All Stories, General Fiction, Short Fiction

Julia’s End by Hugh Cron – Warning – Strong Adult Content Of A Sexual Nature

Foreword:

This is one of two stories that I’ve been given free gratis with. I really do appreciate that and that is why I wanted to explain why I chose this one.

I was playing around, for so many reasons, with changed perceptions and this is what I came up with.

My fellow editors felt the content was too strong but it had to be for what I was going for. I wanted to see if I could alter a reader’s sympathies and to do that I needed the situation to be so abhorrent that they would need a real change of heart.

I wondered if we always fall down on one side or another with our sympathies or were there situations where, until all was revealed, our initial gut feelings may not be relied on and would be changed not just dramatically but more than once.

Julia’s End.

“You really have some strange habits, but I like them!” Julia got out of bed. Covering her nakedness was pointless.

“Can I switch this damn thing off, or do you want to watch me take a shower?”

Ben laughed, “Switch it off. I don’t know what you’re complaining about, if you remember, it was your idea to begin with”.

“Fair enough, but we were both out our heads at the time. It’s you who keeps it going!”

“Well, I’m an old man who needs reminding about the beautiful young girl I’m with. Is there anything wrong with that?”

He pulled her towards him and kissed her, the soft peck became more forceful, more passionate, “Jesus, not again. I think you should see a doctor,” she moved away from him, “Anyway, you old pervert, I said we’d be there about eight. We’ve not got the time and I think I’d feel a little bit self conscious straddling into my mothers as bandy as a wish bone! I’m going to get ready!”

“Tell me again, what’s old Karen like? Does she approve?”

She wagged her finger at him, “Don’t call her ‘Old Karen’ for Christ sake. Mum’s very deep, she’s always been. I don’t think, she was too sure about me dating someone fifteen years older but when I eventually told her who you were, her attitude changed, she mellowed.”

“Oh I get it! What you mean is that she realised her little daughter would be taken care of.”

She knew that he was teasing.

“Less of the little!”

Julia moved over to the bed and dangled her breasts in front of him. She squealed as he lunged forward and just got out of his way. He lay down on the bed giggling.

“You know that’s not what I meant, you have magnificent tits!!”

“What a lovely turn of phrase!”

“I try!”

“Seriously, don’t say that about my mum, she’s not a gold digger. She’d hate me for telling you this but she admires you. She normally agrees with the advice that you give.”

“Just normally?”

“Take the fucking compliment!!”

He laughed, “I thought she’d prefer Jeremy Kyle, well not him now but you know what I mean.”

“Nope, she is a paper woman! So how could she not be happy that her little…” She jiggled her boobs at him and stuck out her tongue, “…Girl is dating Britain’s favourite Agony Uncle? She reads your column every week. We’ve had our heart to heart and I think that’s why she’s happy that I’m dating someone older, it takes away the recklessness of youth!”

“Are you quoting me?”

“Don’t flatter yourself but probably!”

“My mum realises how much more sense and compassion an older man has. She’s always said that she wished that she’d had an older man to take care and look out for her.”

“Maybe I will run away with your mum!”

“Nope you’re mine and you are too young!”

“What about your dad? You’ve not said much.”

“I don’t know anything about him. I can never remember him being there and mum won’t tell me who he is…Although, I am not sure about my Uncle Sam, mum has always been close. Sam is her older sister Ruth’s hubby. I think there is more to the three of them than anyone cares to admit.”

He raised his eyebrows, “Really?”

She sighed, “Don’t know, but there’s something. I’ll introduce you to Sam one day and you can tell me what you think.”

“Has there ever been anyone else?”

“No. She’s always seemed happy enough with just the two of us. Maybe you could set her up with one of your friends.”

“Shit! No-way, I wouldn’t subject anyone to any of my friends!”

“Just a thought. Right, I’ll go and get ready. Oh and you also maybe want to put some clothes on!”

