I didn’t want to do it, I would never want to do something like that.
I couldn’t sleep, I was laying in bed stressing about work and bills. She wouldn’t quit with that gross habit she picked up.
I noticed it when I got home from work, her normally manicured nails were short and jagged. I was a little annoyed, my wife knew we were tight on money. Her monthly manicure was an indulgence that I put up with for her mental health’s sake.
Just two days after spending the money to get fancy nails done she had somehow managed to ruin them. When I asked her about it she seemed embarrassed. She said she had picked up a nervous tick, she kept finding herself chewing her nails absentmindedly.
I let it go, even when she started doing it at the dinner table. It grossed me out but I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, turns out there’s a lot of things I didn’t want to do.
Things that I still don’t want to do.
I thought she had fallen asleep, I lay there going over the things I needed to have done before tomorrow ended when she started chewing. It was almost wet sounding, like she was drooling.
I ignored it, I didn’t want to start a fight. But she kept going, slowly wearing my nerves ragged. I could feel my temper rising and attempted to keep it in check. I didn’t want to say anything rash,
I didn’t want to.
I winced at the gritty sounds her teeth made as they ground up her fingernails, it was disgusting. After a particularly loud crunch I swung around to face her direction “must you do that right now? Do you have any idea what time it is?!”
She sat hunched in the dark, her face hidden between her knees.
Crunch
She bit down again. I was pissed now. I reached over and turned the bedside lamp on. I hesitated when the light shone on her, she sat rigidly her head still tucked between her knees.
There was blood on the sheets. It was leaking out from under her leg.
Crunch
She turned her head to get a better angle at what ever she was chewing on. I hesitantly stretched my hand out in her direction.
Crunch
My finger brushed her shoulder. She froze at the touch. My breath caught in my throat, my heart was beating out of my chest.
Her head snapped up and she faced me, blood dribbled from her lips and I felt ice course through me. A whimper escaped my lips. She jerked at the sound, her milky white eyes peering around the room. Her teeth were stained red, bits of skin were caught between her teeth.
Gaining some control of my body I leaned back as she hissed at me spraying speckles of blood onto me.
I couldn’t scream. But I could move, I leaped out of the bed. She crawled after me teeth barred and hands out stretched. As I crashed into the wall I saw she was missing some of her fingers.
My movements were panicked and clumsy, I clawed at the wall in an attempt to find the door. My grabbed the knob right as she lunged. I ripped the door open and fell through it.
Scrambling on my hands and knees I tried to get away. A horrible screech emanated from her throat spurring me forward.
Somehow I got to my feet, I ran to the garage.
Why the garage? Of all the places I could have gone. Should have gone.
She was at the door. Slamming into it and howling. With tears in my eyes I begged her to stop, to calm down.
I could see the door was weakening, it was never meant for such abuse. Opening the cabinet I grabbed it out.
I didn’t want to use it, I just wanted her to stop.
The pounding went quiet, I held my breath as I listened closely. I heard a voice, it was an innocent and scared “Mommy? Mommy what’s wrong?”
NO!
No no no no no! I lunged for the door. Ripping it open I saw my wife’s legs disappear up the stairs! My daughter screamed in terror, her little feet pounding on the floor as she fled.
My bare feet slid on the wood floor as I sprinted across the room. I desperately clawed my way up the stairs.
The door to my daughters bedroom was open, I rushed in. In the dark I could see a figure crouched on the bed. It rose up and faced me.
I had no choice.
She lunged for me, a scream ripping through her throat.
The sound was deafening, the flash blinding. I kept pulling the trigger until the slide locked back.
I didn’t want to do it, I had no choice.
I went to the cupboard, I gently opened the door revealing my daughters tear covered face. I pulled her into a hug. Carefully I covered her face and carried her downstairs.
I called the police. They cuffed me and brought me to the station. My sister came and picked up my daughter.
I spent the night getting interrogated ruthlessly. Finally they released me.
I’m staying in a hotel with my daughter now. She hasn’t spoken since that night. But she started chewing her nails recently.
I don’t want to do it.