Nell's Beginning
He sat on the couch and felt his stomach drop. She watched from the stairs, not moving. The moment he started to, she sped down the stairs. He saw a white flash and was out. She stood over him; it wasn't the first time she delivered a knockout blow to him. She'd already changed out of her prison clothes and into tight black workout pants and a green hoody. She looked at Dick with disgust. He was skinny, dressed in brown clothes that handn't been in style for years, and had thick rimmed glasses. He needed a beating, she thought. Jane called him violent, degrading names names.
She was stronger now, from spending time at the gym, and she could tell this because Dick was easier than ever to drag to the couch. Jane propped up his limp body like he'd been watching TV, and then walked to the garage to get rope. She brought it in and began to tie his hands behind his back.
She looked at his pale face, disgusted at his fair skin and slight frame. She couldn't remember why she was ever interested in this shadow of a man.
What was next, she thought? She made it to Dick's house. That was tough enough. She could take his car, but Dick has seen her now. He's a foot print, she thought, a way for someone to follow me. If he wakes up, the police starting looking. She didn't have time either: police would find out about this house from their daughter's daycare records. It's on the emergency records for each child. Jane found the car keys on the ground, ran to Dick's car, and pulled into the garage. She closed the garage door, thinking, no one will see me put Dick's body into the car. Then I'm off. I need time. I need to make time...
Jane was sweating now. She found the bathroom in the house, wiped the sweat off with a towel, and looked in the mirror. Her blonde streaked hair was falling out of its pony tail. Her cheeks were flushed from moving Dick's limp body around a tiny garage and into the car. She fixed her ponytail, tucking in loose strands of hair.
Jane went back to the car and go in. I could go to Rob's house, but the police know who he is, and that we've dated. I could pick up Nell, but how? She looked over the seat into the back: Dick was tied up with the rope she found in the garage. His limp body was in the footwell of the backseat. She opened the garage door, started the car, and backed out. Daycare it is.
"Dick, wake up." She looked at him laying on the floor mats. "Dick, wake UP!" No response. "WAKE UP!" she said, hitting his shoulder with her fist. He moved a little and made a muffled sound. Dick blinked his eyes.
"Pay attention."
"What's going on?" he managed to say.
"You're going to help me get Nell. I sure can't do it."
He tried to think about what just happened since he was staring at the grey carpet and underside of the front seat of a car.. His neck hurt too; it was a pain he was familiar with. He'd been hit there by her before, just on the side of the neck in the slope that meets the shoulder.
"Am I...Am I tied up?!" This was a change from anything she'd ever done.
"Dick, you're going to help me get Nell." His heart started to break, and he could feel tears come to the corners of his eyes. He was grateful Jane was still driving and couldn't see him. "We'll be at the daycare in just a minute. You're going to run inside, grab Nell, and bring her out. I keep the car running, and we go." Who's we, he thought, and where could they all go together.
"I'm going to count to sixty from the moment I let you out of the car; you better be back outside with Nell before I get to sixty." He wretched at the thought of going inside the daycare to grab Nell, and bringing her outside to this woman. "Did you hear me?!" He grunted in response to her fist hitting his ribs. She wasn't looking back over the front seat to aim her swinging fist.
The car stopped a moment later, and settled into park. Dick felt his arms being lifted over his back towards the ceiling of the car. He pulled his arms down towards his back and then felt his arms and wrists break free. Jane had cut the rope from his wrists.
"Your job is to grab Nell, and bring her out to me. Are you ready?" She doesn't have any intention of making me part of this, he thought. He sighed, still on the floor of the car, nearly resigned to stay there in protest. She looked over her shoulder and lowered the knife use to cut his rope, "Feel this knife in your back...if you don't do it, I go get her," and she pressed it harder into his ribs.
"Ow ow ow ok, ok," he squeaked out through a tight throat and clenched eyes.
"Compose that stupid face of yours and go inside to get her. Sixty seconds." As he took a deep breath and pushed himself up and into the back seat, Jane let fly a series of expletives and names for Dick that are reserved for the weakest men and most terrible women.
He slid out the back door and stood on the curb next to the car, looking at the daycare front door.
"59, 58, 57..." He cringed and moved towards the door. Pulling it open, he could feel pain in his wrists and neck. They were familiar; he knew how to hide it.
"Hi Dick!" said the cheery receptionist. "Didn't you just drop off Nell?"
"Yeah, I missed her though...don't want to spend the afternoon without her." He kept walking past her desk and towards the room where Nell always liked to play. It had a small jungle gym in it.
"Dick you need to sign in..."
"I'll get it on the way out."
"Ok..." the sound of the receptionist's high voice died in his head. He walked down the hall and pushed open the door to the playroom. Nell was on the slide.
"Daddy!!" She jumped down the slide and ran to him. She was physical like her mother, and he could feel her strength when he knelt to hug her. He could feel her arms around his ribs while he hugged her shoulders.