…..

He looked at his watch, “The taxi’s due in ten minutes! Jesus, I can’t believe that I’m feeling nervous. Can we not just go for a drink?”

She began to laugh, “You actually do look a bit white. I’ll tell you what, how about I take my car, that way we can stop off at the pub and you can have a couple of drinks.”

“But we both could both have a few. I don’t want to spoil your night.”

She gave him a slap, “We wouldn’t get out of there. I don’t want to be half cut before I get to mum’s, she doesn’t like to see me legless with ‘no control’!”

“Are you sure?”

“Christ, you took me up on that quick. You must be feeling bad. Look, I don’t mind and as long as you drive me round over the weekend to pick up my car, I’m happy for you to have a few drinks.”

Ben kissed her on the forehead, “Thanks. I’ll only have a couple and then I’ll be totally charming!”

“What the hell is your problem? Is it the age thing or you meeting her for the first time?”

He didn’t need to think, “Both. We should’ve done this a while back.”

“Well we’re doing it tonight and will you cancel that cab! If you’re too late, you pay the poor man for wasting his time.”

He saluted her and picked up the phone.

…“I don’t want my mum to think I’m some sort of tart. She has only met a couple of my long term boyfriends.”

He cancelled the cab and came over to her, “So you were making sure that I was for sticking around?”

She pinched his nose, “No! I was making sure that I was for sticking around!!”

“Fuck that’s cold, icy even!”

“Ready?”

He took a deep breath, “After you…’

….

Julia took his hand as they walked towards the house. She rung the bell. Ben swallowed when the woman opened the door. The recognition crept up on him. He tried to ignore it. He tried to deny it but it was her.

“Hello Julia…And you must be Ben! I feel as if I know you already. Come in.”

She pointed Ben towards the living room.

He stopped as she spoke to Julia, “Listen love, I have been a bit dim, I thought that I had brandy, but I don’t, could you run over to the shops to get some?”

Julia laughed, “How convenient! Well Ben you’re on your own. I take it a third degree is coming your way!”

She was amused to see his whiteness had returned.

“I’ll do no such thing. Now here, take my purse.”

“I’ll get it mum.”

“No you won’t. You are guests in my house, so I want to get it.”

Julia sighed but took the purse. She giggled as she waved to Ben, “Won’t be long.”

“Have a seat Ben. It looks as if you need it.”

He followed her into the lounge and sat.

“You don’t look well. But I suppose that would happen when you realise that you’ve been fucking your own daughter.”

“…But Karen, the name?”

“Fuck me! How fucking stupid are you. I changed it. Do you think I wanted to go around with Genna White as my label? No way! Not after what you did to her.”

The sweat ran down the side of his face. He glanced at her ear.

“Ah you do remember. You can see that it’s a bit off. Oh that was a joke! My ear was never the same after you bit through it. In fact there were a few parts of me that were never the fucking same! And what did you do with my crucifix? That was my gran’s!”

“I feel sick!”

He slumped forward.

She lifted his chin up.

“Don’t you fucking dare not look me in the eye!”

He nodded and held her gaze. She sat across form him.

“I don’t care how sick you feel.

…Let me guess! Let me see how close I can get. The crucifix was proof. Proof for those cunts of friends of yours. Was my blood not proof enough? What about the smell of me that was on you? Didn’t you let them have a taste, you fucking freak!!”

“Julia…How did you know about us? For fuck sake…Why didn’t you stop it?”

She threw an ashtray at him, it caught him on the shoulder and he cried out.

“Did that hurt? Are you in some discomfort? Don’t answer, I don’t care. You have no rights in this house!”

She walked over to the drinks tray and poured herself a whisky.

“You are getting fuck all! Now questions. You asked me questions you sanctimonious cunt! But I will answer and not because you have asked but because I want you to know.”

She swallowed the booze and refilled her glass. She went back to her chair and sat.

