Loving His Broken Luna

Chapter 11

Renee nodded once more, thanking her mother as she turned to face the gauntlet that was “returning to bed”.

The obstacles before her seemed only greater now. Down was one thing. Back up was another.

Renee turned to access the landing, hoping her socks were enough to grip the wood flooring beneath her. Her first step forward slid gently against the curve, creating no sound at all.

What worried her was just how she’d traverse two stairs to get to the third without making a sound.

… I’m not going to make it.

… Is she staring?

… Checking is forbidden. Never look back…

“Is there a problem?” her mother asked inquisitively.

“It’s just,” Renee worried out loud.

She could almost hear the annoyance fester behind her mother’s dirty look.

“I thought I saw something,” Renee lied.

“Really? What is it?” her mother shifted in her seat, her tone dismissive.

…change the subject!

“It’s okay,” Renee replied, placing her foot to the side of the runner, thinking proper weight distribution would fix this.

“No… no,” her mother admonished. “If it was something you saw, I’d like to know so I can take care of it.”

“Oh, I meant, it looked like a spider but it was only a shadow.”

“We have shadow spiders?” her mother asked, shooting to her feet.

While such things occurred, they usually spread an omen or blessing. For Renee, they showed up as orb spiders while under extreme stress.

…which she seemed to always be in a state of.

“Flip on the light to be sure,” her mother snapped, swatting the back of her hand forward to make Renee move.

Turning on the light in the morning was a considerable offense. Renee would pay for doing it.

Then again… she’d pay now for ignoring her mother.

“It’s alright. It’s not there. I must have…” Renee trailed.

“Oh for once could you just do what you’re told?” Renee’s mother huffed as she made her way to her side.

… Mother … don’t even think it. Don’t even say it.

One hug was enough closeness for a lifetime. Now the woman was right beside her again, informing Renee of the location of the dreaded light switch.

No words could describe how utterly wrong her statement was either.

… She must know.

… How couldn’t she?

Renee’s breath caught in her throat, as she reached out to flick on the light.

… Don’t stutter. She’ll win.

… She’s winning now!

Renee exhaled as her hand made it onto the railing next.

“I don’t see a spider anywhere, Renee. Are you lying again? Or do you need glasses?” her mother teased.

… You want to help?

“Maybe,” Renee paused to her mother’s side eye.

It was yet another warning.

“Maybe I’m just tired,” she corrected herself. “I have been burning the candle at both ends.”

Her mother’s frown deepened.

“Is that a smoking metaphor?” she snapped, eager for another argument.

“What? No!”

“Hush!” Renee’s mother hissed. “Your family,” she said as if they were angels, “is still sleeping.”

“Sorry,” Renee hastily replied. “I’m not smoking though. I know I can’t.”

“So you’d want to, if I allowed it?” her mother coaxed.

“No?”

“Then why would you say it like that?”

“Mother, it’s an old saying about doing too many things at the same time.”

Her mother’s frown lightened.

“Where did you hear it then?”

… From you.

“…Because I certainly didn’t know it.”

“A book. Something I’m reading,” she lied.

Her mother nodded in acceptance.

“Should I forbid it?”

“What?”

“Your education?” her mother urged. “Should I forbid you from returning?”

“That’s against the law, Mom.”

“It isn’t. I can take you out today and put you under my wing to finish out the rest of your schooling.”

Renee’s short life flashed before her eyes.

… This can’t be real.

… What did she want now?

… Over a saying she didn’t get credit on. Really?

“Does that sound good?”

… NO!

“If that’s what you want,” Renee replied carefully.

This new plan teetered on Renee’s ability to comply. Her mother’s position usually held tightly to an idea if Renee struggled with it. Losing her advancements, her work in school to become whatever role her mother currently held now would ruin her.

“Why do you seem so compliant?” Renee’s mother asked. “Usually you’re so ready to make me see your side.”

Renee shrugged.

“Maybe I’m…”

… shooting too high? No, her mother would think it was a drug reference again.

“What?” her mother egged on.

“Just tired.”

“Should we have this conversation when you’re more awake?”

“If you think so, Mom,” Renee conceded. “Everything you do is memorable though. I wouldn’t want you to waste your time.”

It’s sick to see the way her mother’s shoulders rolled as if the weight of true control had been issued to the woman. Her time was the highest valued item, higher than her family’s worth and all the layers in between.

Surely, it meant Renee played her cards right.

A simple hum of approval slid from her lips thereafter.

Questions swirled around in Renee’s mind. What was the next step? Would she be allowed to climb now?

Renee’s mother turned away from her. The first sight of the woman stepping off of the landing meant: accend. Climb back up into that death trap; the prison that was her life.

… Mom won. Renee let her. There was nothing else she could do about it either.

The stairs protested loudly underfoot while she made her way back to her room. Her mother expected so much. Renee knew this was part of her punishment.

She made Renee act selfishly, ignoring the time, using the staircase as she wanted with the light on. Maybe in another home this wasn’t remotely an offense, but under the Tucee’s roof, it was.

Numbed by what she was doing, it took an insane amount of strength not to pass out there.