"Let's hurry, honey, we have to go." She looked at him, smiling. Big brown eyes sparkeled and searched his. She smiled and ran to get get her coat. "Honey..no...just..."
"Hi Dick. Picking up Nell early today?" It was the daycare administrator; she was an older woman, slightly taller than Dick. She dressed in a cardigan and long skirt. Her thin glasses rested around her neck, hangin from a chain. Her gray hair was short and neat.
"Yes, just wanted to taker her out for something fun."
"Dick, if you need help with anything..." He stood up and faced her, "...please don't hesitate to call us..."
"Thanks Mary." She knew his homelife, and she knew Nell.
"Thanks, we're fine," He took a deep breath. "I just wanted to see Nell."
"I understand." She watched Nell holding her jacket and run back to Dick. Nell grabbed his leg and hugged it. He turned down to look at her brown hair, and he brushed it aside to see her face. In a moment of quiet reprieve, Nell and Dick adored the look from the other.
"I told you sixty seconds." The voice was like ice.
Dick, Nell and Mary turned to look at her. Jane was standing in the playroom, blocking the door. her shoulders looked broad and her fists were clenched.
Mary looked at the telephone on the wall without moving her head. As soon as she reached out for it, Jane jumped towards her and pushed Mary against the far wall. Jane was stronger now, and fueled by her anger and frustration with Dick. At the same moment Jane pushed Mary, Dick took a step that put him between Mary and Nell, who backed her self against the wall instinctively, watching again as the violence of her mother took over the room.
"I TOLD YOU SIXTY SECONDS!" Jane screamed, turning to look at Dick.
"Jane, I tried, she had to her jacket and..."
"I don't care!" Jane took a step towards Dick. He backed a step. "You can't do ANYTHING right!" she seethed. "I told you sixty seconds," she said it in a low voice. She lunged at Dick and pushed both hands into his chest, forcing him into the middle of the room. The kids in the room, silent and still, watched this woman push the father of their young friend.
"I hate you," she ground through her teeth, quiet enough that only he could hear it. He backed up another step and felt something behind is legs. He looked down and saw it was a tiny chair, just the height meant for three and four year olds.
She saw his eyes look down and she pushed him again, both hands to the chest. He fell over the chair, backwards, and his head hit the corner of the jungle gym. Coroners would discover it later, but the corner of the that wooden play structure had pushed part of his cervical vertebrae into his spine.
In one move Jane pushed Dick, turned and grabbed Nell who started to run towards the door, and ran out of the room. Nell, being held against her mother's chest and nearly over her shoulder, had a view of the playroom while her mom carried her out the door. Her dad was laying still on the floor, eyes open towards the ceiling; Mary was picking up the phone to call someone, maybe an ambulance or the police, and Nell's favorite pink jacket was on the floor.
She was stronger now, from spending time at the gym, and she could tell this because Dick was easier than ever to drag to the couch. Jane propped up his limp body like he'd been watching TV, and then walked to the garage to get rope. She brought it in and began to tie his hands behind his back.
She looked at his pale face, disgusted at his fair skin and slight frame. She couldn't remember why she was ever interested in this shadow of a man.
What was next, she thought? She made it to Dick's house. That was tough enough. She could take his car, but Dick has seen her now. He's a foot print, she thought, a way for someone to follow me. If he wakes up, the police starting looking. She didn't have time either: police would find out about this house from their daughter's daycare records. It's on the emergency records for each child. Jane found the car keys on the ground, ran to Dick's car, and pulled into the garage. She closed the garage door, thinking, no one will see me put Dick's body into the car. Then I'm off. I need time. I need to make time...
Jane was sweating now. She found the bathroom in the house, wiped the sweat off with a towel, and looked in the mirror. Her blonde streaked hair was falling out of its pony tail. Her cheeks were flushed from moving Dick's limp body around a tiny garage and into the car. She fixed her ponytail, tucking in loose strands of hair.
Jane went back to the car and go in. I could go to Rob's house, but the police know who he is, and that we've dated. I could pick up Nell, but how? She looked over the seat into the back: Dick was tied up with the rope she found in the garage. His limp body was in the footwell of the backseat. She opened the garage door, started the car, and backed out. Daycare it is.
"Dick, wake up." She looked at him laying on the floor mats. "Dick, wake UP!" No response. "WAKE UP!" she said, hitting his shoulder with her fist. He moved a little and made a muffled sound. Dick blinked his eyes.
"Pay attention."
"What's going on?" he managed to say.
"You're going to help me get Nell. I sure can't do it."
He tried to think about what just happened since he was staring at the grey carpet and underside of the front seat of a car.. His neck hurt too; it was a pain he was familiar with. He'd been hit there by her before, just on the side of the neck in the slope that meets the shoulder.
"Am I...Am I tied up?!" This was a change from anything she'd ever done.
"Dick, you're going to help me get Nell." His heart started to break, and he could feel tears come to the corners of his eyes. He was grateful Jane was still driving and couldn't see him. "We'll be at the daycare in just a minute. You're going to run inside, grab Nell, and bring her out. I keep the car running, and we go." Who's we, he thought, and where could they all go together.
