My Brother's Keeper

by Tim Miller

  "Oh God! Holy shit! Yeah!" Nadine moaned as she bounced up and down on the man's cock. His name was Bill, or Phil or something like that. She'd hit the bar early in the afternoon where she met Bill/Phil. It had been so long since she'd had sex it was almost inhuman. The urge for a man's touch had been building up in her for so long. She finally said fuck it. Bobby was gone and Simon couldn't bug them so she went for it.

  She brought Bill/Phil back to her house where they wasted no time going at it. They had sex on the couch, on the living room floor and on the kitchen counter. They made it to the bedroom, which was much more comfortable. Bill/Phil had a nice thick cock she'd be happy to ride all night. The rest of his body wasn't so great. It wasn't terrible. He had a slight paunch in his gut along with a decent set of love handles. His chest was mildly flabby, but hands and arms were strong.

  Not as if she was going to make a calendar of the guy, she just wanted to fuck him. His dick worked and stretched her out good, so she could live with his body. Not that hers was perfect. Fifteen years ago, she barely had an ounce of fat on her. She used to go hiking, jogging, and tubing. All that ended with Simon. She could barely do those things after Bobby was born. Once Simon came along, forget it. Over the years, she'd gained fifty pounds and the idea of running anywhere made her short of breath.

  "Ah! God! Yes! Yes!" She screamed as she climaxed while Bill/Phil ejaculated inside her. Once they were done, she lay down and took out a cigarette.

  "Damn!" Bill/Phil said. "You're amazing!"

  "Thanks, Bill," she said hoping she was right. It was a 50/50 shot.

  "Bill? My name is Kent. Who is Bill?"

  How the hell did she come up with Bill/Phil?

  "Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm still a bit buzzed I guess; it's been so long."

  "No big deal," he said. "What's that?"

  There were muffled screams coming from the closet. Simon. Shit!

  "Oh, it's nothing." Nadine tried to play it off as she took a drag from her cigarette. She hadn't smoked in ages, but she couldn't resist an after-sex smoke. It didn't shut Simon up though. He kept on screaming. The kid was persistent.

  "Is that a kid screaming in the closet? He asked as he started to get up. Fuck. She was going to deal with it. Nadine jumped up with the sheet around her and walked to the closet and threw the door open. She dragged the footlocker across the floor and to the edge of the bed. She climbed back in and as she lie on her stomach, began undoing latches.

  "Is that a fucking kid in there?" Kent said, looking more curious than anything.

  "Pretty much," Nadine said as she undid the latch and threw the lid open. She was immediately met by a horrific smell. Simon's screaming was ten times louder with the locker opened. Simon lay on his back, wide-eyed, and screaming at the top of his lungs while staring up at the ceiling.

  "Are you kidding me? Did you piss and shit yourself?" she said.

  "Jesus fucking Christ!" Kent said. "What is wrong with him? You keep your kid in a box?"

  "He don't know what's going on. He was born with autism. This is all he does since he was born," and then leaned in toward Simon. "Isn't it Simon?" She sat back and shook her head. "This is my life. And this is the only way I can take a break."

  "Why not just hire a babysitter?"

  "You think a fucking babysitter would take this job? Fuck no. They nearly laugh at me if I even ask." She took a drag of the cigarette and looked at Simon. "Will you shut up? No one is fucking listening to you kid! My God! I'm telling you. This kid was put here on earth to destroy my life. I'm fucking sick of it."

  By now, Kent was just looking at her, horrified. She just smiled and took the cigarette and pressed it against the bottom of Simon's foot. He continued screaming, but this time twisting and jerking. She grabbed his ankle, squeezing it tight as she twisted the hot cigarette butt into his flesh. He struggled as he sat up and began hitting her. The blows didn't hurt, but it pissed her off that he'd strike her. She backhanded him in the side of the face knocking him onto his back as he kept screaming.

  He tried to sit up and climb out, but she grabbed him by his pajama bottoms and pulled them down, pressing the cigarette into his bare bottom. This time he screamed again as he tried to turn to hit her. She grabbed the lid and flipped it forward, hitting his head and knocking him to the side. Simon grabbed the top of his head as he cried and screamed again.

