Monster in the House StormwolfThe ambulance pulled away from the house, the lights flashing, the siren
eerily silent. There was no need to rush. No life to save. They had all been
too late. Too late by one hour.
Jim Ellison looked over at the squad car where the uniforms were placing the
prisoner in the back. The prisoner, a tall middle-aged man with blood shot
eyes due to alcohol, graying hair cut short in a conservative style, allowed
himself to be guided into the back of the squad car by the uniform officer,
still in a state of shock. Jim wanted to go over to the man and pummel him,
but the presence by his side stopped him.
Jim looked over at his friend, who was white faced after having seen the
body now being taken away in the ambulance. He followed Blair Sandburg's
gaze to the woman seated on the porch of the large house, battered face in
her hands as she wept unabashed while a female uniformed officer stood over
her attempting to comfort. But there was no comfort.
Jim didn't realise that he had snarled under his breath until Blair gave him
a strange look. Jim knew his friend felt pity for the woman, but Jim could
find no pity for the woman in his heart. Instead, all his pity and sorrow
went with the ambulance. To Jim, it was obvious by the old and new bruises
evident on the woman that she knew what had been happening and had not left.
Instead she had stayed, and an innocent had paid the price.
*"Is this what you call supper!!!" William Ellison's voice rang through the
house causing Jimmy to wince from his position on the top of the stairs.
"Please, William, I had to take Stevie to the dentist, I didn't have..."
Grace Ellison's voice was cut off with a resounding slap, and Jimmy jumped
at the sound. Another slap, and then a crashing sound as Grace Ellison fell
in the kitchen knocking over the pot of spaghetti she had heated up for
supper that night. Then a scream and a sound of bone breaking as William
kicked her and broke her arm.
Finally, William Ellison stalked out of the kitchen and walked over to the
liquor cabinet. He spied Jimmy, only nine years old, on the stairs.
"What are you doing up!" He yelled at the boy, "Get to your room!" William
reached for the leather belt on his slacks, and Jimmy stood quickly and
raced for his room, tears streaming down his face. William helped himself to
the Scotch in the cabinet while in the kitchen, Grace tried to clean the
floor with one arm dangling painfully at her side.*
Jim maneuvered the dark green F-150 into the parking place at Cascade
Heights Elementary School, and put the gear into park. He looked over at
Blair.
"Are you sure you want to come in with me?" Jim asked.
Blair nodded, "Yeah. I am sure."
Jim nodded, then stepped out of the truck.
In the principal's office, the teacher, Mrs. Phillips, wiped her eyes with a
tissue and looked at Jim with green eyes filled will tears.
"There's very little doubt that Marissa's father was the one who killed her.
However, Marissa does have a sister who also comes to this school, and we
were looking into getting some kind of evidence of past abuse." Blair said.
Jim was letting Blair handle the teacher and principal, while he himself
dealt with the emotions and memories that the case was bringing up. Blair
was better at handling the public anyway.
"I don't understand it. I never thought that Marissa was being abused. She
was something a tomboy who like to play with the other boys. She was always
rough housing with them, so the bruises and the broken arm last month I took
to be just accident's." The teacher said.
"Did she ever say anything to indicate that there was a problem?"
*"As long as you live in my house you will obey my rules! When I say be home
after school, you will!" William punctuated each word he yelled with a
strike of the thick leather belt over Jimmy's bare back. The metal buckle
left bruising marks on the ten year old's tender skin. Jimmy just bit his
lip and tried his best not to cry. He had learned a long time ago not to
cry.*
"No. She was an imaginative child. I believe she had an imaginary playmate.
A monster I think she said. One that lived in her house."
Jim looked up and stared at the teacher, anger in his blue eyes, "Apparently
there was a monster, Mrs. Phillips. And he killed her." And with that Jim
stood up and left the office.
Blair caught up with him outside.
"How could they be so blind, Chief?" He asked.
"I don't know, Jim. Adults sometimes have a hard time believing children."
"She wasn't lying when she said there was a monster in her house. Her father
was her monster. And her mother just allowed it to happen. She didn't even
try to leave the man. Instead she stayed, and Marissa paid the price."
"Sometimes they feel trapped. Sometimes they feel they deserve it. I don't
know what motivates them to stay, Jim. I don't think they know. Some never
leave."
"My mom did."
"But she didn't take you and Stephen with her."
They continued to walk toward the truck, trapped in an overwhelming silence.
Jim had told Blair a little about his childhood a few months before. Only
that William drank and beat Jim's mother. Blair's statement said that Blair
had figured out the rest.
"He can't hurt her anymore. And now that he's in jail, maybe Marissa's
mother can get some help." Blair said suddenly.
"If she doesn't she'll end up back in another abusive relationship, and
Marissa's sister might be the next victim." Jim finished.
The two friends, sentinel and guide, got inside the truck and drove away
from the school back to the station where a monster awaited them in the
interrogation room.
The End