DarkHeart of Hampton House

by Joy Redmond

  Mama Cow let out a low moo and started to stand.

  “Should I give her the second dose?”

  “No, Lacy. We want her awake and standing. She has to feed the little ones.”

  Soon, the calves were sucking on Mama Cow’s udders.

  “Let’s pack it up, Lacy. Our job is done here. When you get back to the office, you’ll have your first bill to type up and send to Farmer Jones.”

  “I wanna stay and pet the calves. They’re so precious. Look at them eat! I can’t believe this!”

  “I told ya it was witnessing a miracle. I’m amazed every time I help bring a life into this world. But we gotta get back to the office. There’s no telling what’s waiting for us there.”

  Once they were back at the office, they unsuited. As Lacy unzipped, the too large overalls fell to her ankles. It’s a good thing it zips all the way to the neck. Else I’d walk right out of this thing. She had never felt as if she mattered a whit to the world, but today she felt important. It was a good feeling.

  The rest of the day was slow with only a few dogs and cats coming in for checkups and shots. When it was time to lock up and go home, Lacy said, “This has been the most exciting day of my life. I hope we have some more farm calls soon.”

  “You’ll get your fill of farm calls,” Joey said. “Now let’s get on home. I need a drink, then I’ll get dinner going.”

  Just as Joey pulled into his driveway, Lance pulled in to his.

  Lacy jumped out of the car and ran to Lance. She threw her arms around his neck. “You won’t believe what I got to see and help with today.”

  Lance pecked her on the lips. “I like the excited look in your eyes. I hope me and Joey can always keep you this happy.”

  “I tell ya a girl couldn’t ask for anything more than what you and Joey give me. Life is wonderful!”

  “Come on in the house. Let me show you what I’ve got and I’ll tell you about my day. It was a great day for me too. Life is indeed wonderful!”

  Lance and Lacy waved to Joey and went inside, where Lance proudly opened his sample case. “Here’s your birth control pills,” he said, handing her four boxes. “I’ll get more when you run out. And look at all the other goodies we’ve got!”

  “The only thing I want is my pills. You can have the rest.”

  “Fine. It just leaves more for me.” Lance put his arms around her and drew her close. He kissed her and she returned the kiss with more passion than ever. “I think you did get excited today. Wow, you’re on fire. How about a quickie before dinner?”

  “Lance, it’s that time, ya know. I don’t wanna be touched in that way.”

  “Yeah. I forgot. But damn, girl. You can’t get me in this condition then just walk away. That’s cruel.”

  “Well, you started it. You need to not kiss me like that when you know I can’t finish what you start.”

  Lance walked into the kitchen, opened the liquor cabinet, took out a fifth of Jack Daniel’s, then picked up a shot glass. “Well, Jack. It looks like it’s gonna be just you and me and the dolls for a few days.” He filled the shot glass and quickly threw the hot liquid into this mouth, enjoying the burn. “You never let me down.” He poured another shot.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Lance was sitting on one end of the couch knocking back shot after shot. Lacy was sitting on the other end with a notebook, writing a song. “How many hits have you written so far? I say you’re gonna be the next big nothing! How long are you gonna keep this shit up?”

  “I’m gonna keep my shit up as long as you keep your shit up. All you do is drink, swallow pills and shoot up. You really think I’m stupid, don’t ya? Do ya think I don’t know what track marks are? Your arms are a sight.”

  “That’s what happens when a man’s woman is more interested in chasing a pipe dream than she is in taking care of her man. You’re a cold fish in the bedroom anymore. Six months is a long time for a man to do without. Six months, Lacy!”

  “Well, since you’ve become Sir Lance-A-Not, in the past six months, it’s not a lot of fun in the bedroom. If you could get it up and keep it up, things might be different. You can’t push a wet noodle into a piece of concrete. You’ve become a limp dick, worthless, drunk druggie.”

  Lance jumped up, his face crimson. “What did you just call me?”

  “You heard me.”

  Lance grabbed Lacy around the throat, lifted her with one hand off the couch and slammed her body against the far wall. “If you ever—” Before he could finish his sentence, sharp pain hit his testicles. He doubled over and sank to the floor.

