Author's Note: Heyyyy! I'm super happy with this Niffty fic, though it did run way longer than I had originally planned it to be, so it will be a 2 parter. Although I am really happy with it, please do keep in mind that this fic has a few mentions of things that may be triggering to some people so please read with caution as this fic contains themes of heavy abuse, SA, child loss, and the possible misrepresentation of outdated, sloppy medical "practice".
Nellie sat on the ground, a trembling hand reaching up to wipe the blood from her lip as she watched her husband walk over to his easy chair and settle in front of the tv, turning up the volume to drown out the whimpers she was working so hard to keep down. Glass littered the floor around her from the vase he had smashed over her head. It was a shame because she had loved that vase, and the flowers that had been in it were new; picked up at the market just this morning to brighten up the dinner table.
She heard the tv volume lower for a moment, a small spark of hope ignited in her chest as she looked up and met her husband’s eyes for a moment. “Get up off the floor, Nells,” he sneered, pulling a face before turning back to the television, “You look pathetic.”
It took a moment for her to force herself to move, whimpering as glass pierced the skin of her palms as she forced herself to her feet.
Things hadn’t always been this way. Lyle had been perfect once upon a time; tall, dark and handsome, the blue-eyed angel type who wreaked of old money and expensive liquor. He was the type of man women swooned over but the smooth talker that he was, he charmed Nellie into being his girl. Nellie, once young, wild, and free, had fallen hard for him back then. The expensive dates, flowers just because, soft touches and passionate kisses, and then a ring to shackle her to the house. It all felt too good to be true when she said yes; when she stood at that altar in that white dress and went from Ms to Mrs…. And then reality hit her… Or rather Lyle hit her. And though he prided himself on being a doctor, his hands never healed Nellie after they broke her.
Nellie stood in the kitchen, grabbing the broom and dustpan to clean up the mess Lyle had made once again. She always seemed to be cleaning up his messes now; always fighting to keep their house a happy home despite knowing in her heart that this wasn’t a home or a marriage, but a cell for her to await the death sentence she knew was waiting for her at the end of this all…
She didn’t notice the blood dripping down her thighs, her mind too preoccupied with the mess. She didn’t notice the bleeding as she swept up the glass, she didn’t notice the bleeding when she picked up the flowers, taking a moment to mourn the beauty in their broken stems and lost petals before throwing them in the trash… Nellie didn’t notice the blood until she felt the cramping.
Panic gripped her as she brought her hand down, praying that this wasn’t what she thought it was as she slowly reached beneath the floral print of her house dress and feeling the warm blood that had been running down her legs. “No….” She breathed as she stared at the light red staining her fingertips. “No, no, no, no,no… Lyle!”
Grumbling, Lyle reluctantly got up from his recliner, following his wife’s voice to the kitchen. “What?” His eyes widened just a bit as he saw Nellie standing there, blood on her hands. “Well shit, lost another one, huh, Nels?”
Nellie stood there, staring at the blood on her hand, her heart beating wildly in her chest, drowning out Lyle’s voice. Despite not being the first time she found herself unable to carry to term, the sight and feeling was jarring nonetheless… No matter how many times it happened, it always felt as if her world was crashing down around her, a feeling she didn’t think she’d ever get used to.
“Don’t just fucking stand there staring at the damn blood, Nellie, go wash your damn hands!” Lyle snapped, giving her a shove that knocked her off balance. “You look like a fucking zombie when you do that shit.”
“Our baby is–”
Lyle cut her off, his voice sharp. “You've spread your legs for dozens of other guys; we don't know that thing was even mine.”
Time seemed to slow as Nellie looked up at her husband, something that… wasn’t quite rage in her eyes as she stumbled. Without a second thought, she pulled her hand back and slapped him. Power surged through her at the stunned look on his face, the blood from her miscarriage smeared across his cheek. “Don’t you fucking dare! I have done everything for you!” She screamed, years of abuse seeming to bubble to the surface all at once. “For three years! Three years and I’ve never said anything about the lipstick on your collar, I let your friends do vile things to me because you wanted me to! I put up with everytime you hit me, every–”
Lyle’s fist came flying at her face suddenly, connecting with her cheek and leaving her reeling as she flew across the dining room. Although it wasn’t the first time she had been struck like this, the hit made her understand the term ‘seeing stars’.
She tried to get up despite her blurry vision, but before she could find her footing, Lyle already had a fist full of her fiery locks, dragging her across the tile of their dining room, no regard for what she hit as they went.
“No! I’m sorry! Please! Please! No!” Her pleading had never gotten her out of situations like this before, but still, she screamed as though it would change anything.
Ignoring his wife’s cries, Lyle used his free hand to pull open the basement door. “Shut your damn mouth!” He snapped.
Nellie tried to hold on, clawing at Lyle’s arm as he opened the door to hell, but she was helpless against the force as he tossed her into the room blanketed in darkness; not bothering to turn on the light to watch as she tumbled down the steps into the darkness.
Dizzy and disoriented, Nellie scrambled to her feet, ignoring the blood trailing down her skin as she rushed up the stairs, reaching the basement door just in time to hear the lock on the other side click into place. “No!” Her fists banged against the thick oak door. “No! You can’t do this! Lyle! Please! Please, I’ll be good! Please…”
As his footsteps faded into nothingness, Nellie dropped to her knees, sobs wracking her thin frame. After a few moments of letting the tears flow, Nellie found her way to her feet, one hand following the familiar path to the light switch. The lights flicker on, but Nellie is already halfway down the creaky step toward the old, stained mattress laying in the back corner of the basement. It isn’t the first time she’s been in this hell, and as long as she’s with Lyle, she knows it won’t be the last…
Nellie wasn’t sure how long she was down in the basement; she never really was when she was dragged down there, the minutes blurring into hours, and the hours into days until time lost all its meaning… She just sat there, holding the small belly bump and sobbing as the blood began to dry. She knew Lyle would come back for her eventually; he always did, it was just a matter of what he would do to her when he did…. Although, as she sat there, her hands on her belly, she almost didn't care what he did.
When he came back down, there were three sets of footsteps, more than normal… Heavier than normal… Despite knowing that pretending to be asleep has never stopped what she knew would come, Nellie rolled her onto her side and steadied her breathing in an attempt to look like she was sleeping.
With her eyes closed, she listened…. Three more steps until they make it to the mattress.
One…
“Damn, you weren't kidding.” Nellie tries her best not to stiffen at the sound of a deep voice, alarms blaring in her head when she realized that she didn’t recognize the voice. “She is a beauty.”
Two…
Another voice chimed in, “I’ve always had a thing for redheads.”
Three…
“Best money I ever spent.” Someone else said, letting out a long, low whistle.
“Have fun with her boys.” Lyle’s voice said from the top of the staircase. “Camera’s on that shelf if you wanna make yourself a little keepsake.”
The door slammed shut no sooner than Lyle finished his sentence, leaving Nellie at the hands of three men who were stranger’s to her. Her stomach churned at the thought of what was to come, and the mattress dips a bit beside her, a calloused hand settling on her thigh where her
dress had ridden up. She could feel at least one of the men looming over her, his breath foul as he said in a gruff whisper, “Rise n’ shine, pretty baby.”
Nellie opened her eyes, though she didn’t want to. She locked eyes with one of the men, but only momentarily before her gaze drifted to the red blinking light of the video camera positioned across from the mattress. Nellie blocked out the voices of the men, blocked out the pain as they took what they wanted from her, focusing only on the red light as her bright green eyes became vacant and her body went limp…
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