6 months later
Life has become a living hell. The two most important women in my life can’t stand the sight of one another, and the worst part is, I’m a gluttonous asshole. I need to have my cake and eat it too.
Finding Bevie a husband has been proving difficult, especially since I’ve been assuming that role once a month. I’m weak, and when we leave to hunt, I can’t fight her advances. I thought it would be that one time, one discreet moment of weakness, and then life would resume as it was.
I was so fucking wrong.
Heidi could no longer come on our hunts, having to stay at home instead, which left me and Bevie ... alone. It’s caused the tension between her and her mother to snap several times, always resulting in a physical altercation. I couldn’t ignore the bruises that dotted my daughter’s body, deep purples and blues, and I knew the only reason Heidi didn’t have them to match was because Bevie knew the consequences of fighting back would be dire.
Beverly’s one indulgence is the need to covet every mannequin we come across, all of them, even the disfigured ones. The ones that are missing a leg or a hand, maybe even half a head, those are her favorites. She loves how they’re imperfect, and she says they feel the most realistic when they’re blemished and distorted.
She’s begun propping them up around our town, going as far as to dress them in clothing and position them in realistic poses. Some stand outside of the dilapidated store fronts, looking inside gaping holes where glass once sat, and others are walking along the sidewalk, some holding hands like lovers.
It mimics a time before the blast, a time when people could freely breathe the air for long periods of time, swim in the lakes, and go for a stroll with their date. Her dollies mimic what life should look like, giving hope to those who long for interaction.
The mannequins are becoming harder and harder to scavenge now. She’s taken almost all of them, even the infant and toddlers. It’s become an obsession of hers and each time we come back with less and less, I watch as she grows more despondent. It provides her restless mind with activity, not to mention keeping her away from a toxic household.
“Daddy?” I turn at the sound of her voice and find her holding one of the infant dollies in her arms. “Can we travel farther this time? Or in another direction?”
“No, Bevie.” I run my fingers through the thick waves of her hair. “It’s too dangerous. Better to stick to the places we know.”
“But…” She looks down at the doll in her arms. It’s missing an eye. “Where will we get more dollies?”
“Don’t you think you have enough?” I spread my arm out to the display, even seeing some propped up in abandoned homes. “They’re everywhere.”
“The more the merrier, Daddy.” She pouts, her eyes beginning to water.
My heart breaks as I watch her face crumble, knowing that these dolls bring her a peace of mind lacking between the walls of our home.
“Maybe we’ll venture out a little farther on our way back this time.”
The way her eyes light up with happiness warms my heart, and when she steps forward, placing her hand on my chest, my cock hardens.
“Thank you, Daddy,” she whispers, her hand gliding down, skimming over the bulge in my pants. “Thank you.” She gives it a firm squeeze.
My surroundings fade away. The feel of my daughter’s sure hand stroking me is all I comprehend at the moment, and she knows just how I like it. I taught her everything she knows. I take pride in that. There’s a security in knowing your child is protected while she explores the many beautiful things her body is meant to enjoy.
A curtain moving on the second level of our house draws me out with sudden clarity and I step back, slapping her hand away.
“Bevie,” I snarl. “Have you lost your mind?”
“No.” She gives me a slow Cheshire grin. “I’m perfectly aware of every single thing, Daddy. Just like you taught me.”
Then she turns on her heel and lifts the baby to the crook of her neck, patting its back. I chance a glance at the window and find it empty, but it does nothing to soothe my panic. Heidi will torture Bevie if she finds out what we’re doing and then I will live out the rest of my days as a prisoner to a scorned woman.