Today I have an extra special treat for you all. Below is an excerpt from
Joyce Scarbrough's book,
DIFFERENT ROADS. It's full of powerful emotion. Read and judge for yourself.
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She counted to ten, then she turned the knob and pushed open the door in one swift motion, running with her eyes closed after all. She’d thought she knew the exact location of every piece of worn-out furniture in the living room, but she forgot the gym bag she’d left in front of the couch and tripped over it at a full run, ending up sprawled in the middle of the floor with the breath knocked out of her.
Heedless of the pain in her chest and lungs, she scrambled across the floor on her hands and knees, the nightmare returning in a vivid rush. She couldn’t see anything, but she knew something horrible was there, hurting her with its monster hands as it got ready to eat her at any second. She curled herself into a ball and sobbed in terror and desolation, a six-year-old once again with no one to comfort her, wishing with all her might that her daddy would come and save her.
But he didn’t come, and Jaycee stayed that way until the room filled with the gray light of dawn. She climbed into her bed and lay shivering in the early-morning air, unable to sleep despite her exhaustion. Her body ached from her night on the floor, and she felt like an idiot because she hadn’t been able to overcome the fear. She pulled up the blanket to warm herself with her breath just as the door banged open, and her father stared at her from the doorway with red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes.
She peered at him over the edge of the blanket. “What the hell do you want?”
“Where is he, girl?” Jake asked. “Hiding under the blanket with you?”
Jaycee sighed. Shit, here we go again.
“There’s nobody here, Jake. I’ve been alone all night as usual.”
He staggered into the room and lunged toward the bed, reaching out to grab the covers and snatch them off. Jaycee tried to hold on, but her fingers were cold and it affected her grip.
“Why you still got all your clothes on?” he demanded. “You just get home?”
“You wouldn’t have to ask me that if you’d been here.” Jaycee hugged her arms around herself and shivered. “Leave me alone and go sleep it off, old man.”
Before she saw it coming, the back of his right hand connected with her cheekbone, then all she saw for a moment were bursts of light inside her head.
“Don’t call me an old man, you smart-mouthed little tramp! I can still whip your ass, and your horny little boyfriend’s too! Now where the hell is he?”
It was useless to argue with him when he was like this, so Jaycee just tried to protect her face with her arms. “He left, okay? He’s gone!”
Jake grabbed her by both arms and pulled her upright on the bed. “Didn’t I tell you not to bring him here no more? This is my house, and you ain’t playing your nasty little games under my roof!” His heavily muscled laborer’s arms shook her until her head wobbled on her neck. “I know what you do with him. I saw you that day I came home and found you with your hand in his pants and your tits in his face!”
Jaycee knew she would pay for her next words, but she said them anyway.
“And you can’t stand it because you wish it was you. Don’t you, Jake?”
He threw her backward and her head banged against the headboard, setting off more lights behind her eyes. Before her vision had time to clear, Jaycee knew a blow was coming because she heard him taking off his belt, so she pulled up her legs in defense.
“You shut your dirty mouth!” he yelled as he swung the belt. “Don’t you ever talk to me like that, I’m your father!”
Jaycee had been covering her face with her arms as the belt struck her over and over, but she lifted her head and caught the belt in her hand.
“But that’s what makes it so bad, Jake! My own father drooling over me worse than the boys at school. You think I don’t see you looking at me, hoping to get a peek at something every time I reach up or bend over? Well, here’s an eyeful for you, old man! Have yourself a good look!”
She pulled up her shirt and exposed her breasts. Jake gasped and dropped the belt to cover his eyes.
“You filthy little slut,” he said through his tears. “Lying little whore.”
“Don’t try to deny it, Jake. If I’m lying, then why do you have that world-class boner?”
He looked down at the protrusion in his work pants and let out a choked sob, then he turned and ran from the room. Jaycee got off the bed and picked up the belt, throwing it out the door behind him.
“That’s right! Run away and hide, you perverted old man! And don’t come near me again or I’ll write something to tell the whole town how you get your jollies!” She slammed the door and locked it, then she threw herself on the bed and curled into a ball.
Well, she’d gotten what she’d wished for all night. Her daddy had finally come home.
