The Bones of Partridge Park : Liza
Liza hated being used. It was all too familiar a feeling to her. She never told a soul about her Uncle Abel's games. She knew when she heard the deck of cards being shuffled that he would come creeping into her bedroom later; reeking of the Devil's Water and stale tobacco. Both smells disgusted her.
"We're going to do card tricks tonight, Liza,” he would whisper as his hand slid up her nightgown. "Those are your favorite. Aren't they, Doll?"
She stared at the ceiling as he rode her, dripping alcohol infused sweat onto her bare body. She was five the first time he came to her room to 'teach her tricks', and they definitely weren't her favorite. After twelve years of the weekly visits, Liza hated them all, and her Uncle Abel. She prayed every night that he would die or disappear. That some vicious evil would befall him; instead it was she that would finally escape from Partridge Park, emotional baggage in tow.
She got off the bus in Oregon; thirteen states and 3,068 glorious miles away from her Uncle Abel. Liza quickly found work in a diner down the street from the room she rented at Miss Kate's Boarding House. It was at this diner where she would meet and fall in love with a strapping young lumberman.
"He's beautiful." she gushed to her best friend Carla, behind the counter menu she was wiping down.
"He's dangerous," Carla retorted, "You would do well for yourself to stay as far away from him as you can."
Liza ignored her friend's pleas for common sense, insisting that he was too beautiful to be dangerous; flirting with him as she took his order.
"Burger. Done. Nothing on it. Fries. Done; I'll take you, too."
His blue eyes wandering down from her face to her breasts. Her cheeks turned as crimson as her lips. She whirled around, making sure her skirt would sway just enough to provide a quick flash of her ass to the handsome man. Three months later, and she was calling in sick because Mr. Beautiful had beat her face in.
"I don't feel well today, Mr. Owens. I think I have something contagious......yes, I'll go to the doctor. Thank you Mr. Owens. That's not necessary. Carla doesn't have to bring me anything. I have some soup here."
Mr. Owens knew. Everyone knew. Jacob Duncan liked to beat his women.
"I told you to stay away from him, Liza," Carla chastised her friend over the phone, "One of these days he's going to kill you."
"You don't know what you're talking about, Carla. He has already promised to never do it again. There won't be a next time."
"Mark my words, Liza." Carla cautioned, and hung up.
Two years later, Liza was Mrs. Jacob Duncan, and as big as a house with twins. He still beat her on occasion, breaking his promise to her not two weeks after the he made it.
"YOU. DON'T. KNOW. HOW. HARD. I. TRY..." he matched each shout with an opened hand across her face.
He dared not hit her in the belly. Ever. He sure knew how to make the most out of the real estate on her face though. There was seldom a break in the violence, but he would always be so loving and apologetic after. Time after time she would forgive him. She went to work with a fresh set of bruises under her make-up at least once a month. It was on one of these such occasions that Mr. Owens called her back to his office.
"This came for you today." Mr. Owens said, nodding his head at a small brown package laying on his desk.
She could see the address glaring at her from feet away.
"It's from home," she muttered as she picked up the box, turning it over in her hands.
She opened it, and pulled out the handwritten note inside.
Please come home.
Uncle Abel passed away and your father is very ill.
I can't do it without you, Honey.
Love,
Mother
P.S. Your Uncle Abel wanted you to have these. He said the cards were your favorite.
Liza let the box fall from her trembling fingers as her whole world went dark.
xx
Mo
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Nicely written. You got me with the hook straight out of the gate. I'll definitely be watching to see what else you write. Thanks for posting!
Been working on getting my second book out, so have been holding off putting the second part of Bones out. I'm glad you like it, @thinknzombie! I grew up reading Stephen King, so I can be wordy sometimes ;)
See ya next time,
Mo
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