Tooth and Claw

Punishment

*warning. Contains disturbing elements*

Charlotte stood in the kitchen opposite her father Barry, who stood at the other end of the kitchen table. He was brandishing a fist, and looking angry.
"Do you have an explanation? I have just got off the phone from your headmaster. He wants to know why you were not in your last lesson today, and why you were acting perculiar all day, and he's not the only one asking these questions. Where were you?" He asked.
"I wasn't feeling well, so I came home" Charlotte answered nervously.
"Ha. A likely story. You were probably off skiving with your friends, or a boyfriend weren't you" replied Barry.

"I wasn't. I don't have a boyfriend, and my friends were all in class. I wasn't with anyone, I swear" trembled Charlotte.
"Look at the state of you Charles. You're a mess. Bags under your eyes, tatty hair. What's wrong with you. You are supposed to cover all that up with make-up. You are meant to more careful" snapped Barry.
"I'm sorry"
"Oh, well I guess that makes it all right then, does it?".
Barry marched around the table and grabbed hold of Charlotte's hair.
"Sorry doesn't mean much young lady. Do you want to get taken away by the social? Grow up in a care home, is that what you want?" He shouted.

"No. I'm sorry. I will try harder in the future" insisted Charlotte.
"You had better. I don't want anyone from your school butting their nose in, where it's not wanted. Do you understand?" Barry questioned.
"Yes"
"Yes? Yes what?"
"Yes. I will try harder in future, and I won't skip a lesson ever again, I promise".
Barry released Charlotte's hair from his fist, and she stepped away from him.
"Good. That's want I wanted to hear" he said.

Barry made is way over to Charlotte and pushed her up against the fridge. He stroked her cheek gently and his hand made its way down to her neck.
"No one can say that I'm not a good a father. I'm just doing what is best for my family" he continued.
Charlotte lifted her head to the ceiling to avoid looking at his face.
"Bad children have to be punished, it corrects their behaviour, stops them doing bad things. And teaches them right from wrong. Your mother never had the strength to correct you when you were small, so I have to do it now instead... You look like her you know, as you grow up you turn more and more into a copy of her" said Barry as he corressed Charlotte's arm.
"If I don't punish you, you will do it again, and we can't have that" he continued.
"Please don't. I will be good" begged Charlotte.
"I'm doing this for your benefit my dear. I want to help you" replied her father.

Charlotte ducked down and began to run out of the room, towards the stairs.
"Get back here you insolent girl!" shouted Barry as he began to follow her.
Charlotte looked behind her, to see how far away he was. She had just reached the top stair, and her father was already half way up.
Charlotte ran into her room and slammed the door shut behind her.
She dived under her bed, at the same time as her bedroom door swung open, crashing against the wall.
Barry bent down and grabbed Charlotte's ankle's, pulling her out from underneath her bed.

She screamed and tried to hold onto one of the legs of the bed, with her left hand.
But he was stronger. He yanked her hard, her grip on the bed became loose, and she was forced to let go.
Barry flipped her onto her back and began pulling her trousers off. He bent down to the ground, and kicked her bedroom door shut with his foot.
Charlotte turned her head so that she could see the photo of her mother, beside her bed, and she stared at it, as her father punished her. Not caring about her newly broken arm, which still caused her great pain. Tears ran down her face, but she made no sound. His hands moved all the way around her body, touching her most private places, and fondeling them for his own enjoyment.

When it was done, Barry left the room. Leaving Charlotte curled up in a ball, half naked. She lay there for ages, without moving a muscle, afraid he would come back.
When Charlotte eventually decided to get up, she made her way to the window, looking out at the dark world. She was suprised to see a car turning into her driveway, as they rarely had visiters.
A man got out of the car and was greeted by Barry, but Charlotte couldn't hear what they was saying.
She pulled her pajama bottoms on, placed her mobile phone into her bra, where she knew it would be safe, and made her way to the landing. So that she could hear what the two men were up to.

Charlotte thought she recognised the voice, and when the man walked into the house she knew him immediately. It was Mr Kent, her history teacher.
"I still don't know what you're doing here" said Barry, folding his arms.
"I've already told you Mr Thomas. I'm here to check on your daughter Charlotte, and find out why she skipped her final class today" answered Mr Kent.
"Well you've had a wasted trip. She's asleep" replied Barry.
"No I'm not" said Charlotte as she made her way downstairs, recieving a glare from her father.

"Charlotte, there you are. You definitely don't look well. Is that why you left school early?" Asked Mr Kent.
"Yes sir" replied Charlotte weakly.
"Then why didn't you inform the school nurse, that you were feeling ill?"
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to get home. I didn't see the point of going to her and waiting to be picked up by my dad. It would've taken too long"
"I see. Well in future, could you tell someone, before leaving the school grounds"
"I will sir".
Mr Kent nodded. "Well it seems that my work here is done, I will see you-Wait a moment. What is that on your neck Charlotte?".

Charlotte raised her hand to her neck and felt a spot of blood. Her father must have scratched her neck with his sharp nails, while he punished her.
"It's just a scratch" said Charlotte.
"I can see that it's a scratch. But from what? You don't have any pets as far as I remember"
"She got it from a dog on the way home. But I rung the hospital and they said it wasn't serious" interupted Barry.
Mr Kent looked at Barry, and then to Charlotte, who was now staring at the floor.
"I see. Well in my personal opinion-" started Mr Kent.
"Well no one asked you for your opinion, did they? Now if you don't mind, I would like you to leave. So that I can continue looking after my sick daughter" Barry interupted.
"Of course sir. Thank you for your time. I won't expect you in school Charlotte, until you are better. Good night Charlotte, Mr Thomas" replied Mr Kent.

Barry turned his back to Charlotte, and began to show Mr Kent the way out. While she thought her father wasn't looking, she mouthed 'help' to her teacher. Unfortunately, he didn't see her, but her father did.
Once Mr Kent had gone, her father turned on her.
He chased her into the kitchen, yelling at her, for daring to cross him.
Barry punched Charlotte in the face, causing her to fall and hit the corner of her head on the kitchen table. She hit the floor and fell unconscious.
Unable to move, or fight back, Barry kicked her and hit her, losing himself in the moment. While Charlotte, lay still on the floor.