School For Good And Evil Wedding

Malicious Memories

The musky wooden smell of whisky wafted through the air, as a shadow of a body was cast over the palm sized bed. Enclosed in the bed lay two people, a young boy and his mother. The body watched and he could swear he felt the breath exit his mothers lungs. The words on the book she held began to shake like a leaf in the wind. 

Glancing up the boy dared to look into the eyes of his tormentor. His father stood like a bear above him, surveying its prey.

The father saw in the boy the same eyes as his, and at this moment he lost himself to the pull of the drink he had so relied on to keep him sane.

'Boy, you disgust me. Come on Guinevere' He spat, his words like arrows piercing the boy sat quaking in the bed.

His father turned to leave, his shadow slipping of the bed behind him, trailing him as an ever present servant.

'No.' said a small timid voice from behind him. 

He stopped abruptly, his shoes squeaking as he did so. 

'What - did- you - say...' He asked, his words stilted and hard to get out.

'I said no' said Guinevere, rising out of the bed to stare him in the eyes. 'No Arthur.'

With this final word Arthur raised his palm, in rage. His hand red and shaking. He brought it down powerfully as if pulling a lever and the firm skin covering it collided with the soft baby life skin on Guinevere's cheek. 

It had all happened so fast the body didn't know what to do. He sprung to his mothers side, she was by now crouched, her arms covering her face. 

His father left swiftly leaving them behind all crumbled like dirt on the sole of his shoe.