“How I knew that you were shagging your daughter…”

He began to sob.

“Aw, you poor mitten. Look at those big tears. I cried once. Twenty two years ago. No-one helped me then and I’m sure as fuck not going to help you now. When she told me who you were I had to make sure for myself so I borrowed her keys and had a look around your flat. That was fucking interesting. And boy are you careless. The computer was still playing one of your little shows. Did neither of you wonder where the memory stick went? Doesn’t matter, I have got it, made a few copies. Oh and here was me thinking that it was a mistake due to it being your first time. But how wrong was I, I don’t see the attraction myself but like daughter like father. It’s good that you share things. Pity you hadn’t finished where you’d started. Oh I wonder if that’s another offence? No matter, you will be the one who is arse fucked after all this is over!”

He was trying to wipe his tears and snot, “This is blackmail!”

“It was fucking rape all those years ago!”

“Ok Geena,”

She dived over to him, his eyes widened and his bladder emptied when he saw the knife.

“Don’t you ever fucking call me that. If you do that again I’ll fucking cut you!”

He began to wail, “What about Julia, how can you do this to your daughter?”

She smiled as she sat back in her chair. She twirled the knife but kept her eyes on him.

“A daughter is a product of love. All she’s to me is the result of my Catholic background and a violent useless fuck.”

“Don’t speak like that, you’re degrading yourself.”

“Don’t you dare give me any of your analysis bullshit! And who the fuck are you to talk about degrading? I’ll admit that I’m a bit of an expert. I was taunted in the street, raped, shunned by my family and if that wasn’t enough, I was forced to bring up a little bitch that I never wanted. Now Mr Analysis, you might want to analyse the shit out of me but it’s all very simple. I can save you the trouble. I have taken all those feelings, repressed them and let them fester into pure hatred. Oh I know that YOU and many other experts would say that doing this isn’t healthy, but it sure as fuck works for me!”

“…Karen…Please!”

She threw him a napkin.

“Blow your nose, your bodily fluids disgust me in so many ways. Stop sobbing and I will tell you what you are going to do.”

“Karen I’m sorry. I was only a kid! Jesus look at what we’ve done to Julia!”

She leaned back and closed her eyes, “When are you going to get this through your thick skull, I don’t give a fuck. I don’t want to hear anything from you so just do as you’re told and listen.”

His shoulders shrugged with his sobs.

“…I was going to ask her to marry me”

Karen began to laugh, “I think we can safely say that the wedding is off!!”

He looked up at her, “What do you want me to do?”

“That’s simple. I want you to use that column of yours and do a feature on sex crimes. Guess who is going to be the show and tell hero? No? Well that’ll be you. I don’t want mentioned but I do want a confession. Do that and I don’t go to the police with that memory stick and a sample of DNA.”

He began to stand but sat back down.

“I’ll be ruined.”

“Really! Do you want me to spell out what’s wrong with that statement? Now I think that you should go. I’ll tell her that you got called into your office. Well you’ll need to get started on the article! Now get out of my sight. Go out the back way, turn right at the end of the alley and right again. You will eventually come out onto the main road. I don’t want Julia passing you.”

He stood.

“My trousers…”

“So what! You’ll smell of piss!”

“Please don’t tell Julia. Give me some time.”

She sneered at him, “What, do you want another fuck at her before the game’s up?”

“I made a mistake, I admit that, but you are something else.”

“Just remember I am what you fucking made me!”

“…What about Julia?”

“I’ve not decided. That will be a surprise for the next time you see her. If she pukes and stabs you, then you can take it that I’ve told her. If not, it’ll be up to you to make her sick and wanting to kill you. But as I said, it’ll be a surprise. What’s life without surprise? Now fuck off and you know what’ll happen if I don’t read that article on Thursday.”

He followed her to the back door. She slammed it behind him.

Karen hadn’t long to wait, she heard the car pull up and went to open the door.

