Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
They were mother and son. Slapping each other like that was no different from tearing each other apart.
This wasn’t a test of will-it was a test of loyalty. Whoever struck first would be admitting, in that moment, that Elsie’s life meant more than the other person’s dignity.
The demand was brutal. Cruel.
“Yunice, what the hell happened to you? You’re a monster! Did Wyatt teach you all this?!”
Yunice didn’t respond. She used to try and appeal to their sense of morality.
But she’d learned that people like them had their own warped sense of good and evil. If something benefited them, it was good. If it didn’t, then anything Yunice did was considered evil.
Reasoning with them was pointless. Only pain would get through.
She didn’t take the bait. Instead, she smiled and said calmly, “Didn’t you just swear you’d do anything for Elsie? And now my first request is already too much?”
“A hundred slaps won’t kill anyone. Or is her life worth less than your pride?”
She deliberately glanced toward the kitchen. “Uh-oh, still no sound. Maybe she’s already dead. Peggy doesn’t know how to hold back, after all…”
Owen and Lily stared at Yunice with hatred burning in their eyes. If they could kill her without consequence, they would have done it then and there.
Owen yelled in grief and fury, “Yunice, Dad’s death anniversary is coming up. Aren’t you ashamed to be doing this?! Don’t you think he’d be heartbroken watching you now?”
“Heartbroken?” Yunice didn’t flinch. “The grave’s empty. You both know that better than I do.”
“You lost Dad’s ashes and tried to cover it up. You called me back to join the ceremony-who really dishonored his memory?”
Owen hadn’t expected Yunice to know about that. No wonder she hadn’t visited the grave once in the past year.
“So it was you who took them?” he demanded.
Yunice didn’t deny it. “Yeah. I’m the only one left in this family who still remembers him. Of course I should honor him alone.”
Lily listened to them argue about what she thought were meaningless details, tears silently pouring down her face.
She didn’t care if Will’s ashes had been scattered by the wind or licked by a dog. She only cared if Elsie was still alive.
She dropped to her knees, grabbed Owen’s hand, and slapped herself with it.
Just once, but it stunned Owen.
He yanked his hand back, horrified. “Mom, what are you doing?! You’re really going to go along with this? I’m your son-how could I ever hit you?!”
Lily shook her head helplessly, silently telling him there was no time. If they didn’t act soon, Elsie might die.
Owen’s face twisted in pain and conflict. He knew she was right.
But even for Elsie, he couldn’t raise a hand to his own mother.
Then, jaw clenched, Owen seized Lily’s hand and smacked himself across the face hard.
Before she could stop him, he used her hand to keep going-slapping himself again and again, back and forth, until red prints bloomed across his cheeks.
When he finally stopped, he glared at Yunice and growled, “Is that good enough for you?!”
Yunice stared at him coldly. She hadn’t expected Owen-so obsessed with his dignity-to go that far for Elsie.
Then again, this was the man who’d been willing to sacrifice her life for Elsie’s.
What were a few slaps, compared to that?
As if to challenge Owen directly, Yunice said coldly, “Do you not know how to count, or are you just deaf? I said a hundred slaps. You still owe seventy-six.”
“Yunice!” Owen’s eyes burned red as he shouted. His voice trembled with grievance, as if accusing her of being heartless.
They were her closest family.
Yunice, staring at her fingers as she toyed with them, replied coolly, “Seventy-six. Not one less.”
In her mind flashed all the times Lily had ignored her, badmouthed her, chosen others over her.
She remembered Owen sending her to the psych ward-how she clung to the electric fence, begging him not to leave her there as the current shocked through her body.
Did he waver then?
When he saved Elsie from the fire and left her behind-did he regret it?
When he hit her with his car-did he hesitate?
When she was locked in the ward against her will-did he feel even a twinge of guilt?
No. Not once.
So she wouldn’t soften either. No mercy.
Suddenly, a scream tore out from the kitchen-Elsie’s voice-then silence.
Owen and Lily froze in fear. Owen shot to his feet.
Without thinking, he lunged forward, ready to shove Yunice aside. He thought she’d move.
But she didn’t. She stood there, unmoving, as if daring him to do it.
Owen stopped abruptly, his eyes locking with hers.
She looked back at him calmly, her small frame somehow radiating impenetrable strength.
Even if he could throw her aside with one arm.
His fists clenched until his knuckles cracked. His whole body trembled with rage and frustration. But after a long few seconds, he stopped himself from laying a hand on her.
Instead, he raised both hands, alternating left and right, slapping himself forty times on each side.
By the time he was done, his face was swollen and streaked with bruised red prints. Glaring at her, he spat, “Is that enough?!”
Yunice lowered her eyes and slowly stepped aside, clearing the way to the kitchen.
Owen stormed past her, but the anger only festered deeper. He turned back, pointed a shaking hand at her, and yelled, “You’re no sister of mine. Don’t ever step foot in the Saunders house again!”
Yunice met his eyes.
Not even a flicker of fear on her face.
His fury only flared hotter when it crashed into her indifference.
He stormed to the kitchen door and kicked it open.
Lily scrambled up from the floor and ran after him.
Inside, they found Elsie with a dish rag stuffed in her mouth, her wrists tied with plastic wrap like makeshift ropes.
Owen rushed to untie her and yanked the rag out.