What's said is said
Rich 'Brick' Bruttus was about to yell at his woman for burning breakfast when someone knocked on the door. It wasn't a very loud knock; just a polite tapping sound but it got his attention and, for some reason, set him on edge. His woman stayed where he'd thrown her, having learned never to do anything without his permission and he growled angrily. He didn't like things he didn't understand. That was why he'd forbidden her from continuing as an actor. Stupid stuff, made her think she was any good. He startled when the knock came again and smacked his woman when she looked up at him questioningly. Women weren't supposed to ask questions or go out to work. His dad had taught him and his mom that and now he was teaching his woman. He finally stomped to the front door and got ready to yell but stopped when he opened the door. He didn't think this person lived anywhere near here. She was looking at the trash in the hallway with disgust that changed to a pleasant smile when she saw him. For an instance, he imagined a rather predatory gleam in her eye but then it had disappeared and was just another empty smile.
"Hello, I'm looking for Catherine," the young woman said and he scowled. Probably worked for the local theater wanting her for another job.
"She ain't working as an actor no more," Brick grunted and the young woman glanced at him questioningly. He restrained his impulse to smack the look off her face.
"That's surprising. Mother always dreamed of being an actor. But I'd still like to see her," she told him pleasantly and he grumbled but let her in.
"Sarah! What are you doing her?" Catherine asked worriedly, straightening her clothing and glancing at Brick quickly. He ignored them, grabbing a beer and heading to the living room to watch TV.
"Hi mother. I just had to stop by for a minute. I wanted to ask you something," Sarah replied, noticing that Catherine's lip was split again.
"What do you mean 'stop by for a minute'? Sarah, does your father know where you are?" Catherine asked quietly, glancing nervously at her boyfriend and drawing her daughter towards the front door.
"Oh, yes. Father and Karen sent me here. I was wondering if you remember that old book you gave me before you left. The old red one."
"You mean 'The Labyrinth?' I haven't thought of that in ages. What about it?"
"Do you remember, at the beginning of the book, did you ever read the words to send someone to the Goblin King?"
"I don't...yes, I did. Why? Do you want to know the words?" Catherine asked, her curiosity unburied for the moment.
"Catherine, send her on her way and finish breakfast," Brick interrupted and Catherine winced, her back creeping at the thought of him harming her daughter. She sometimes wondered why she stayed with him but then she remembered running out on her daughter and husband for her career when she was younger. She had vowed never to run away from a relationship again, even a painful one like the one she was in. Brick was just misunderstood. Once he realized that she loved him and would never leave him, he would stop trying to hurt her.
"No, I remember them very well. I want you to say them for him," Sarah replied, pointing at Brick and grinning wickedly at her mother. Catherine went white at the thought of what he would do to her. "Except that I want you to say 'I wish the Fairy Queen would take what's-his-name away' instead. Just put his name in there," Sarah added. He yelled and jumped up, spilling his beer, and raised his fist to hit Sarah. Catherine panicked and threw herself in front of Sarah.
"I wish the Fairy Queen would take Brick away," Catherine screamed, trying to protect her daughter with her own body and having no clue what she was actually saying. She vaguely thought that she should be screaming 'No, no, no,' instead as she tackled Sarah, sending her stumbling towards the door, and expected to feel Brick's fists again. She was surprised when Sarah started chuckling instead and looked around the apartment in confusion.
"He's not here anymore, mother," Sarah told her confidently.
"Where is he? What's going on? Bring him back!" Catherine exclaimed, worried what he'd do to her and to Sarah when he got back.
"I can't do that, mother. He's not ever coming back. What's said is said," Sarah told her comfortingly, surprised at the horror her mother showed. She'd have supposed that Catherine would be glad to get rid of that brute of a boyfriend. She mentally shrugged, moving on to the next part of her plan.
Rich 'Brick' Bruttus was about to yell at his woman for burning breakfast when someone knocked on the door. It wasn't a very loud knock; just a polite tapping sound but it got his attention and, for some reason, set him on edge. His woman stayed where he'd thrown her, having learned never to do anything without his permission and he growled angrily. He didn't like things he didn't understand. That was why he'd forbidden her from continuing as an actor. Stupid stuff, made her think she was any good. He startled when the knock came again and smacked his woman when she looked up at him questioningly. Women weren't supposed to ask questions or go out to work. His dad had taught him and his mom that and now he was teaching his woman. He finally stomped to the front door and got ready to yell but stopped when he opened the door. He didn't think this person lived anywhere near here. She was looking at the trash in the hallway with disgust that changed to a pleasant smile when she saw him. For an instance, he imagined a rather predatory gleam in her eye but then it had disappeared and was just another empty smile.
"Hello, I'm looking for Catherine," the young woman said and he scowled. Probably worked for the local theater wanting her for another job.
"She ain't working as an actor no more," Brick grunted and the young woman glanced at him questioningly. He restrained his impulse to smack the look off her face.
"That's surprising. Mother always dreamed of being an actor. But I'd still like to see her," she told him pleasantly and he grumbled but let her in.
"Sarah! What are you doing her?" Catherine asked worriedly, straightening her clothing and glancing at Brick quickly. He ignored them, grabbing a beer and heading to the living room to watch TV.
"Hi mother. I just had to stop by for a minute. I wanted to ask you something," Sarah replied, noticing that Catherine's lip was split again.
"What do you mean 'stop by for a minute'? Sarah, does your father know where you are?" Catherine asked quietly, glancing nervously at her boyfriend and drawing her daughter towards the front door.
"Oh, yes. Father and Karen sent me here. I was wondering if you remember that old book you gave me before you left. The old red one."
"You mean 'The Labyrinth?' I haven't thought of that in ages. What about it?"
"Do you remember, at the beginning of the book, did you ever read the words to send someone to the Goblin King?"
"I don't...yes, I did. Why? Do you want to know the words?" Catherine asked, her curiosity unburied for the moment.
"Catherine, send her on her way and finish breakfast," Brick interrupted and Catherine winced, her back creeping at the thought of him harming her daughter. She sometimes wondered why she stayed with him but then she remembered running out on her daughter and husband for her career when she was younger. She had vowed never to run away from a relationship again, even a painful one like the one she was in. Brick was just misunderstood. Once he realized that she loved him and would never leave him, he would stop trying to hurt her.
"No, I remember them very well. I want you to say them for him," Sarah replied, pointing at Brick and grinning wickedly at her mother. Catherine went white at the thought of what he would do to her. "Except that I want you to say 'I wish the Fairy Queen would take what's-his-name away' instead. Just put his name in there," Sarah added. He yelled and jumped up, spilling his beer, and raised his fist to hit Sarah. Catherine panicked and threw herself in front of Sarah.
"I wish the Fairy Queen would take Brick away," Catherine screamed, trying to protect her daughter with her own body and having no clue what she was actually saying. She vaguely thought that she should be screaming 'No, no, no,' instead as she tackled Sarah, sending her stumbling towards the door, and expected to feel Brick's fists again. She was surprised when Sarah started chuckling instead and looked around the apartment in confusion.
"He's not here anymore, mother," Sarah told her confidently.
"Where is he? What's going on? Bring him back!" Catherine exclaimed, worried what he'd do to her and to Sarah when he got back.
"I can't do that, mother. He's not ever coming back. What's said is said," Sarah told her comfortingly, surprised at the horror her mother showed. She'd have supposed that Catherine would be glad to get rid of that brute of a boyfriend. She mentally shrugged, moving on to the next part of her plan.