Pup by Harbingerr
Her eyelids opened . Pale beams of light that peaked between boards clinging to a small , round window illuminated vague shapes as her vision slowly gained focus . Her mouth was dry , her whole body ached , then she realized that she couldn ’ t move . Her wrists and ankles were bound , splaying her limbs firmly across an uncomfortably hard mattress . The haze of the previous night started to lift as her brain sluggishly sifted through fragmented memories ; arriving home late from work , pouring a glass of wine , the sound of a window breaking , but nothing cohesive .
The click of a nearby door closing pulled her out of her thoughts . Heavy footsteps vibrated the bed where she was restrained as they came closer . The light was too low to make out who the person was that now stood beside her . The familiar scent of half-smoked cigarettes and beer sweat that crept into her nostrils got stronger as she felt him bend down toward her . “ Hi , Pup ,” he growled into her ear . Her heart dropped .
Tony was her personal boogeyman ; his desire to inflict harm was insatiable . Her mother , Cathy , had married him within days of their meeting . After months of brutal assaults disguised as marital bliss , he turned his ire to her as her mother was made to watch . When he was through , she was left trembling in the corner of her bedroom , hysterical . His joy was unbearable . “ You look like a little , frightened pup , sittin ’ there all shaky and shit . Don ’ t she , Cathy ?” he drunkenly drawled between waves of laughter . Cathy nodded , happy to not be the sole recipient of the vicious blows anymore . He sat down on the floor beside his little pup , relishing the sounds of her despair until the wails turned into whimpers . He then retrieved the cigarette from behind his ear , lit it and took a long drag before snuffing out the red-hot cherry on her skin . She was 8 years old . He heard the gasp catch in her throat and couldn ’ t hold back the delighted giggles crawling up his throat . Nothing made him happier than when his Pup got piss scared . It had been far too long since he last heard her sobs . This was the moment that made resisting temptation for the past 10 years after faking his death worth it .
She was at work when she got the call from the police . The house had burned to the ground with both Tony and Cathy inside it . The sense of relief that washed over her at that moment was the closest thing to happiness she had ever felt . Despite moving out when she turned 18 , she knew she would always feel a cloud of dread looming over her . That dread was now gone . There was a memorial service held for her mother and she never looked into Tony ’ s funeral arrangements , she just left it all to the state .
He pulled the string overhead and the dirty bulb flickered , revealing the face that filled her adolescence with endless nights of pain and fear . His grin was as venomous as she remembered . “ Did ya ’ miss me ?” he asked , looking down upon her , soaking up her consternation . She couldn ’ t speak , tears began to well . “ Don ’ t cry , daddy ’ s here now . I ’ m gonna make everything so much better ,” he seethed as he unzipped his jeans . She was completely helpless as he climbed between her restrained legs . Her terror peaked as it never had before .
She endured many atrocities in the past at Tony ’ s hands , but this was a new kind of horror . She struggled futilely against her bonds and yelled out for him to stop . A throaty guffaw burst forth from him , her floundering amused him . She couldn ’ t think . He pressed himself on top of her , his lips grazing her ear , “ My little , lost Pup , all grown up and ready for trainin ’,” he breathed . The adrenaline pumped through her veins and she did the only thing she had the ability to do , she bit his neck as hard as she could . She felt the derma rip violently as he jerked away . The metallic taste of blood flooded her mouth , spraying her face . Tony howled like a wounded animal .
She woke up . Her entire body was covered in a cold sweat . It had been years since she was at the mercy of Tony , but every night felt like a new and unique hell . The nightmares were always so vivid ; she could still taste his flesh in her teeth , hear his scream in her ears . Then she heard it again , but it was coming from her attic . She jumped out of her sheets as fast as her body would allow and raced up the stairs ; the door was open . The adrenaline rush from her dream still coursed through her , but she steadied herself before entering . She walked toward her childhood bed that she kept in the middle of the room and pulled the string to the light that hung from above .
She chuckled at the sight of her German Shepherd , Aries , with Tony ’ s jugular firmly clasped between his canines . Aries knew better than to play with his toy when she wasn ’ t around . She should ’ ve been angry at his disobedience , but he just looked so damn cute with that kid-caught-with-his-hand-in-the-cookie-jar look on his face . Tony ’ s expression contorted in anguish made the entire scene complete . She snapped her fingers and Aries let Tony go . “ Should I start locking the door again ?” she questioned . Aries bowed his head in response . “ Good boy ,” she said to Aries , petting his head lovingly . He jumped down then trotted out of the attic and down the stairs . “ My apologies . I must not have shut the door all the way after our last play date this afternoon .”
He coughed wordlessly as tears stood in his eyes , never once looking at her .
“ Now , now . None of that . You ’ re a grown man , and Aries knows better than to draw blood . He just wanted to play .”
He tried to stifle the cries building in his chest , but the tiniest sound escaped . A crooked smile formed on her face . “ All those years , I was just a kid . I finally left and was rid of you . Yet , here you are ,” she said , shaking her head bemusedly . “ After the fire you were free , I was free . Yet , here you are .”
A derisive snort issued from her . “ All that time , plotting what you were going to do to me when the opportunity presented itself . Yet , here you are .” She sat next