She watched his big fingers curling into two fists and thought for a moment he was going to hit her.

"Thank you, ma'am, thank you," the girl whispered, then she disappeared quickly into the shadows. Ellen watched her run, then turned and started walking back to the church. She would have to talk with her husband about these trashy people.

"Hey, where the fuck you think you're goin? I'm gonna get me some pussy – one way or another. And if it ain't from Mindy Sue, then it's comin' off your sassy ass!"

Ellen wheeled around, her eyes wide while her mouth opened. Never, ever had anyone talked to her that way! She was hardly a prude. But she had always been treated with some bit of respect. She started to say something. But Joe was moving toward her, one hand raised high in the air. She cringed, starting to cry out while drawing one arm up toward her forehead. It was too late. His hand swung down, crashing against her right cheek and nearly shattering the bone. Ellen cried out, her knees buckling as a white-hot pain flashed across her face. She fell backward, her ass bouncing on the gravel while her dress flew up around her waist. She could hear Joe trampling on the gravel, his boots crunching the loose stones as he stood between her splayed legs and peered down at her.

"Help, oh God, help me, somebody!"

"Shaddup!"

He spread his legs, bending down and bringing his right arm back once more. Ellen managed to shake the fuzziness from her throbbing head, reaching back with both hands and craw-fishing back. She could feel the tiny stones stabbing into her thighs, tearing at her juice-dampened panties. Joe followed, bringing his fist down against her face a second time and knocking her completely down onto the gravel.

"No! No!"

Ellen felt his big hands curling around her body, pulling her up from the gravel and dragging her what seemed like miles to the house. She caught brief glimpses of a filthy kitchen, an unkempt living room littered with beer cans, and finally a darkened hall. In a moment she found herself pitched through the air, landing on her side on a musty mattress thrown against one wall. It smelled horrible! She rolled onto her back, digging her heels into the filthy material and looking at Joe while he started unbuckling his belt and staring down at her.