Kite In The Snow by Karla Lopez

 

“What the fuck are you doing?” His alcohol filled breath hits me in the face. My heart drops to my stomach knowing what’s to come.

When he’s drunk, he is so unpredictable. I back away from the door and turn Carter away from him. I try to breathe through the fear that’s simmering under my skin.

“Travis, please let us go,” I whisper so softly, I fear he doesn’t hear me.

“NO! YOU ARE MINE! Only mine,” he cries and throws the kitchen chair against the wall. Carter startles and sobs his little lungs out.

I run into the hall and into Carter’s nursery and place him inside of his crib. He continues to cry as I try to soothe him with my hand. I’m scared that Travis will come in here, so I go back into the hall.

I hear crash after crash of everything he can find near him. His eyes connect with mine, and they turn deadly. I shake so hard that I can’t hold myself up.

Travis gets to me before I hit the floor and he grabs me by the arms like a rag doll. “WHY! WHY! WHY!! All I’ve ever done is love you, Mae.”

He rubs his nose against my face and his tears and sweat smear all over me. My tears run like a waterfall and all I want to do is curl into a ball.

He shakes me while he cries with me. I break for the abuse he’s caused, but I also break for him. He looks so lost; I don’t recognize him.

I don’t answer him and that only seems to make him even more angry that he slaps me so hard, the pain radiates all the way into my head. It throbs hard enough that I can’t hear anything other than my racing heartbeat.

He throws me to the ground so roughly that I don’t feel the next thing coming; the darkness sets in and then the throbbing stops.

I float…

Far far away.