This story was written nearly a year ago to the day. This was part of a writing exchange with a very dear friend of mine, who gave me the phrase, “The stairs led down” as a leader for a 500 word piece of fiction. The phrase itself, took me down a very dark and scary path. Every time I have gone back to re-read this piece, I feel the tiny hairs on the back of my neck standing up and a tremble of fear at what came out of my own brain runs up my spine. Therefore, I share this short piece with you. This piece was written inside of an hour, at the writer’s equivalent of a dead-run. It’s very rough, and is a first draft.
The stairs led down to the cellar. She smiled as she took his hand in hers and guided him down. At the bottom of the stairs she looked up at him and slipped her arm around his waist. “I haven’t been down here since I was a kid.”
Dan smiled, “Is that right?”
Elise nodded slowly and wrapped her other arm around him. “Mhm-hm.”
“So why are we down here now?”
“You said you wanted to know everything about me… are you sure you’re ready for that?” He nuzzled her neck gently and nodded. “As long as you’re sure.”
She smiled at him again. Dan looked into her eyes and stared in confusion as her arms fell away from him. “Elise… what… I thought…” She laughed and shook her head as she pulled her t-shirt over her head and tossed it to one side. Faint scars ran up her rib cage and a few even went beneath her bra.
“Everything, right?”
Dan looked her over and nodded slowly, “Everything.”
“Okay… here goes.” She unbuttoned her jeans and let them fall to her ankles, the scars rippled across her entire body except for her forearms and her face. No wonder she wore long pants, even in the summer. “When I was really little, I’m not sure how old I was, my Father put me in a bath tub filled with boiling water. I don’t remember why he did it, my grandparents took me away from him after that. Grandma won’t talk about it.”
Dan smiled at her tenderly and took a small step closer, “I don’t care about your scars Elise… You’re even more beautiful to me now than you were five minutes ago.”
“You still want to marry me Dan?”
“Yes… of course I do honey. I love you, I don’t care about what’s only skin deep.”
She grinned and whispered softly, “See Daddy? I told you he was the one…”
Dan blinked and looked around the cellar. “Elise. Is your father… down here?”
“Yeah… he lives down here in the basement.”
“Honey, don’t you think you should… uh… put your clothes back on?”
She shook her head, “No, you had to see and Daddy had to watch you see… now, we can both get undressed and make love…”
Dan backed away slowly, “Honey, I can’t do that if I know your Dad is watching…”
“Are you sure?”
“Elise… you’re scaring me. You should know I can’t do that in front of your father.” Dan took a careful step up the stairs.
“But Dan… I love Daddy… and I love you. I want him to love you too.”
“Well sure… I’d like that, but I think we’re not thinking along the same lines here honey.”
“It’s alright Dan…” Elise smiled and grabbed him by the belt. “Daddy can’t see anything… “
“Uh… how do you know?”
She giggled as she unbuckled his belt and drew him closer, “He’s dead silly.”
“Then… uh… what’s he doing down here?”
She laughed and kissed him… “Grandma buried him down here.”
