TRACY

Posted by Slarti

Wednesday, March 23 3:17 p.m.

Sweat poured down Tracy’s face. In the 100-degree plus weather the torrid rays coming from the sun were doubled by those emanating from the superheated asphalt beneath her tires. All four windows were open, but it only seemed to suck the heat in while sucking the life out. Inwardly she cursed her husband for failing to get the air conditioner fixed, well, cursed him for mismanaging their finances so badly that they could not afford to have North Hills look at it and fix it. She glanced at her watch. It was three seventeen and the kids should have been milling among the line of cars being carted home from their day at school. Her face red, she felt like screaming, like laying on the horn as long as she could to produce an effluence of scrambling children, two of which she needed to get in the car, get it moving to produce at least the movement of air.

Her thoughts turned back to the air conditioner, and softened somewhat. At least this was better than being beaten. She looked at her arm resting on the steering wheel, her gaze coming to rest on scar. Subconsciously she traced its length from her hand almost to the elbow, the heat momentarily forgotten.

She couldn’t feel the shaky sobbing of the small body she was wrapped around. There was nothing but the raw smack of a clenched fist against her naked back. The dress was torn aside and already the welts were turning a sick reddish green as the pummeling continued. “Bitch, bitch, BITCH,” he screamed. She tried to make herself smaller huddling around Cynthy’s small body, a feeble attempt to protect the only thing on earth worth living or dying for. The onslaught stopped. Daring to raise her head she looked up only in time throw her hand out instinctively. She gasped as the hoodless lamp, wielded as a crude club crashed into her arm. Her eyes met the terrified, blood spattered gaze of the child she cradled. “Jesus…” she whimpered.

She heard the car in front of her start up. The children were beginning to flood into the waiting area, and she scanned the crowd for the two familiar faces. Glancing at her watch she tapped the steering wheel nervously. She just knew her boss was going to kill her.