Christmas special

Christie

Christmas morning arrived with a golden ray of sunlight, a stark difference from the cold, dark night that was Christmas Eve. The sun felt too bright; I thought it would shine a light on the secrets that happened in the barn.

I moved through the kitchen with a noticeable limp. My muscles were tight, and there was a dull, persistent ache in my core that reminded me of every thrust from the night before.

"You okay, honey?" my father asked, pausing with a tray of ham. "You're walking a bit stiff."

"I just... I tripped near the stables last night," I lied, my face warming as I...