It Could Be Porn
Gabriel Duncan

Sheryl Walker was on her tip-toes, trying to reach the deluxe twenty-seven seventeen airplane model with retractable cargo doors. This was going to be her son's Christmas present. Just as she was about to retrieve it, her cellular phone rang. She had learned by now to pick it up right away. The cell phone rang once more and her sigh was punctuated by the crash of the model plane.

"Hi, Ted." Sheryl began to pick up the box. Sarcasm dripped from her words and dribbled out of her now dry mouth.

There was chink of glass to glass.

Ted's voice filled the phone. "Sheryl, can you come down and pick me up?"

The woman looked at the mangled box in her hands. "I'm shopping for Christmas presents right now, Ted. Can you give me a few?"

"You've got ten minutes." She could just imagine her husband belch and slam the phone down on bar.

Sheryl Walker was on the edge. Max was the pinnacle of their relationship. And the breaking point. Ted and Sheryl had their son, Max, eight years ago. The stress of a new child created enough pressure to finally split their families for good. Ted's parents, born and raised Christian were upset that the child was born out of wedlock. Sheryl's parents were angry because she was sixteen at the time. Each set of parents blamed their own child, and made it hard to live with a baby. And, secretly, each child blamed the other. Their child would be the only thing to keep them together. Ted, who had always searched for the love and affection of his parents, had begun to believe his parents' doctrine. And he was becoming abusive.

"About fucking time you showed up." Ted slurred drunkenly as he collapsed into his seat.

The smell of whiskey and cigarettes seemed over powering to Sheryl. "I'm sorry. The lines were long."

"After you drop me off, go pick up Max." Ted told her.

Sheryl reminded herself that school would be out soon. "Okay."

The car pulled up in the gravel driveway in front of their house. Ted stumbled out of the car, closing the door behind himself. She watched him stagger a few feet and then come back and stick his head inside the window.

"You know what?" He was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I've got a better idea, come on inside with me."

Sheryl was used to this. The drunken, fumbling sex. Ted's sticky fingers all over her body. She had to try hard not to shudder as she entered the house. True to form, Ted pinned her up against the wall. Hands groping her body, he kissed her hand. Sheryl wasn't going to enjoy this time. She didn't want to do this. His hands pushed up her shirt and squeezed roughly at her breasts. She didn't want to do this. But she could bear it this last time. Like all of the other last times before. His hand slid between her legs, fingers groping at her violently. She didn't want to do this.

"Stop, Ted." She said weakly.

Ted stopped. "What?" He asked, taken aback.

"Not now, I have to pick up Max."

"C'mon, baby. There's time enough for a quickie," His eyes flashed, like he thought this was some kind of exotic kink.

"No."

The man's hand silenced her quickly. Sheryl stood still. Seeing this act of insolence, Ted punched her in the stomach. She remained quiet. Ted punched her another time, in the chest. There was pain there, somewhere. But this had become such a constant thing that Sheryl hardly even noticed it when she hit the ground. She was barely aware of Ted's weight above her. Or his knee in her side. Or his fists lashing out at the flesh of her body. But this was different. She could see in his eyes that he actually wanted to kill her. It wasn't much longer, maybe five minutes that Ted finally got off her. Sheryl couldn't feel her face anymore.

"Undress and get into bed." He stroked her face gently, a nice double message. His hand was almost soothing against the heat of the swelling beneath her face. "I won't be long."

In the car on the way to Max, she thought about what had happened. How frequent this had become. Her body was one large knot. And she could barely breathe. Her ribs were broken, again. Or cracked. And she was sure her wrist was as well, after she had tried to fight back. This couldn't happen any longer. Sheryl picked up her cellular phone and called the school.

"Hello?" Her voice was calm, "Could you please hold Max Bundy in the office? I'm late getting off work and I will be there as soon as possible. Alright. Thank you kindly."

Sheryl sat on the lid of the toilet in front of Ted's body. His eyes were still open, a look of surprise and fury. Though his eyes were dead and translucent film had covered them, she couldn't still see the fury. She could still feel his cold glare, even though his pupils were blown. She didn't know what would happen from here. But she needed to pick up max.

She would pick up Max after she packed for them both. There was still time enough.