“He-hey,” he said in almost a whisper
Marsha ignored him, pursed her lips and continued to stare straight ahead,
“Hello?” Charlie asked waiting for a response, “I'm talking to you” he said getting annoyed
“I heard you, I just don't care to respond,” Marsha huffed
Days later charlie gets passed by a man in a suit and he was looking for the “God damn coffee.”
“Come on, be gentle here, I'm delicate. come on,” Marsha watched the man in the suit knock over someone she had never seen before.
“Oh hello there cutie” the mystery man winked at Marsha, “what's your name beautiful”
She smiles at him and blushes “I'm marsha”
“I'm disgusted” Charlie mumbled
“Beautiful name for a beautiful girl, I'm fred, fred folgers” he flirted back ignoring charlie marsha giggles begging for him to continue.
“ Where are you from?” she asked
“Brazil,” he answered with a slight portuguese accent
Marsha blushed looking down, “no wonder you look so good,”
“Oh me?” he asked with a chuckle, “\you’re so hot I wouldn't need to roast you over a fire,”
Early the next morning someone new comes into the kitchen, she's a tall, thin women and instead of wearing a suit she's wearing pajama bottoms and a shirt that doesn't match. The women grabs fred as the others fall silent. She pours hot water over him in a waterboarding motion. She swiftly took freds remains and neatly placed them in a cup. They hear fred screaming charlie and marsha both say a prayer for him.
Charlie looks over to marsha, giving her a sympathetic glance
“I really dont wanna talk about it-” she snarls,”-not with you,” she snaps.
Annoyed, Charlie raised his voice, “well it’s just me and you so you can either tell me now or off the counter you go.” he threatened
“”I said I don't want to” she fired back
“Well I don't care, you have been ignoring me for the longest time now and I have had enough, talk to me, i'm tired of giving so much and you not caring at all,”
“Perhaps if you want me to like you so much, then you should stop crying because you don't get what you want and start working out or something, seriously you're pathetic, you just aren't as strong as fred was.”
There was a long moment of silence, charlie took a long swallow, collecting himself before he spoke,
Do you think I should make a run for it?” Charlie asked in a whisper.
“If you will leave me alone, then yes, make a run for it.” marsha said rolling her eyes
On the morning of December 25, the hardwood was cold but it didn’t stop the two small boys drag there slightly too big pajama bottoms floor, sockless feet patting the dark wood. The young boys rush down the hall together and push open their parent's bedroom door.
“Wake up, wake up” they chanted, “santa came he was here, he was really here.”
A groggy mother told them to head downstairs, they would be down in a minute. She pushed her legs over the side of the bed, slipping her feet into her slippers, “Good morning sweetie,” she spoke softly
When she arrived downstairs the boys were waiting impatiently,
“Mom.. can i open it? Please, please?” they spoke,
“Go for it bud,” she spoke fondly to her child
They quickly began opening their presents and was joined by their father, the family shared smiles as the young boys ripped into their gifts.
“It's so nice to see a family happy you know?” charlie asked with a smile, looking onto the idealistic christmas scene.He looked over at marsha with a smile,
“No.” marsha state blankly. Charlies smile flickered “not at all”
Soon after the children started opening presents they rushed into the kitchen, excited about their new gifts.
“I hope i'm that happy one day” charlie whispers earning no response from marsha
moments later charlie is picked up being slightly suffocated by chubby fingers, teeth rip into him and tear him in half,
“You know i've always wanted a nerf gun! I can't believe mom actually agreed to get one,”
“I know it's like.. Totally cool” the little boys cheered
Marsha began to melt under the pressure, she was worried for him..She felt herself being picked up, she was screaming, and calling out for charlie, she got dropped into the white mug charlie was placed into, she falls under and began suffocating, she kicked her way to the top, her body splashes to the surface and she began coughing up charlie.
“Charlie! Are you ok?” she calls out
“Don't worry about me marsha, i'm ok.” he paused not wanting to break the news to her “b-but I think I should say my goodbyes now,” he swallowed hard, trying to clear the persistent lump in his throat
“You're not going to die charlie, what are you talking about?”
“I just need you to listen to me marsh,”
“I don’t understand” marsha coughed out
“It’s ok, don’t try to talk” he quieted her, “I think it’s important I say this now, because I know I probably will never have another chance to.” he begins to cry
“I have loved you since the day I met you..” he begins
“Charlie..” marsha let out a hollow whisper, “come closer”
“Yes, yes, what is it?”
“Shut up”