Child of Blood and Pain (Fiction)

"Come to me child of blood and pain. Of your swift vengeance do I sing. Whisper my name upon the wind and speak your dark prayer to me."
Unknown




"Pain, make the pain stop, make him stop hitting her, hitting us, make me strong, stop him."


There was only the sound of my breath, the hum of my alarm clock, my heart beating, mom sobbing quietly in her room. He had been drinking again and came in after I had gone to bed. She locked me in. He put the locks in to keep us in our place. But she locked us in. After he broke my arm she locked me in every night. I couldn't sit and hear him hit her again. So she locked me in. She keeps me safe from him, with her body and the lock. I can't run in again. I can only listen and pray, but the Sunday god doesn't answer.

She came to me then, I think it was a her, she was made of shadow.


"You called me child and I came."


I saw her and her empty black eyes made me shudder. I was too afraid to move. She glided out of the shadows, a living shadow of black a thin black skeletal figure in a black silk robe. Small and frail and alien, taller than me, slim, straight no curve to her, hair so dark. There was no love in her only alienness.


She moved towards me, my heart jumped but I didn't scream, I had learned that making noise just draws attention and fists. But I did bite my lip and ball my covers holding them tight about me like some shield. I didn't move, but I shook. She was going to kill me and take my soul to satan. Mrs. Levinthson was right I was a demon child and satan would get my soul.

"You called me child and I came."



She said again moving closer looming over me in my bed. I looked at her, waiting for death and decided to look her in the eyes, to watch it happen. If you watch the pain come sometimes you can roll with the fist, sometimes its not so bad. Sometimes it makes it hurt less to know, sometimes to lean into it hurts less on the inside instead of cringing back. Sometimes I silently dare him to hit harder.
And thats what I did with her. I looked up at her, those dark eyes and I waited, I was going to watch when she took me, I wasn't going to look away.
And then she smiled.


"I am not the Angel of Death child, I have not come for your soul. You called me and I came. You whispered prayers of vengeance on the night wind. Name him."

"Will you kill him?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes."

"Name him child."

"Sir, She says he is my Dad, but he isn't, he can't be. I don't know his name, he makes me call him sir."

She nodded then.


"And what will you give me?"

"Anything. I have marbles, video games. Toys, you can have it all. Except Bob. Bob is my dog, he doesn't get to sleep in the bed with me anymore, he sleeps outside. You can't have Bob."

"I will not take Bob. And I don't want toys or games. Give me your hand child."


My little white hand came out of the covers and she took it palm up. She felt firm and dry but not cold as she wrapped her hand around the bottom of my hand. She then poked with her other hand her finger into the center, her nail cutting into me. It burned where her nail touched me, hot and cold at once.


"I want your Oath child. I shall ask tasks of you and you shall fulfill them. You shall speak of me to no one. And I will take care of Sir for you. Are we in agreement?"


It burned and with each word she said it throbbed more.

"Yes."


And the pain stopped and she pulled back her hands and moved back to the shadows.

"I have marked you child with your Oath, and in the moonlight all will see my mark. I shall call again before the full of the moon. Sleep now and remember, I shall watch over you tonight."

Rubbing my hand I leaned back and amazingly slept. The Darkness watched over me and held me and I felt…safe.