A Bit Skewed

"My sweet." He whispers as he strokes my hair

I look up and conceal my shudder

"Please, let me go... I'll be good."

He shakes his finger like I am a naughty dog

"No, no. That just won't do. You know that."

Hiding my frustration I turn to the cellar wall

His brow furrows, then he grabs my arms in his vice-like grip

I struggle but it is no use, he drags me to the shackles on the wall

"This is for your own good." I nod uselessly, straining against the chains

"How about I read you a story, the princess one?"

I am too angry to argue and my stomach is hollow with hunger

He will not feed me again if I anger him

Reading the story I have heard a thousand times, he laughs

"Remember this Maggie? When you were in 4th grade?"

I roll my eyes at his sentimentality. "Certainly, I do."

He moves closer to the wall and makes me sit in his lap

I barely fit, my long eighteen year old legs easily stretching beyond his

Not seeming to notice the chains scraping me he says, "Just like old times."

I feel like this isn't normal. But I'm not sure, is this how dads act?

I am not allowed to go to friends houses, but I do go to school

It's hard to tell what the other girls' dads treat them like

I've never known anything else... But something feels off,

Have they been chained in their basement, denied food for punishment?

When I go to school Monday, maybe I will ask 

My dad tickles my feet until he gets a reaction

"Now be good so I don't have to chain you. Honor role awards tomorrow?"

I nod. "I will. High honors this semester."

He unshackles me and croons, "That's my girl."

I beam under his praise.