Fly High | ✅

11 | Sleep tight, my baby boy

◈A D R I A N◈

"Stop! Stop! Please...please. I beg you," my voice cracked, my throat felt like the Gobi desert.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The metal cupboard rattled, the noise echoed inside sending sharp poundings in my head. I desperately clutched at my ears trying to mute the deafening sound.

"Why?! WHY ME?! How dare he call me a whore?!! HOW DARE HE!!"

Mommy continued raining blows after blows against the cupboard, the metal cleaver sent buzzing vibration across the metal sheet. Metal against metal.

I curled myself tighter against my body, my knees bent closer to my chest as I tried to make myself as small as possible. As far away from reality as possible. Fresh tears dampened my cheeks, a few drops hanging precariously low off my lashes before splashing onto the naked skin of my bruised knees causing them to sting lightly from the salty fluid.

✴

I don't understand. I was good. I was good today. I didn't spill any food or make the bathroom's floor wet when I showered. I didn't play with the stray tabby cat who sat by the window every evening.

But mommy was upset. She smelled funny, a flowery scent tinged with sourness when she pushed open the door. Her face was messy and she had raccoon eyes. Hahaha. I chuckled softly at her funny face.

Smack!

My hand cradled my red cheeks at the impact, tears threatening to spill.

"You think it's funny?! Huh? Am I a joke to you? Who do you think you are?" her lips pursed as she took a few steps towards me, her shadow casted over me. Instinctively, I took a few steps backwards, shaking my head furiously.

"No, m-mommy. N-no," I choked out, unable to keep my tears at bay anymore. My legs could no longer hold me up as I crashed to the floor, the rug softened the impact.

Her heels slowly came into view as I slowly raised my head to face her. I wished I hadn't. Mommy looked terrifying. Her eyes were red like the demon figurine I saw from the window of a toy shop across the street. That crimson tulle skirt she's wearing fluttered like a train of fire. She crouched low and stared at me, anger was evident in her expression.

"Naughty boys never learn," she seethed.

Her hand reached forward and grabbed at my collar, dragging me across the living room until she stopped in front of a metal cupboard.

No. Not this.

I whimpered and clutched onto her legs as she jerked the doors open. Her grip tightened as she pulled roughly at my collar, choking me and scratching my neck in the process.

"Please..p-please mommy. I'll be good. I promise. Please..." I sobbed, pleading her to spare me. She ignored me, doubling her efforts to push me into the lower compartment before shutting the doors. The latch slid into place, sealing my fate.

I scratched and banged on the door for a few minutes before realizing my mistakes. Whatever noise I made sounded tenfold worse with me trapped in the confined space. I just cried helplessly while I heard crashes and wild shrieks outside.

"Mommy...mommy let me out. I'll be good. Please. Let me out," I begged and pleaded, squinting at the sliver of gap between the two doors. A flurry of red dashed past the cupboard and I heard a clunk from the kitchen.

Seconds later, she stopped before me, only two leaves of door separating us, protecting me from her.

"You? A good boy?" she scoffed.

Her red eyes blinked back at me through the gap all of a sudden. The smudged eyeliner rimmed her eyes, making the red orbs to glow even more fiery. Taken aback, I scrambled away and pressed my back against the rusty metal.

"I think not," she breathed out.

Like a spring wound too tight finally relieved from pressure, she let out a bloodcurdling scream and I saw a flash of silver as the light bounced off the surface before metal hit metal.

I blanched at her display of fury, my ears ringing from the clanging when the metal clashed with each other.

"You! It's all because of you! I should have aborted you before you were born. Why did your blasted of a father gets to leave scot-free while I'm trapped with you?!" she ranted as her hands palmed at each side of the cupboard and gave a violent shake. My wailing intensified and so were her screams.

"If it wasn't for you, that fat prick would have proposed and I would be living in a villa now. Not in this dingy apartment that smelled like old fart! All. Because. Of. You!" she punctuated each word with a clang, the cleaver coming down at high speed, denting the edges of the cupboard.

I panted breathlessly, the air was wearing thin from my anxiety. The chaos continued beyond the doors as mommy ranted and cussed, causing me to flinch occasionally when she mentioned my name. Wiping down the sweat rolling down my neck, I laid my head against the metal, feeling lethargic but I needed to stay awake. I needed to be on my toes, at least until the storm had passed.

The clanging stopped after awhile. Mommy dropped the cleaver and the sharp edge chipped the wooden floorboards.

Like a passing tornado, she let out an unsteady breath and slid to the floor, leaning against the cupboard on her sides before pressing her lips against the cool metal.

"Sleep tight, my baby boy," Mommy crooned, her sweet words chilled me to the bone.

✈

Author's notes

Here's another chapter for you guys. I hope this will shed some light on Adrian's past. If you enjoyed it, please consider clicking on the little star to vote :)

{Song: I'll Be Good by Jaymes Young}