Call Your Girlfriend

Part 38: In Which All Sufferers Confess

"Get over here you little shit! Get over here!" He's drunk again. This is the fourth day in a row now. Came home smelling of whiskey and vodka and that woman Mom tells me to stay away from- the one who sits on the bench by the drugstore. "Max! Get the fuck over here!"

My ass already hurts from yesterday. His belt cracked against me so hard, I thought O was bleeding from the buckle.

"Leave him alone Frank! He didn't do anything." Mom comes in from the kitchen.

"Shut the fuck up Loral!" I hear him back hand her. I'm in the corner between the couch and the wall.

"Frank, he didn't do anything!" She screams and he hits her again and pushes her into the wall. I hear his boots on the floor and suddenly he pushes the couch hard into me and squished me against the wall.

"Ow!" I cry out. Coming over he grabs my hair and pulls on it. I'm still wedged in between the couch and the wall and he tilts head back.

"You little bastard! I know you took it!"

"Took what!?" I ask through tears. He pulls on my hair harder.

"My wallet! I know you took it! So where the fuck is it!"

"I didn't take it!" I can smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Frank don't!" My mom cries. My dad pushes the couch away from me and whips me out of the corner and into the middle of the room by my hair. "Frank!"

I land hard on my tailbone and before I can move, he's on top of me. He has me by my neck and he shakes me.

"Give it here you little fucker! I need that wallet!" I feel my face heating up and it's hard to breathe. I grab at his hands and yet I'm only 10 years old. I can't pry him off.

"Frank!!!!" My mother gets up and starts hitting him and pulling at his wrinkled dress shirt.

"Loral!" He turns and pins her to the ground. He give her head one hard shake against the floor and she is passed out. I'm up and out of the living room. I head to the kitchen and grab a knife. Running upstairs, I hide in my room. I'm in the corner of my closet. I hear him coming up the stairs. His boots hitting heavy on the stairs. "Max! Get the fuck out here!"

I didn't touch his wallet! I didn't! I don't touch his things! I don't go near him! I don't have it! He throws open the door and I hear him search under my bed and Luna's. I hear him throw open my toy chest. He comes to the closet and throws the door open. I hold the knife firmly in my hand.

"Max, give me the knife." His eyes are wide.

"Don't! Please, don't! Stay...stay away...please!"

"Give me the knife before you do something you're gonna regret."  He reaches for it and I panic. I slash at his hand and cut him across his right palm. Blood comes out and he starts screaming in pain. "You little mother fucker!"

He gets the knife from me, grabs me by hair and drags me out of my room and downstairs.

"Dad! Please! Don't! Don't! Please, Dad! No!" He lays me down on the ground and pulls up my shirt.

"Where's my wallet Max!?"

"I don't know! I don't know!" He takes the knife and cuts me just below my clavicle on my right side. "Oooooooowwwww!!!! Dad!!!!!"

"Where's my wallet!?"

"I don't knoooowwww!!!" He cuts me under my other clavicle. "Ooooowwwww!!!!"