  Kent stood and began pulling his pants on.

  "Jesus Christ. You're one fucked up bitch," he said. "You're torturing the kid!"

  "This is family business. Get the hell out if it bothers you."

  "Don't worry, I plan to," he pulled on his shirt and walked toward the door.

  "See ya," Nadine said as the door slammed shut as he left. Good. She really just wanted a one night stand. Him storming off only made it easy on her.

  "I guess I should clean you up, huh?" she said as she got dressed and picked him up under her arm. Taking him into the bathroom, she turned on the water. Unlike last time, she cranked the faucet on to hot water. The water was steaming as she shoved him down into it. He kicked and splashed, getting the hot water on her face and arms and she shoved him under the water and scrubbed with the scrub brush. He kept screaming and she finally shoved his face under the hot water. Her hand stung as the hot water burned into it. She lifted his head out as he heaved and wheezed trying to catch his breath. His face was red and puffy around his eyes.

  "You done screaming?" she asked. Once he got his breath, he began screaming again. She lowered his head back into the water. He struggled and kicked, but she was far stronger than he. After a few seconds, she pulled him back out. This time his face was red and blistered as he continued huffing for breath. She pulled him out and toweled him off and put clean clothes on him. At least he was done screaming. All he did was make short, quick breathing and heaving sounds.

  She sat him onto the bed where he just lie on his back heaving while she cleaned out the trunk so it wouldn't smell like shit. As she picked him up, she looked over to her son. His hair was wild, sticking out in all directions, as his eyes were wide as he heaved.

  "Simon, you're going to pass out if you keep doing that," she said but he ignored her. "Simon? Simon listen to me!" He still didn't react to her so she lay him back into the foot locker. "Fine then, just keep huffing and puffing." She closed the lid and latched it shut, sliding it back into the closet. Once he was back inside, she lie in bed and lit up another cigarette. Looking up at the ceiling, she wondered what she'd do when Simon outgrew the box.

  Chapter 14

  Miss Martin pulled up to the house as Bobby sat looking in the opposite direction. While he was glad to be out of lock up, he wasn't sure what to think of going home. He hoped Simon was ok, but wasn't what to do. Their mom was getting worse and no telling how much more Simon could take, or how far she was willing to go.

  "You doing ok?" Miss Martin asked. "Want me to go in with you?"

  "Nah. I'll be all right. Looks like mom is at work." If so, where was Simon? Her car was gone.

  "Ok. You have my number. Call me if you need anything. Try not to be too hard on yourself. You got a lot on your plate for a twelve-year-old."

  "I will. Thanks Miss Martin," he said as he got out of the car and ran to the house. He dug into his manila envelope containing his belongings, pulled out his house key, and unlocked the door. As he went inside, the place was quiet and filthy. Without him around to help the place was disgusting. Dirty dishes were piled along the sink, counter and even stacked on the kitchen floor.

  In the living room, an ashtray had spilled and more rotten food was strewn about the couch and floor. Empty soda cans were thrown all over the house as if the whole place was a dumpster. He did most of the cleaning around the house. He'd had no idea how much of the cleaning he did until just now. The whole house smelled of rotten food and smoke.

  He headed upstairs and looked around. His room remained untouched at least. Problem was, so did Simon's room. He was always in there playing with his
Power Rangers toys or pretending to blow up his Matchbox cars. There were still toys all over the floor, but only a few and they looked like they'd been sitting there for a while.

  He walked by his mom's room and peeked inside, other than a pile of clothes and unmade bed the room was empty. As he walked by, he thought he heard something coming from the room. Bobby stopped and leaned back in, it was a muffled noise, but he couldn't make it out. Stepping into the room, he listened. It was coming from the closet.

  Once he opened the closet door he saw the foot locker and heard the pounding and screaming coming from inside. Oh no. He pulled the locker out and undid the latch, flipping it open to reveal Simon inside it. His hair and eyes were wild as he screamed and heaved for air. His face was red and swollen with blisters on his cheeks and forehead.

