Gerty …(14) !!

Johnny looked out the kitchen window and could not tell if Marvin was moving or not.
"Gerty, think you can get this guy up and out of here while I check on our other friend to make sure he isn’t out there thinking up any grand ideas?"
Gerty offered a sly grin and said,
"I think I can manage this one. Looks like the fire is out regarding wanting to dance with me."
Johnny pushed the hand gun at Gerty but Gerty just shook her head and said,
"I’m fine" and gave Johnny a peek at a closed switchblade she had in the palm of her hand. Johnny thought to himself "where does she get those damn things? "Johnny gave Gerty a knowing look and walked out the back door to check on Marvin.
Once Johnny left Gerty just stood staring again apparently oblivious to her surroundings. Stu remained laying down on the kitchen floor moaning quietly but a watchful eye on Gerty. Stu noticed that Gerty seemed far away in her mind but remembered all too well that did not mean she was anyone to be toyed with under any circumstance.

It was harder to go away to the quiet place anymore. Daddy was drunk more often and trying to hide was becoming fruitless. I could say the poems in my head but I knew it was happening. I could not forget like I did before. I could not stop being angry like I did before. I could not believe Daddy that it was my fault like before. I think Mommy died because of Daddy and not me. Daddy was a liar. I’m not going to lay over on the bed anymore for Daddy. I’m not going to die like Mommy either. Daddy will see….Daddy will see.

Gerty remembered she was in the kitchen, remembered the daddio on the floor and walked down the hall. Stu could hear doors opening and closing and remained still. His nose throbbed horribly but knew it was best to stay quiet and hope the girl would be satisfied with his punishment.
Gerty returned and was mumbling like before and Stu took every ounce of his being to not start begging for his life. His every prayer was that he had become an afterthought. He was mistaken.

bouncy bouncy bouncy ball
bounce dear daddy off the wall
down the stairs we both shall go
now he’s just a daddio.

Gerty flicked open the knife and calmly stated "get up". Stu strained to his feet feeling light headed from the loss of blood and adrenalin crash from before. Stu started limping towards the door but Gerty said
"Wrong way, Jose."
Gerty nodded towards the hallway and swung around in back of Stu to prod him along the way. The second door was open and dark and Stu worried if Gerty was taking him somewhere to finish the job that she was interrupted from completing by her boyfriend.
Gerty stopped him at the door with a simple command of "in here."
Stu actually realized that it wasn’t really in here but down here as this was the doorway to the cellar. He didn’t get to think long as he felt two hands firmly shove him in the back and down the steep stairs he tumbled. The old house had an open stairwell and there was nothing to grab on to so he was at the mercy of gravity and the wooden steps ahead. The first bounce sounded out a clear cracking of a rib or two and flesh was skinned off from the hard edges of the old splintered steps. Stu’s momentum brought his feet over his head with a neat flip only to jam his foot hard with a good sprain at best and fracture at the worse. Mercifully the cellar floor found him and he stopped in a heap. The good news was that he was still alive. Then he heard Gerty light steps coming down the stairs and maybe the good news was not so good.
Gerty came very close to Stu and had her face inches away from him just like it happened up stairs. His torn nose could feel the heat of her breath as she quietly spoke.

bouncy bouncy bouncy ball

Stu was shocked to watch Gerty get out of her crouch and skipped her way up the stairs without another word. The cellar door was slowly closed and Stu lay busted ,broken and torn but still alive in the pitch black of his darkest night.