“… Six, seven, eight, she counted her steps in whispers. The focus that the activity took just barely kept her aware.

She had scooted up several more stares when the rip of the door beside her sounded.

Dad.

While the door was known to get stuck, Dad wasn’t someone to repeat an argument with, let alone be in the same space with.

… Unless he wanted it.

There was no reason to stop if she was really a part of the family like her mother suggested. However, the way this man scowled at her suggested otherwise.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” her father’s voice boomed beside her, making Renee jump.

Her foot landed on the top step, leaving her in a dangerous position.

… He could shove her; make it look like an accident.

It’s happened before.

… Even a fake out would send her flying at this point.

While both parents had meanstreaks, Renee couldn’t be sure which was worse. Mrs. Disappointment, or Mr. Resentment.

Instead of trying to come up with a way out of this, let alone tell the truth, Renee dropped her head in defeat.

“Sorry, Sir,” she replied without missing a beat.

“You’d better be sorry!” he sneered. “You’re extremely inconsiderate, you know that? Leaving on the light and coming up here like no one’s sleeping.”

Renee nodded, hoping for his take to be over.

“I oughta show you what that’s like,” he growled.

“Mom said to,” Renee yelped as he hauled her with him into his room.

“Liar!” he spat, whipping her around the narrow path to his bed. “Lie down!” he demanded, turning to the lamp on his nightstand.

Renee gulped down her panic, her breath barely came in on lungfuls. If she died here, at least it would be his fault. She’d see the great beyond instead of returning to her usual hell hole and he’d suffer behind bars. Justice would be served at her expense but at least he’d get his.

The sound of porcelain grinding against the tabletop rattled her further. The cord slapped the nightstand protesting her father’s demands.

“I said, lie down!” he ground out.

Her fathers huge hand swiped at her shoulder, guiding her back with a quick, merciless slap.

“Sorry,” Renee yelped.

It didn’t even register that she sat down before.

Once compliant, finally flat on her back, her father flailed the lamp around once more. Light barely registered on the walls accepting dawn.

His whole body raged along with him. All the while Renee was losing the war; keeping it together became too much.

The slightest whimper slipped despite how the rest of her had gone stock still. He won… they won. Her sound registered, despite how he swore at her under his breath.

His lamp came around next. Its shade had fallen off elsewhere, lost somewhere beyond where Renee could see. All that remained were the wire supports encasing a large, screaming hot bulb that was now lined up with her nose.

Its light burned her eyelids as her father growled, “Open your eyes, brat!”

Renee panicked, struggling to open them.

“I…” she pleaded.

“Yes you! The only one that puts herself before this family!”

“Mom t-told…”

Her father’s calloused digits dragged against the top and bottom, quickly opening at least one eye. He shoved the bulb only closer.

“Do not blame your mother!” he roared. “You did this. You woke the house. You!”

Closer and closer he came. The bulb only centimeters from her eye; one slip and he could permanently blind her.

… Do it, she goaded her father on.

… I can’t be better. I’m always the problem.

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t blind you with this,” he taunted.

“I-I c-c-can’t hide a b-burn th-there,” Renee struggled to reply.

“That’s right,” her father crooned, letting go of her eyelid.

Renee fought the urge to wipe it or blink but the pressure came involuntarily. It didn’t help to correct her vision. That remained a bright shield no matter where Renee looked.

“You’re in trouble though,” he tisked. “Bad girls get punished.”

The comment rang in her ear. Jason said it not too long ago, teasing the only life she knew. The asshole. If he only knew. Would he stop? Probably not…

“Yes Sir,” Renee tried not to panic any further.

“Yes Sir what?” her father pushed.

“Yes. Bad girls get punished, Sir.”

“That’s right they do.”

Renee blinked hard, trying to erase the assault on her retinas when he roughly grabbed her sweatshirt. Both hands seemed to have it, throwing her around as he went.

Renee fought to stay quiet, her sweatshirt bunched up around her neck could only mean one thing.

Next to move was her suit straps down her shoulders. They pinned her arms in place as the cool air of the room raced to cover her exposed skin.

His place to hide his marks.

“You won’t scream or make a sound,” her father warned, to which she parroted.

“I won’t scream or make a sound, Sir.”

His intrusion was quick, as if it was decided before this event.

… He probably did since he hates me, she thought.

Somehow it felt cold before the burn set in. Seconds later Renee tried to bear with it but the pain was too great.

“Please, Sir…” she begged. “Please stop.”

Only her father didn’t. The pressure changed at the underside of her left breast. His hand clobbered her hard. The slap felt heavy like a sack of bricks landing on her face instead.

“I said not a sound!” he growled.

Renee’s lips tightened as tears cascaded down the sides of her face.

Her father then ripped the lamp away from her skin, tearing more of the soft flesh away.

How was she supposed to swim now?

He settled the lamp down beside the bed on the nightstand, then gave her his orders.

“You will clean this room. You will leave. You will not eat with us even though your mother might call you. If you deviate, I’ll finish what I started.

… Her other breast. He’d burn her again.

“I understand, Sir.”

“Make sure that you do. And if I ever hear you’re doing drugs again, you better not come home ever again.”