"Family Portrait": A Vignette (2015)

      "Hold still, you little bitch," Carrie hissed under her breath. She dug her fingernails into Eileen's shoulder, feeling her tense up in her grasp.

     Eileen attempted to sidle away from her, without success. She could smell the odor of stale beer and cigarettes wafting from her mother's body. Carrie turned to grin at her, showing a mouthful of crooked, yellow teeth. 
     "Come on, pumpkin, smile for the camera," she said, digging her nails in deeper. 

     Eileen yelped and faced front, tracing the gap where her two front teeth had formerly been with her tongue. She looked up and gave a closed-lip smile.
     "Ready, ladies?" Daddy John asked as he clapped a hand on each of their shoulders. Carrie grunted as she loosened her grip on her daughter. 
     "Say cheese!"
     The flash went off before either of them could react. 
     *****
     "I look awful in this picture!"
     "You do not! It's a lovely photo. You were just caught off guard, is all."
     Carrie wrinkled her nose as she looked over the print-out. Her lips curled down into a sneer when she noticed her daughter's expression.
     "Eileen, get your ass over here now!"The girl had been eyeing a large display of Christmas-themed teddy bears and Barbie dolls when she heard the call.
     "Carrie?" She was still unable to look away for a moment.
     "Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" A loud, hard smack to the side of her head nearly knocked Eileen to the floor. She was still reeling when Carrie grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her off to the side. 

     "You listen to me now, you little brat. You ruined our picture by making faces at the camera. What do you think you are, a monkey? You already look enough like one without even trying."

     Eileen whimpered as her mother kept tugging at her hair.
     "Hey Carrie, I'm ready to - Oh my God, Carrie, what are you doing to that poor girl?" Daddy John had had his back turned to them as he paid for the pictures. His eyes widened as he watched the scene unfold."Just let her go, for Christ's sake!"
     Carrie snorted and let go of the small handful of hair still clutched in her fist, dropping Eileen to the floor.
     "You stay out of this, John. This is between me and my daughter." 
     "No. She didn't do anything wrong. She's just a kid. She can't always help how she acts." 
     Carrie's eyes narrowed as she glared at her husband.
     "Is that so? If that's the case, then I guess I can't always help how I act, either," Carrie said. She reached down for Eileen and grabbed at her hair with both hands. "Isn't that right, pumpkin?" Eileen howled as her mother kept tugging on her unruly curls.

     "I'm only gonna say it one more time. This doesn't concern you. It's between me and my daughter only," said Carrie. "Now stay out of it, or it's just gonna hurt her even more."
     Eileen yelped again and reached for her mother's hands as she tried to pull them away. Carrie only snarled and slapped at her fingers.

I'd love to know what you think. - Lee