  “I’ve warned you about what happens when men want to play rough with me. If you ever lay a hand on me again, you might wake up dead!”

  Lance got to his feet. “If you ever knee me in the balls again, you’ll be the one waking up dead!”

  “I guess we have an understanding then,” Lacy said, and walked out of the living room and into the spare bedroom, slamming the door.

  Lance held his head. He hadn’t had one of his headaches that caused him to go insane since he and Lacy had been together. Since the lovemaking had stopped, he had been having nightmares and it took more and more dolls to quiet the demon in him. When the pills didn’t work, he shot up with Roxanol and Xanex. The morphine sulfate mixed with the strong tranquilizer put him down, then he had to have more and more black beauties the next morning so he could snap out of the funk and go to work.

  Lance went into the master bedroom. He opened the top drawer and took out Lisa’s picture. “Oh, Lisa,” he whispered. “I made you a promise that I wouldn’t kill and I’m trying to keep it, but she pushed me to the breaking point. I know I deserved the kick in the goobles. She was just defending herself. I’m going to cut back and try to wean myself off the hard stuff. I’ll just do the cocaine. That stuff makes me horny as hell. I won’t overdo it. Keep watching over me. I’m trying.” He kissed the picture and put it away.

  Lance undressed and crawled into bed. Calmness began to flow through his soul. “Thanks, Lisa,” he whispered. Lance fell asleep, only to awaken a few minutes later, slapping spiders and mice as they started running over his body. Then the voices started. Jimmy Cat was crying. Miss Hampton was calling him an April Fool bastard. Bonnie Sue’s whiney voice was echoing louder and louder. He slapped his head, then Lacy’s words resounded in his head, “You limp dick, worthless, drunk druggie.”

  He scrambled out of bed, reached between the mattresses, grabbed his tourniquet and syringe package, then fumbled through his sample case in search for the vial of Valium.

  After he shot up with 2cc’s, the voices stopped and the faces didn’t appear on the walls. “That was about half of what I usually use. I can do this. I can do this.”

  The next morning, Lance woke up when Lacy gently shook his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see her smiling sweetly, holding a cup of coffee out to him. “Thanks,” he said, as he reached for the cup. “I’m sorry about last night. You just don’t understand that you can’t insult my manhood. That makes any man go crazy.”

  “I know. I’m sorry too. Let’s put it behind us and start fresh. We had a good thing going. We can get it back. But you have to—”

  “I know what I have to do, Lacy! Don’t start acting like a mother hen. Just let me do what I have to do at my own pace.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Lance and Lacy kissed each other goodbye, and they headed off to greet another work day. Lance pulled out of the driveway and watched Lacy run across the yard to join Joey in his car. That little spitfire sure ain’t one to mess with. I gotta admire that.

  For the next three months, Lance stuck to his promise to Lisa. He had weaned off the Roxanol and Xanex, but he still used Valium to help him sleep. He had also cut back on drinking, but he found himself doing more cocaine. He was getting better at performing in the bedroom. Lacy seemed to understand when he did fail, but it made him feel worthless. The cocaine was the only way to ensure he didn’t fail her or himself. Everybody has a
crutch.

  One afternoon, Lance came home an hour later than usual. His appointment with one doctor was delayed by an emergency. He was eager to get home to Lacy and enjoy a great meal with his two best friends. He walked into the living room, where he found a note taped to the TV screen. He ripped it off and read Lacy’s scribbling. I came home early and you weren’t here, so I wanted you to know I had to leave in a hurry. We got a call to make two farm calls. Two mares are trying to foal and they need our help. It might be late when I get home.

  Lance ripped the note in half. “If it isn’t her damn song writing, it’s the damn animals stealing her away from me. Shit! I had a special night planned.”

  He went into the back bedroom and snorted two lines of cocaine. “Ah, yeah. How I love the snow. Come on home to daddy, Lacy. How I love you too.”

