Colorful Love

Band-Aids (Part 3)

Kiku took off running while Alfred stood frozen in shock for a moment at Kiku's words. It wasn't often that Kiku swore, and when he did, some serious shit was about to go down. Blinking away the shock, Alfred grinned to himself knowing that he, and his entire family, would soon be safe and took off after his friend.

~

Aiyanna sat frozen in fear at her kitchen table. She couldn't move even if she wanted to. Bernard paced around the kitchen with his fists clenched right enough to draw blood. He debated on what he should do, ultimately deciding to punch the wall until his hands bled even more.

With his hand bleeding and wood splinters sticking out of the wall, Bernard then took his anger out on the furniture. He kicked the chairs, and they flew dangerously close to Aiyanna who had taken cover behind the now overturned table. She crouched on her knees flinching at the violent noises and covered her mouth desperately hoping Bernard would forget she was in the room.

Words couldn't describe the fear she felt for herself and her children. It was a paralysing blanket of ice that clutched her like a drenched, skintight wetsuit.

Despite her fear, Aiyanna trusted her children to find somewhere safe and out of the house. Some place far, far away from their home. If they could still call this place their home.

She peeked over the table, and met Bernard's rage-filled face and red eyes that once burned with love for her. Now? All they revealed was the hidden bloodlust that she was blind to before.

"This is not the man I love," she whimpered.

Bernard turned and growled, "That man never existed, you witch."

His fist collided with Aiyanna's cheek. The mother felt a welt forming moments later. Bernard continued his angry rant.

"You pathetic women!! Always falling for acts! I was that man at first. When we met, I loved you! Your dumbass of a son turned me into this! This is his fault! His fault!! If he hadn't been such a faliure white boy, everything would've been fine! If you had kicked his sorry ass out like I demanded, everything would've been fine!"

"I will not throw my son out of my home because you don't like him!!" She screamed in return.

Regretting her words, Aiyanna's face turned three shades paler. She fought back tears as Bernard encroached on her space smacking her face between punches and claws to her limbs and one to her nose.

"This is your fault! You bitch brought this upon yourself! Be glad I don't throw acid on you!"

He gripped her shoulders digging his nails into her soft, already weak and still healing skin. Satisfied by the trickling blood down her arms, Bernard to her break choking her enough to cut off her air supply but not enough to kill.

Aiyanna let her tears fall thinking of anything else. Anything to take her mind off the present. Of Alfred's smile and laugh. Of her children all together before she let this monster into their home. Of Arthur's siblings that had to grow up with this monster.

She thought of Arthur, whom she thought of as her child too. When this was over, Aiyanna swore to herself she'd fight for custody of him. No child should live with a monster like him. She had no idea how he hadn't been arrested yet. Just as Bernard raised his hand again, Aiyanna hid her face behind her arms. Someone kicking down the door stopped him, but he breathed heavily in Aiyanna's face. His breath reeked if alcohol and cigarette smoke.

Despite the fact that Bernard was under the influence, abuse was inexcusable.

"Stay where you are! You're under arrest for domestic violence and child abuse!" a woman shouted into a megaphone.