on the floor. If I don't obey he will push me, I don't like it when daddy pushes me.
"Remember, Nicolás. If you move now, mommy will cry." He reminds me.
I feel something very cold against my back and for a second I think about turning around, but I don't want mommy to be sad. Daddy presses it against my skin until the stinging feeling comes.
I don't like the stinging feeling because it hurts me a lot and then blood comes out and I don't like that either. I hope my shirt doesn't get dirty, it is my favorite.
I stay still while daddy makes a drawing on my back, I hope it's a pretty picture. I can never see daddy's drawings because mommy took down all the mirrors and my eyes can't reach my back yet.
"Does it hurt, Nicolás?"
I never know what to reply when daddy asks that question. He likes it when I say yes, but mommy likes it when I say no. I am alone with daddy so I will say yes today.
"Yes, daddy. It hurts." I reply.
"Does it hurt to be late, Nicolás?"
"Yes, daddy. Being late hurts a lot." I repeat, because it does.
"Good boy."
Daddy is very happy now, he stops drawing on my back and I hear him sitting down on his couch. Daddy has a couch that's only for him, sometimes I sit on it when he is not home because it smells like daddy and it makes me feel like he is hugging me.
"Nico?" Maya calls out for me, but her voice sounds so far away.
"Daddy can I move now?" I always ask this before I get up, daddy doesn't like it when I make my own choices.
"No. You're going to stay there until the blood dries." He says.
I stay where I am, the floor is very cold but daddy made me bleed a lot so now the blood is warming up my back. Daddy loves me very much.
After counting to 729 I hear daddy snoring so that means I can let myself cry now because he won't hear me. Daddy loves me a lot so he doesn't like it when I cry.
I count to three and then I let the tears fall down my face. Slowly at first, but then they speed up. I don't like crying because it makes my nose runny and then I can't breathe.
"Nico, what the fuck, are you okay?" I hear Maya's voice again, this time it sounds closer.
I wipe away my tears after 482 seconds and then I get up. I almost trip on my way to the bathroom, my head feels very funny and my eyes are not working very well. Sometimes daddy makes me bleed a lot and it makes me feel bad.
"Daddy is a good teacher." I tell myself as I enter the bathroom. "I have learned to never be late again."
"Nico!" Maya's voice sounds even closer, but I can't quite reach it yet. "Nico! Shit... what the..."
I feel like someone's shaking my body and it finally pulls me out of the flashback. I'm reminded of the fact that I'm still standing in my bedroom, and that Maya is there too.
It takes me a few seconds to process everything. I feel tears on my face and my breathing is uncomfortably heavy. Maya is looking at me with fear and confusion.
Shit fucking dammit.
~Hey besties, this one was kinda intense but I promise it's all for the plot. I love you all. See you soon <3
