Forbidden--Flash Fiction


Forbidden
by Annmarie Ferry

The sting of his slap spread across her face like fire. She was used to this song and dance but still struggled to keep her frayed black and white checkered Chuck Taylors planted firmly on the dull beige carpet. 

His words brought the real sting.

You stupid whore! Slap. You slut. Slap. You filthy tramp. Slap. 

In between blows, Faith attempted to make eye contact with her mother, to silently plea for intervention. But, as always, she was cowered in her corner of the brown chenille couch, hands clasped so hard that her knuckles had turned white, eyelids sealed shut tightly but eyelashes vibrating in angst, rocking back and forth in some kind of sick prayer ritual, one that never yielded any satisfactory results. 

Not only have you shamed this house, you have threatened my position at the church. How am I going to explain that as a minister, I can’t even control my own daughter and her filthy urges? 

The next blow was delivered with a closed fist, the pounding impact sent a searing pain through her jaw. As her ears rang in an unbearable high-pitched buzz, she could feel the hot blood burning past her quivering lips, slowly streaming down her chin, pooling on the carpet, staining it like her sin had stained her soul.

Get out of my house. With this, her mother let out some sort of a cry, sounding more like a mouse in a trap than a mother about to lose her daughter forever. 

I never want to see you or your bastard child. 

In a rare act of courage, Faith turned as she exited her parents’ home, the glow of the sunlight surrounding her blonde-streaked hair like a halo. If there’s any justice, Daddy, I will see you again—in Hell. 

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