"What was that?" her head perched as soon as the sound of faint scratching met her ears. It sounded like someone's fingernails being dragged against the wooden wall.
Mac looked at her amusingly, not loosing his grip on her. she started to move around and made a quick scan of the house. "Don't tell me you're hearing these fucking noises again," he said tiredly.
Sally knew in the back of her mind that whatever she was hearing was real only she couldn't fathom where they were coming from. She got back to bed and grabbed her bag then went straight to the door.
"Leaving so soon? You just got here, Sal.." Mac coaxed her to stay by holding her against the wall and kissing her neck but Sally squirmed away.
Reaching the door, she pulled it open and saw the stocky, now grey-haired man smiling at her. His musketeer-like mustache made him look years younger than a man in his late 50's.
"What do you want now Walter?" asked Mac who was right behind her. She knew Mac was never fond of calling the man "father".
"Just want to know what you've been up to son," said Walter who turned to Sally and smiled. "I thought I'd never see you again, Sally Jones.. Mac told me you were back but you never stopped by at the diner."
"I'm sorry, I've just been busy. Excuse me." Sally said. She walked past Walter to get to her car.
"Well I do hope you haven't been busy with Macario," she heard him say. "Charlie won't be happy when he finds out.."
Sally only nodded and went inside the car. She started the engine and looked at the two men, forcing a smile before going on her way home.
If staying with Mac with his father showing up unexpectedly seemed not right, in the Jones household, things were getting worse. Charlie had a bender with William watching and in the early evening, he was throwing the empty liquor bottles to the wall, crashing them to sharp little pieces.
"What the hell is wrong with you Daddy?!" Sally shouted as she carried William. She scurried to their room to lock themselves in when her father grasped her arm. "You're hurting me!"
"I told you stay away from them! But you never listened, did you?" Charlie growled, his nails digging into Sally's upper arm. "How long have you been seeing Mac?!"
Sally kept crying but didn't answer. She pulled William to her chest and held him tighter. She was quite relieved at the same time worried about her little boy being quiet despite his grandpa's outrage.
"Stop whining and answer me!" Charlie's hand landed on Sally's cheek with a loud and heavy smack that her knees gave up and she almost fell on the floor. William would have too if she hadn't held him close. That was when little William started crying.
The child's cries and his mother's pained face brought the befuddled Charlie to his senses. Realizing what he did, he knelt down and reached for Sally who struggled to curl up in the corner. "I...I didn't mean to..Sally..."
"You said they're going to hurt me if I go anywhere near them," Sally said, slowly rocking William in her arms in attempt to hush him down. "They didn't, Daddy. Mac has never laid a hand on me. But you did."
"I never meant to hurt you, my dear. I never meant to scare Will..I just want both of you safe, I don't think I can bear it if anything happens to either of you..." her father explained in tears.
"Daddy...just go.. Stay away from me and my son." Sally put more emphasis on her last sentence. She may be weak as a daughter but as a mother, she will face anything and anyone that dares to harm or threat her boy. "GO!"
Charlie reluctantly left the house. Wherever he was going, it was no longer her concern. Her father could go to the bar and drink himself to oblivion as long as he was away from Sally and William. Still shaken up by what happened, Sally let William play with his stuffed animals on the rubber mat while she grabbed a broom to collect the mess her father made.
The front door creaked open but she didn't mind and kept on cleaning. She knew how winds and sandstorms taunt the dry and barren place they call home every single night. Sometimes these strong winds howled as if they were speaking to the desert and to all of its inhabitants.
"Mama!" William's sudden utterance got Sally's attention. She stopped what she was doing and went to her son.
"What's wrong, my baby?" she asked.
"Mama?" William said again and suddenly giggled. He clapped his hands and continue to giggle, looking past Sally. "Du-du Da da da!!"
Before she could turn her back, a hand clasped over her mouth. Sally let out a muffled scream, her body being locked in place by another arm. She tried to thrash around but it was no use. The grip on her was strong and she was slowly dragged away.
She could feel her chest palpitate violently, mixing with William's laughter. Sally felt the wall behind her and she was pushed down to the floor and on her back right where she had piled up the shards of broken bottles. She screamed again, her mouth now unrestrained as the sharp pieces tore their way through her shirt, slicing her skin.
Her vision began to blur as her attacker pinned her down with it's arms which caused her to soak in her blood. Within her darkening vision rose a face concealed by a gas mask.
"You're mine..."
The ache and fear merged like a speedball that coursed through her system. It was quickly consuming her that she just lay down, almost paralyzed as the cold blade of knife cut and tore her shirt in two.
Please don't. Her mind spoke for her voice was too weak to function. The blade went down her stomach. Breathe. Just breathe. If she moved a little, she was sure the blade would just have to sink to that soft flesh and that'd be the end of her. Following her own advice, she breathed slowly but resisted to close her eyes. The masked stranger pressed himself against her limp body, cold hands trailed on her unclothed torso. Sally cried but no matter how loud she wanted to, only tears were let out. She tried moving her right leg as the creature above was busy with her. In a swift motion, she jolted her knee upward, hitting it between the legs. The attacker screamed as it rolled in pain.
Sally limped her way to William who seemed to realize what was really happening, and took him to the kitchen where she started to search for something to defend herself and her child. Grabbing a switchblade knife, she tucked it in her pants' pocket and hid her crying son in one of the cabinets under the sink.
"Shhh.. Shhh... Momma's gonna fight for us." She was about to close the cabinet door when she was grabbed by her hair.
"Crazy, stupid bitch."
She was thrown to the wall, fist meeting her face and stomach. Blood poured out of her mouth as a series of kicks and punches were given to her until she barely moved. The beating continued and through this agony, Sally thought of Samuel. Her poor twin brother who was beaten and stabbed to death. Sooner or later she'd be next.
No. Pulling the the little knife, she gathered the last of her strength and lounged forward, burying the small blade on the man's shoulder. They both fell on the floor but with her now on top, she held on its chest and stabbed it in the neck. She wasn't satisfied and repeatedly stabbed the perpetrator in the stomach until it stopped moving.
"Fuck you," Sally spat.
Crawling to the cabinet to get William, she pulled the little boy in long and tight embrace. Both cried together.
"Sally! William!" Charlie ran to his daughter and grandson, almost tripping over the lifeless body lying on the bloody kitchen floor.
"Daddy!" Sally and William kept crying but were overcame with joy and relief as they were enveloped in the loving arms of a father. Charlie also cried, apologizing for what he did and for letting death attempting to touch his family.
Sally had William on her lap as they sat on the couch. Both still hadn't washed themselves as Charlie told. She watched as her father made a call through the telephone. Blood was smeared on his shirt, His hands were covered with the same substance and even on his face, he had splatters of it.
"Officer Mason, this is Charlie Jones." Her father tried speaking in a calm manner. "An intruder attacked my daughter and his son. I got home before he could do more damage but..." Charlie took a deep breath. He looked at the distraught Sally and said, "But I'm afraid I have killed the intruder.. I'm so sorry."