Love Comes Before: A Family Comes First Story | Ongoing

Cop

Charles and I were sitting at the couch again. He told me it was March again, and I remembered last year when we were trying for a baby. Having sex like rabbits. I was happy then.

Jimmy was a little over a month old now. He was growing well. At least as well as I thought he should be. He was still crying a lot in the night. Every night I went to see if the door was still unlocked. It always was. I had to stop making excuses for not leaving. I could escape and give Jimmy the life he deserves.

I can find my mother, I can go to the cops and their whole family will be arrested. Jimmy can go to school and make friends, and fall in love with a girl of his choosing rather than some woman that Charles chooses for him.

But if I get caught. If Charles finds me and takes me back, I should try and have a baby. Again, for that girl that Charles would get for Jimmy. She will need help to get out. I can stop this rotation of kidnapped women. At least on this side of the family tree.

But if James and Noah get arrested too, then Anne and Noah's girl can live life. I can find them and love them like sisters. Noah's girl hasn't been there as long as me, she would help me get out. She would help.

One night I checked the door and actually opened it. This was my chance. I stepped out, Jimmy in my arms, and started bolting. I didn't think anything through. I just held Jimmy tight. I started loosing my balance so I slowed. I sat against a tree, Jimmy crying at the jostling.

I held him close and rocked him, trying to get him to quiet. He wouldn't stop, he was like a beacon.

"Marilyn!" I heard Charles scream in the distance.

"Shit." I whispered to myself, carefully picking myself up. I started jogging through the woods, trying not to hurt Jimmy anymore, and trying to get away from Charles.

"Get back here now!" I heard him yell. He was closer.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled back, slightly picking up the pace.

I saw a road. So close. I started running. My feet hit the asphalt and I started jogging along it, trying to shush Jimmy.

"There you are, Marilyn." I heard Charles. I turned around and he was a few paces behind me.

"Leave us alone, Charles. I won't say anything." I pleaded.

"It's taken me almost four years to train you. We have a baby for god's sake Marilyn, can't you see that you belong here?" Charles asked.

"Stop. Don't take another step towards me."

"Or what?" He spat. Not stopping.

"If you take me back to that-that house, I will spend all of my days and nights trying to kill myself. I will never, ever stop fighting you!" I screamed.

He growled at me, "Get over here, Marilyn. Now."

I saw headlights shine behind me. I turned, there was a car approaching. I got to the side it wasn't on. It stopped beside Charles and I. Charles grabbed my arm and pulled me harshly to his chest. Jimmy was still crying.

The person inside their car rolled down the window, "Hello sir, ma'am," It was a cop car, "It's quite late. What are y'all doing out here in the dark... with a baby?"

"We're trying to get home, that's all. Our car broke down a little way." Charles responded.

The cop chuckled, "That's quite funny, cause I go up and down this road from 10pm to 6am, and I haven't seen a car on this road all night, much less one that's broken down on the side of the it," He turned to look at me, "Are you alright ma'am? Is this man hurting you, a-and your baby?"

Jimmy started to quiet down. Before I could open my mouth, Charles responded for me, "You dare question my wife? I would never intentionally hurt this woman. I love her."

"I didn't ask you, sir. Kindly, let your wife speak for herself. What's your name, ma'am?"

"M-Marilyn."

"And the baby?"

"Jimmy."

"Is your husband a threat to you and Jimmy, Marilyn?" The cop asked me.

I looked at Jimmy, and back at Charles, then to the cop, "Yes."

Suddenly, Charles took out his knife and stabbed the cop in the eye. My mouth dropped in horror. I backed away slowly, the blood spraying onto my nightgown.

"Don't move, Marilyn. Look at what you've done!" Charles yelled, opening the door. He pushed the bleeding man into the passenger seat, "Get into the car. The backseat. We're going home. I got to paint this car now because of you. You killed this man. You need to be punished."

"No, I don't want to go back there."

He grabbed me and pushed me into the back seat. Jimmy started shrieking.

"Not another word from you. You will go inside, and bathe Jimmy. Then you will set him down and I will strip and bathe you." Charles said.

I nodded and waited until we got into the driveway. I needed to listen to Charles. It's clear I can't get out of this. He overpowers me, especially when I'm holding Jimmy.

He dragged me inside and locked the door behind me. I went upstairs and bathed Jimmy, as told. And fed him and changed his diaper. I kissed his forehead, "Please don't cry during this."

I went into the bathroom and waited, and attempted to calm my trembling heart. Charles came in and I turned to look at him. He took off his clothes. I saw a belt in his hand, "Take off your nightgown. Turn on the water, as hot as it will go, and fill the tub."

I nodded and complied. Standing naked in front of him. He growled,

"That man, that cop you lied to, is in the basement. Rotting away. That is your fault, for the next time you go down to clean, you will be met by his corpse. Do you understand?"

"Yes Charles." I replied.

He raised his belt, "Dont move."

I closed my eyes as he beat my front, whacking my bare skin, he circled me many times, small and large cuts radiating my body. When he was done, and tears were falling down my face, he told me to get into the water.

It was hot and burned my cuts. He stood over me, "Hand me that sponge."

I slowly handed it to him and he took it, rubbing some soap onto it. Then, he aggressively rubbed the sponge onto my cuts, scratching them more. It burned terribly.

"Get out," I left the tub and stood before him, "Go into our room, and lay down, I did as told and he came in behind me, "Lay at the edge of the bed."

I complied and he began to enter me, roughly abusing my body, pressing his finger into my cuts. I sobbed and cried out even more than I already was.

"Shut up," He said, violently stroking into me, "It was fine in the bathroom but now you could wake the baby."

I bit my lip and silently sobbed. When he was done, he dragged me upwards onto the bed and lay next to me. I looked at the clock. 4:30am. I tried to get as much sleep as I could, terribly afraid.

Double Chapter!!