Julia waved the brandy at her.

“There you go.”

“We need to talk.”

The two women went into the lounge.

Julia looked around the room and began to laugh,“Where’s Ben! Oh Jesus mum, you haven’t frightened him away!”

“He had to go into his work.”

She frowned, “Why? I mean, he knew how important this was to me.”

“There was something that he had to do.”

“Will he be long?”

Karen shrugged.

“Do you like him mum?”

“…I take it you do?”

She grinned, “I love him. I’ve never been so happy. He is different from all the other guys, we have a deep connection. Now I am not prying but I know that you’ve never had that so I really want you to understand and be happy for me.”

“I…I…”

“Mum?”

“Oh I had very similar! In fact the same!”

“I don’t understand. You’ve never mentioned anything about dad before, please tell me.”

Karen’s voice quietened, “He was nothing to me but he seems to mean a lot to you.”

“Don’t get angry, I’m just curious, I’ve always been curious, it’s just you, you clam up and have never spoken about this. I hate to say this but are you jealous of what me and Ben have?”

She jumped over and grabbed her by the shoulders.

“Mum you’re hurting me. Julia pulled away.

“Fucking jealous!!! No I’m not jealous. You have the same with him as I had. The only difference was that I didn’t want him to fuck me. That Ben bastard IS your dad. You were conceived from a rape! Get me! Do you understand now? You’re fucking your father who raped your mother! I know all your little games, I’ve seen the fucking recordings!”

Julia began to cry, “No!”

Karen threw herself down on the chair.

“That’s what he’s doing, he’s writing a confession for his column.”

Julia tried to grab a thought. She said nothing for a few seconds.

“That’ll ruin him.”

“Only if I come forward.”

Julia glared at her, “That’s a given!”

Karen began to laugh, “I haven’t made my mind up yet. I had all this to deal with over these years so I’ll wait and see how it pans out for him.”

“What about me mum?”

“Julia, you are a consequence. You are of no significance.”

She held out her arms but Karen didn’t move.

“…Mum, how can you say that? Please don’t say that.”

“Stop blubbing. You really are just like your father!”

Julia stared at her. The tears stopped.

“Well?”

Julia’s silence began to unnerve her.

“WELL? Have you anything that you want to say?”

Julia walked over and crouched down beside her.

…“I didn’t know you were raped. I didn’t know that the man that I love is my father. But you did.”

Karen leaned forward, “…And it may or may not stay that way! I’ll decide when I tell.”

“If you want to go down this road then fine. Ben has done wrong but that was all before me. I love him, he was never a father to me and he isn’t now. He’s my lover and if he still wants me then so be it.”

“…What?…Are you fucking kidding me! You’re a fucking freak!!”

Julia composed herself, “Maybe but that’s the way it is, Now to you. Do what the fuck you want. But you knew and you are now blackmailing. Jesus mother, his confession will put you in prison also. Who would confess to that unless they had a reason? You couldn’t get more conclusive proof”

Karen laughed, “No-one would convict me!”

“That’s a chance I’m willing to take. Especially when I tell my side of this. I’m the innocent one here. You were happy with me fucking my dad, we didn’t know, YOU did!”

Karen stared into her eyes, her voice quivered, “It won’t work.”

Julia stood up and walked towards the door.

“I’m going home to fuck Ben.”

“He won’t, not now!”

Julia grinned, “I’ll always have my father in me. You’ve given me insurance. I want him and I’ll keep him. I’ve got both of you.”

Hugh Cron

Image – Google Images

14 thoughts on “Julia’s End by Hugh Cron – Warning – Strong Adult Content Of A Sexual Nature”

  1. Seems to me that you have effectively described what should be the final, hollowing, degrading, gibbering, relentless, ye abandon all hope level of hell created by human race for its own recreation. But we know that isn’t true. I’ve said it before, but it takes guts to relate such persons (who really do exist–I say for the benefit of the innocent), with the objectivity you display. You smartly let the anger and hate flow from one character to another and never do you pop your head in and throw in your two cents. (Again for the innocent: that is called “show” not “tell.” Also means don’t throw your religion at the reader. That sort of thing.)

