Blood in the Water

Blood in the Water
January of 1959

She blinked as she sat up slowly, her vision blurred, the drugs in her system made her numb; a man knelt down in front of her, a demeaning smile on his lips, his eyes blue like ice and just as cold, “Do you know who I am, Lynn?” he breathed, cocking his head to the side, watching her eyes clear, they were unafraid, calm even and it bothered his soul.
The five year old bit her lip as she studied the man her mother had shown her pictures of almost every night, she thought about nodding but she remembered what her mother told her and shook her head instead, “No, who are you?” she mumbled, trying not to smile as she wondered if her daddy was in the game her mother had taught her.
He raised his hand to run his thumb over her cheek, “My name is Simon Landry, I’m a friend of your mom’s.” he said softly, “Or I used to be, she hurt me, she’s going to make me do something I’ll hate for myself for but I don’t like to be hurt, it makes me very angry and then I have to hurt the people who hurt me, do you understand?” he muttered.
Lynn pursed her lips, “I thin’ so.” She mumbled, looking up at him, unable to help the little smile on her lips, too young to truly understand what he was talking about, just excited that her father was even talking to her at all. Simon’s smile warmed as he raised his hand and hit her hard across her face with the back of his knuckles, making her fall back onto the concrete, pain blackening her vision.

Hannibal watched his father shoot up again, he wondered if this was the needle that would knock him out cold; he felt fear slide up his spine, it always made him scared when his father lost control. He took a breath and glanced at his little sister again, she was so broken, so bloody, it made his stomach twist with anger and in it the twelve year old found his bravery, “Papa, let me take her to the hospital.” He said, straightening his lanky body to his full height, tilting his chin like he’d seen his father do when he wanted to intimidate his men.
Simon blinked slowly as he tried to focus on his son, “Why? She is not mine, let her die, than we’ll give her back to your mother.” He muttered, his voice cold, all ready lost to the drug inside his system.
Hannibal felt his jaw tighten, “She is my sister, papa, you keep me away from my mother, at least let her have her.” he said, a plea in his voice as he tried to keep his tone steady.
He growled low in his throat and slammed the back of his fist into his son’s face, “I said no.” he snarled through his teeth, a monster to the drug in his system.
The young boy felt his head snap back and he stumbled, the taste of blood in his mouth, he gritted his teeth and glare at his father, his lip split open and throbbing but it didn’t hurt like it usually did, it fueled the anger in his guts, he moved towards his father stash of needles and vials on the nightstand and shoved them to the floor where they shattered into glass and poison. He felt something change in his soul, he felt stronger, bolder. He turned on his heel and moved to take his little sister gently in his arms before he ran for the door, stepping out into the snow with her, so afraid he was hurting her further, he glanced around trying to remember the street names to get to the hospital, the cold biting at his face, making his lip sting. He held Lynn closer to him as he started in the direction he was sure would lead them to salvation.
He walked hard, every few moments checking to make sure Lynn was still breathing, his heart thumping painfully in chest when he realized her heart was slowing down, he felt tears sting his eyes as he looked around for help, praying God would send someone. He dropped to his knees, starting to sob as he screamed for help.