  "Oh my God," Bobby said.

  "Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!" Simon screamed as he jumped up and hugged Bobby so tight, he thought the kid would strangle him. Simon was still breathing like crazy but had begun to calm down.

  "Simon! Did mom put you in there?"

  Simon leaned back and nodded frantically.

  "She did! She put me in the hot bath tub and said she needed to wash my face."

  "How long have you been in there? Since I left?"

  Simon nodded again.

  "Jesus. We need to get out of here. I'll call Miss Martin."

  Bobby stood and ran to the phone on the nightstand. He didn't have a cell phone and his mom had hers with her. He picked up the phone but there was no dial tone. She didn't pay the bill. Shit.

  "Ok. Let's go across the street. Mrs. Mosier will let us use her phone." Bobby picked up Simon and carried him down the stairs and through the living room. He couldn't believe she'd locked him in that box. Poor Simon had to be so scared in there. Bobby wondered if they do survive their mom, how screwed up they will both be when they grow up.

  As he got out the front door, their mom's car pulled into the driveway. She saw them, slammed on the brakes, and jumped out.

  "What are you doing here? Where do you think you're going?" She screamed.

  "They let me out! You locked Simon in a box! What the hell is wrong with you?"

  She walked up, slapped him across the face, and grabbed him by the shirt, dragging them both inside. He wanted to fight her, but not while he was carrying Simon. He wasn't sure how well Simon could walk after being locked in a little box for over a week. Once in the kitchen, he sat Simon down and turned to say something when his mom had swung a frying pan at him, striking him in the side of the face.

  Simon screamed as Bobby saw stars, falling to the floor. She leaned in close to his face and began screaming.

  "How dare you tell me how to raise my son you pathetic, ungrateful little shit!" Her breath smelled of liquor as she screamed. She'd been at the bar all day most likely. "Get up!" She grabbed him by the shirt again and dragged him upstairs.

  "Bobby! No! Bobby!" Simon ran over and to Bobby's surprise, punched their mom in the side of the leg. It had no effect though as she turned and kicked Simon in the stomach, knocking him across the room. Bobby tried to struggle but he was still dazed and off balance with the blow from the frying pan. She dragged Bobby up the stairs and threw him into his room, pulling the door shut.

  Bobby slid face first across the floor as the door slammed behind him. He sat up trying to get his bearings when he heard her tying something around the doorknob. Walking over, he tried the door but it wouldn't open.

  "I wired the door shut asshole!" his mom screamed. "So you might be out of the county jail but you ain't outta mine! You hear me? You'll come out of there when I am good and fucking ready!"

  He walked over and sat on the bed, looking out the window. If he wasn't on a second story, he'd go out the window. But it was a long drop with nothing to climb on or break his fall. This is not how his homecoming was supposed to go. He heard his mom thunder back down stairs and shortly after, Simon's cries turned into screams.

  Chapter 15

  Nadine wondered if this is what losing your mind felt like. She lay on her bed looking down at the footlocker listening to Simon pounding and screaming. She'd boiled a kettle of water and would intermittently open the locker and pour the boiling water over some part of Simon's body. It was very little, like just a bit more than a few drops, but it was enough to make him go nuts.

  She wasn't sure why but she felt a strange mix satisfaction, excitement and possibly pleasure watching him suffer. It had become a little game for her to see how he'd react to different things. Sort of like pulling the wings off flies. The first few times she'd hurt him, it was out of rage for whatever fucked up thing the kid had done. At some point, she'd become convinced that he did all this on purpose. It was as if the universe had sent Simon to punish her for some unknown reason.

  Her tormenting him was her way of telling the universe to fuck off. See? They haven't phased her one bit. She's taken something bad and turned it into her plaything. Maybe she wasn't crazy after all. Or maybe this was exactly how crazy people thought. She wasn't sure anymore what normal was supposed to feel like. Simon had quieted down. Opening the lid again, he looked at her wide-eyed but didn't scream this time.

  "I love you, mommy," he said. "I'm sorry you hate me."