    Looking back, I see that what I had intended as a concise comment, which was to extol your talent and make due mention of the complex and relevant nature of this piece, has degraded into a ramble written by a person who is just starting to get over a rather nasty three-day illness of a type often acquired by persons who do not always read expiration labels. Anyway, please consider it the kind of concise and positive comment it had been in spirit before the whole mess sort of mulched in my mind.
    100 ners.
    LA

    Like

    1. Hi Leila,
      Thanks as always.
      No mulching, all concise!
      Hope you are feeling better.
      You have made me curious though and I wonder what would be a representation of a generalisation of hell? But I don’t think I could come up with that. The specifics of all our individual fears are much easier to understand!!
      Hugh

      Like

    1. Cheers Leila,
      I always think a bathroom that is described as cute / lovely / gorgeous or any other of those inane terms is a contradiction we kid ourselves with!
      Hugh

      Like

  2. An engaging read, full of twists. ‘Perception’ twists, as you say. Ben is the abuser…then the victim; ‘Karen’ is the victim…then the abuser; Julia is the victim…then the…not exactly the abuser, but not exactly the victim, either…she is the warped consequence. Difficult content but not difficult to read – held my interest until the end.

    Like

    1. Hi Jane,
      Thanks so much for that!
      The initial idea of twisting the perceptions was all that was needed. The characters evolved into their specific situations all by themselves.
      Thanks again.
      Hugh

      Like

  3. Kind of a worst case scenario for everyone, and the scenery is chewed up pretty good esp. near the end. It held my attention, for sure, like a car accident. I could see Liz Taylor in her “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” phase playing Karen, not sure who’d play Julia, maybe a twenties something Sue Lyon, and Ben could be Hugh Grant (just kidding he he). This kind of reminds me of the so called “Kitchen Sink Realism” plays of the fifties like “A Taste of Honey.” It follows kind of the same tone and pace, the tone and pace are well constructed imho, esp. in the first part of the story.

    Like

    1. Hi Harrison,
      Much appreciated as always!
      I know the dramas that you are talking about. They were all about relatability. Everyone knew someone who was playing it out for real.
      Another cracker but very difficult to watch was the more recent ‘Nil By Mouth’.
      That and ‘Hard Candy’ are two films that I was glad I watched but wouldn’t rush out to see them again.
      All the very best my friend.
      Hugh

      Like

  4. A little anecdote: According to “The Anatomy of Swearing” by Ashley Montagu (last name spelled correctly regardless of WordPress’ opinion) the earliest known instance of “fuck” in print is 1503. Although the word had already been around forever, SCOTTISH Poet, William Dunbar, used it in a poem. God bless Scottish poets. My new mission in life is to locate that poem.
    LA

    Like

    1. Hi Stefan,
      Thanks as always.
      I wonder about their emotions and if they are actually recognisable as such. Or has all the circumstances made them what they are??
      Hugh

      Like

  5. I thought this was great. Excellent dialogue and a truly compelling and twisted plot. I think the reference to Jeremy Kyle works really well and the story itself is, in a sense, all the worst of The Jeremy Kyle show in one go. Overall it reminded me a lot of Ian McEwan’s short story collection First Love, Last Rites – a great collection of similarly brutal and taboo stories which also contain some excellent pitch dark humour.

    Like

    1. Hi Paul,
      Thank you so much for your kind comments.
      Sometimes folks are repelled by a subject matter and they don’t give much thought to what it really is all about.
      I’m glad you enjoyed the story and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your comments!!
      If you like this type of story, also check out Alex Sinclair and Dave Loudin on the site.
      All the very best.
      Hugh

      Like

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