  ***

  As Joey drove the truck back from the last farm call, Lacy noticed he was having a hard time holding his head up and keeping his eyes open. “I’m exhausted too. I think I could fall into a heap and sleep for two days. We’ve put in over twelve hours today. The office was full and then two deliveries. Those foals were beautiful little things. Someday, I hope I can own a horse. Oh, so many things I want. I guess I might as well forget being a songwriter and singer. Nobody has responded to all the great songs I’ve mailed out.”

  “I told you it was a hard business to break into. But you tried. That’s all any of us can do. I tried and failed many times. I’m finally in a good place. Someday you will be too, Lacy. You just can’t give up on life. When one door closes, ya have to wait for another one to open.”

  “Yep. My grandma used to say, ‘Ya have to boil the hog if’n ya want the lard.’ I’ll just keep on boiling.”

  Joey laughed. “My grandpa used to say, ‘If you stir the shit pot, ya better be ready to lick the spoon’. I’ve licked a few spoons. That’s life.”

  “Life!” Lacy repeated. “It sure throws ya some curves.”

  “I’m ready to get us home and find something to eat.”

  “Sounds good to me. I’ll take a shower and Lance and I will come over and help ya raid the fridge. Don’t we have some cold chicken left from last night?”

  “I think we do. I’ll find something to go with it. I’m starving and I know you are too. We haven’t had time to eat all day. It’s been one hell of a day! The kind I like.”

  Joey pulled the truck into his driveway. Lacy glanced over at Lance’s house. “I don’t see any lights. He must have gone to bed.” She looked at the clock on the dashboard. “I had no idea it was already eleven o’clock. Forget fixing us something to eat. I’ll find something in our fridge. I don’t want to wake Lance up.”

  “See ya in the morning bright and early. We’ve got a six o’clock farm call. We’ve got to vaccinate some hogs.”

  “See ya about five-thirty. I better sleep fast. Morning is gonna come early.”

  Lacy hurried on her way. She opened the front door, kicked off her rubber boots, rounded the corner and took a step into the living room. Her shoulder strap purse fell off her arm and hit the floor.

  “What the hell?”

  Chapter Forty-Four

  “Come on in, sugar dumpling. I’ve been waiting for ya.”

  Lacy was glued to the spot, her eyes bugging as she noticed he was naked, and a dim light was coming from lit candles on each end of the coffee table.

  “It’s party time!” He stood up and walked toward Lacy. He grabbed her hand and she balked. He yanked again, and pulled her over to the couch.

  “Have you lost your ever-lovin’ mind? Are you trying to pull my arm out of socket? That hurt!”

  “Then stop trying to pull away from me,” he said and pulled her to his face. “Give me a big kiss.”

  Lacy turned her head. “Shit, Lance! You smell like a brewery, and you didn’t even wipe your nose. Do you think I don’t know what the white powder is?”

  “The white stuff is all the better for you.”

  “Did you do an extra line? You pick a hell of a time to get horny and be able to get it up. I’m exhausted.”

  Lance took Lacy’s hand and put it on his erection. “The mule is out of the barn and ready to lope.”

  “Did you hear me say I’m exhausted? All I want to do is get a shower and get to bed. I’ve got to be up by five o’clock. Damn! You get that shit up your nose, then you wanna fuck all night. Leave me alone, you stupid junkie and lope the mule yourself. I don’t have time for your shit tonight. You’re disgusting!”

  Lance grabbed Lacy’s hair and pulled so hard, her head went backward. As she reached behind her trying to pry his hand out of her hair, Lance unzipped her overalls. She turned loose of his hand and tried to grab them, but they hit the floor before she could catch them. Then he ripped off her panties.

  Lacy gasped and tried to cover her body with her arms.

  He scooped her off the floor and body-slammed her onto the couch. He covered her body with his, pinned her arms behind her head, then using his knee, he spread her legs.

  “Lance, get the hell off me!”

  Lance stuffed the panties into her mouth and rammed inside her as she tried to scream. “Go on, scream. Nobody is going to hear ya.” He rammed inside her as hard as he could time after time.