  She stopped and looked at him. That wasn't supposed to happen. This kid didn't love her. He may say he did, but then he throws a fit in public, hits her, destroys the kitchen. Not all acts of love. The doctors say his mind just works different, and he can't help it. She supposed that was possible. Even though she doesn't believe in demons, she'd sincerely hoped the exorcism would work, if only just convincing Simon he was better. The fact was, he'd never get better, only bigger.

  Once he was older his tantrums would lessen the doctors said, but they could get more violent when they did happen. He'd be bigger and stronger and could hurt her. She wouldn't let that happen. Then there was Bobby. Over the last year especially, she'd seen his disdain for her grow in his eyes. She had no doubt he hated her. If given the chance, he'd kill her for sure. He'd given her the death stare on more than a few occasions. Something needed to be done about that boy.

  She'd hoped beyond hope that the police would keep him for good this time, but they freed him once again. If it weren't for him, she might be free of Simon by now. Maybe she needed to be free of both of them. Imagine that, life with no kids. No screaming, no tantrums, no cooking meals or stupid kids' TV shows. Just her and her friends. Though she lost any friends, she'd had shortly after her husband's death.

  If she were free now, she could sit around and drink wine, pass out and wake up whenever she wanted. The thought was sounding more and more appealing. The problem was explaining what happened to the boys. Everyone in town knows she has two boys. If they were suddenly gone, not like she could just blow it off.

  "If you love me, Simon, why do you do this? Why do you act like a wild animal and scream and fight and break things?"

  He hung his head and looked away from her.

  "I don't know. I don't mean to." He said.

  "I mean, I've tried to be nice. I've tried to be a good mom. But no, that never works. All you do is scream, fight, throw fits. With you Simon, it just never ends. Ever. So here we are. I think I am actually going crazy."

  He looked up at her.

  "You see? I'm finally losing my fucking mind. And you know the really weird part? I think I like it. So far, it feels so freeing. Weird shit pops into my head, and I just do it."

  "Will you stop hurting me mommy? Please? I promise I'll be good."

  "I know you say that Simon, but you can't help yourself. You might be good for a day or two. Then you'll sink right back into your crazy antics."

  "I won't mommy. I promise. I'll be good!" His voice began to rise as desperation took hold. "Please!"

  "You're about to throw another fit, I can see it coming."

  "But mommy!" Simon began to scream. She smirked while watching him try to keep it together. In a quick motion, Simon jumpe
d to his feet and scurried out of the box and to the door. She hadn't expected him to do that as she almost spilled the hot water on herself getting to her feet. By the time she reached him, he had the bedroom door open, but she grabbed onto him.

  He wedged himself halfway between the doorway and tried to wiggle out, but she held on to his shirt. Grabbing the door, she began slamming it, hitting his body and head repetitively as he began screaming again. She slammed the door on him several more times until he fell to the ground, curling up into a fetal position as he screamed.

  She picked him up and walked back over to the footlocker as he began to struggle.

  "No! No! No!" he screamed, but she ignored him, shoving him back into the box. He screamed again. This time putting his face inches from her and screaming as loud as he could. Whenever he did this, he looked like a feral child out of some jungle movie. His eyes and hair wild with his mouth wide open.

  She grabbed him by the face and pinched his cheeks forcing his mouth open. Grabbing the kettle, she held it over him and poured the boiling water down his throat. Simon finally stopped screaming.

  Chapter 16

  Bobby sat by the door listening to the screaming. When it finally stopped, he grew even more concerned. Either she backed off for now or killed him. He was afraid to know for sure. He walked over and tried the door again, but it wasn't budging. He even tried slamming his shoulder into it, but with no luck. Whatever she'd done to secure the door, she'd done a thorough job of it.

  As he turned away from the door and almost reached the bed when the door swung open. He spun around to see his mom there with a wooden baseball bat, swinging and nailing him in the stomach. He skidded across the floor as he doubled over holding his stomach. The wind rushed out of his lungs as he gasped for air.

  "You think Simon is the only one who deserves an ass kicking? You've had this coming for a long time."

  Bobby tried to get to his feet, but couldn't breathe right.