"I'm going to count to sixty from the moment I let you out of the car; you better be back outside with Nell before I get to sixty." He wretched at the thought of going inside the daycare to grab Nell, and bringing her outside to this woman. "Did you hear me?!" He grunted in response to her fist hitting his ribs. She wasn't looking back over the front seat to aim her swinging fist.
The car stopped a moment later, and settled into park. Dick felt his arms being lifted over his back towards the ceiling of the car. He pulled his arms down towards his back and then felt his arms and wrists break free. Jane had cut the rope from his wrists.
"Your job is to grab Nell, and bring her out to me. Are you ready?" She doesn't have any intention of making me part of this, he thought. He sighed, still on the floor of the car, nearly resigned to stay there in protest. She looked over her shoulder and lowered the knife use to cut his rope, "Feel this knife in your back...if you don't do it, I go get her," and she pressed it harder into his ribs.
"Ow ow ow ok, ok," he squeaked out through a tight throat and clenched eyes.
"Compose that stupid face of yours and go inside to get her. Sixty seconds." As he took a deep breath and pushed himself up and into the back seat, Jane let fly a series of expletives and names for Dick that are reserved for the weakest men and most terrible women.
He slid out the back door and stood on the curb next to the car, looking at the daycare front door.
"59, 58, 57..." He cringed and moved towards the door. Pulling it open, he could feel pain in his wrists and neck. They were familiar; he knew how to hide it.
"Hi Dick!" said the cheery receptionist. "Didn't you just drop off Nell?"
"Yeah, I missed her though...don't want to spend the afternoon without her." He kept walking past her desk and towards the room where Nell always liked to play. It had a small jungle gym in it.
"Dick you need to sign in..."
"I'll get it on the way out."
"Ok..." the sound of the receptionist's high voice died in his head. He walked down the hall and pushed open the door to the playroom. Nell was on the slide.
"Daddy!!" She jumped down the slide and ran to him. She was physical like her mother, and he could feel her strength when he knelt to hug her. He could feel her arms around his ribs while he hugged her shoulders.
"Let's hurry, honey, we have to go." She looked at him, smiling. Big brown eyes sparkeled and searched his. She smiled and ran to get get her coat. "Honey..no...just..."
"Hi Dick. Picking up Nell early today?" It was the daycare administrator; she was an older woman, slightly taller than Dick. She dressed in a cardigan and long skirt. Her thin glasses rested around her neck, hangin from a chain. Her gray hair was short and neat.
"Yes, just wanted to taker her out for something fun."
"Dick, if you need help with anything..." He stood up and faced her, "...please don't hesitate to call us..."
"Thanks Mary." She knew his homelife, and she knew Nell.
"Thanks, we're fine," He took a deep breath. "I just wanted to see Nell."
"I understand." She watched Nell holding her jacket and run back to Dick. Nell grabbed his leg and hugged it. He turned down to look at her brown hair, and he brushed it aside to see her face. In a moment of quiet reprieve, Nell and Dick adored the look from the other.
"I told you sixty seconds." The voice was like ice.
Dick, Nell and Mary turned to look at her. Jane was standing in the playroom, blocking the door. her shoulders looked broad and her fists were clenched.
Mary looked at the telephone on the wall without moving her head. As soon as she reached out for it, Jane jumped towards her and pushed Mary against the far wall. Jane was stronger now, and fueled by her anger and frustration with Dick. At the same moment Jane pushed Mary, Dick took a step that put him between Mary and Nell, who backed her self against the wall instinctively, watching again as the violence of her mother took over the room.
"I TOLD YOU SIXTY SECONDS!" Jane screamed, turning to look at Dick.
"Jane, I tried, she had to her jacket and..."
"I don't care!" Jane took a step towards Dick. He backed a step. "You can't do ANYTHING right!" she seethed. "I told you sixty seconds," she said it in a low voice. She lunged at Dick and pushed both hands into his chest, forcing him into the middle of the room. The kids in the room, silent and still, watched this woman push the father of their young friend.
"I hate you," she ground through her teeth, quiet enough that only he could hear it. He backed up another step and felt something behind is legs. He looked down and saw it was a tiny chair, just the height meant for three and four year olds.
She saw his eyes look down and she pushed him again, both hands to the chest. He fell over the chair, backwards, and his head hit the corner of the jungle gym. Coroners would discover it later, but the corner of the that wooden play structure had pushed part of his cervical vertebrae into his spine.
In one move Jane pushed Dick, turned and grabbed Nell who started to run towards the door, and ran out of the room. Nell, being held against her mother's chest and nearly over her shoulder, had a view of the playroom while her mom carried her out the door. Her dad was laying still on the floor, eyes open towards the ceiling; Mary was picking up the phone to call someone, maybe an ambulance or the police, and Nell's favorite pink jacket was on the floor.