  Lacy fought like a tiger, but her strength was no match for Lance. Each time he rammed himself inside her, she tried to dislodge the panties with her tongue to no avail. She bucked her body hard and furious, trying to roll him off.

  Lance continued to brutally rape her. “Yeah, buck, baby. Buck and scream like you want it, you commie bitch!”

  Using his teeth he pulled up her bra and sucked a nipple between his teeth. He bit down and continued biting until he tasted blood. By then he couldn’t hear Lacy’s muffled screams. He was in another world.

  After twenty minutes of pumping with all he had, he knew he wasn’t going to get off.

  He let go of her arms, pulled the panties out of her mouth, then placed his hands around her throat. He began to apply pressure to her Adam’s Apple with his thumbs.

  Lacy pulled her arms from around her head. Her right arm was still pinned between his body and the back of the couch.

  He felt her left arm moving up and down as if she were trying to pinch his flesh. Lance pushed harder on her throat, his climax building and building.

  Her arm fell off the couch.

  Lance pushed her Adam’s Apple even harder with his thumbs.

  Lacy’s eyes rolled back into her head. Just as the last breath expelled from her lungs, Lance ejaculated.

  His body fell limp on top of her still body. His temples were pulsing so hard it felt as if a gong was beating the sides of his brain. Suddenly he felt as if his brain exploded as colorful sparkles danced behind his closed eyes. Then his world went black.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Lacy gasped for air. She swallowed and it felt as if sandpaper was scraping her tonsils. Her vision cleared as she felt oxygen returning to her head. Pain ran through her entire body, but she gave Lance a hard shove and his body fell to the floor between the couch and coffee table.

  She pulled herself into a sitting position and felt hot blood running down her side. She placed her hand on her torn nipple, pain shooting all the way to her shoulder. She kicked Lance with all the strength she had in her trembling leg. In a raspy voice, she managed to say. “Did you really think I was waving bye-bye when my arm was reaching for my coveralls?”

  She reached down and pulled the syringe out of the side of Lance’s neck and laid it on the coffee table. “Live by the needle, die by the needle. I told you from the beginning to never underestimate me. You almost had me dead, but I killed you first. Rot in hell, you sonofabitch!” She kicked him again. “Thanks, Joey, for arming me. Even though neither of us knew it would be the weapon that would save my life.”

  Lacy managed to stand on her trembling legs. Still holding her torn nipple, she made her way into the master bathroom and flipped on the light. S
he ripped off her bra, reached into the medicine cabinet and lifted a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide. She poured it over her nipple, then took a few deep breaths as she watched the white foam rise and sizzle for a minute. She covered her nipple with a Band–Aid, hoping the bleeding would stop. It was then that she felt hot blood running down her legs.

  She opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out two pads. She stuck one pad between her legs, then made her way into the bedroom and flipped on the ceiling light. She opened her dresser drawer, took out a pair of panties, slipped then on, then took out a bra. She put the other pad over her left breast and snapped on the bra. She felt sick at her stomach as she opened the bottom dresser drawer and pulled out a pair of jeans and a pullover sweater. Her hands trembled as she dressed.

  “Don’t wimp out now, Lacy. She took a few deep breaths, then made her shaky legs walk back into the living room. She turned on the lamp on the end table.

  She yanked her coveralls from under Lance’s head and picked up her up torn panties. She picked up the syringe from the coffee table, stuffed it and the panties into the pockets, then rolled the coveralls into a ball.

  She ran into the kitchen and dragged out several plastic garbage bags from the pantry. She stuffed the coveralls into one bag, then hurried back into the bedroom, where she filled the other bags with as many clothes as she could stuff into them. She emptied the bathroom, taking her toiletries and birth control pills. She slipped on her cowgirl boots.

  She stepped into the walk-in closet. She reached up and took down the old, tattered purse she had when she left Yellow Creek. She ran into the living room, picked up her purse from the floor, then fled back to the bedroom. She emptied the contents of her new purse into the old one, then threw the new one into a corner. She didn’t know the exact amount of money she had in the purse but she knew it had to be more than half of what Joey had paid her in the past nine months. Joey always paid her in cash.