Half Of Rhea

The Boot

He was slightly out of breath from dragging her along the floor kicking and yelling. Now with the door shut and staring into the black abyss that was his pupils, she knew that he wasn’t in the right frame of mind. He was sweating profusely, drips slowly travelling down his forehead and past his ears and sideburns. His weight had dropped considerably and she wondered if he had eaten at all over the past couple of months.

“Zane what the f**k are you doing here?” she trembled and spoke quieter then she wanted to, out of complete shock at what had happened. He stood in the corner looking at her on the ground. His eyes bore down on Rhea. He said nothing and just stared at her for a long time. She wasn’t sure if she should get up or stay where she was. All her instincts to fight back had been completely nullified from the torment and abuse she had endured over the years. But also the motherly instinct of protecting her unborn child kicked in. Her only hope was to stay quiet and hope above everything else that he was not beyond the point of reason.

“You were going to leave me.” He said quietly but with so much rage that it made Rhea whimper slightly.

“There is nothing between us anymore Zane, you have to let us go” She hoped he would listen but her words seemed to enrage him further. A smile formed on his lips as he took another step forward.

“You’re not leaving with my kids.” He looked at her waiting for her reaction.

“Kid.” She said correcting him

“I know sweet Rhea...” he pointed his finger at her, waving it, like she was being a naughty girl. “I know you’re having another little Zane.” He laughed at her.

Panic set in, as she wondered what the f**k to do now.

“It’s not yours.” She said the first thing that came to her mind. “It belongs to someone else.”

He stood as his jaw clenched in utter disbelief. “Bull-f*****g-s**t!”

“I know you haven’t been with anyone else, so don’t you f*****g lie to me slut. That is my f*****g kid!” He picked up the side table next to the chair and threw it across the room. Anger and more prominently desperation was in his voice. “It’s mine Rhea and now we can fix our family and you can let me come home.” He tried convincing her. He went and knelt down next to her on the floor grabbing her hand and kissing it. She tried to pull it away but he gripped into it even harder. Holding so tightly onto her that her fingers began to hurt. His other hand went to her face and he gripped her chin trying to have her eyes look up towards him.

“I’m sorry for everything my love, but now you need me and I need you and with Laken and our new baby we can be a happy family.” He smiled a genuine smile and Rhea’s heart saddened knowing that his dream would never become reality. He had a happy family and he had destroyed it with his growing degradation of her.

“I’m sorry Zane… I really am but we have moved on and you need to as well.” She looked at him with tears in her eyes trying desperately to convey to him that the baby wasn’t his and have him believe her.

“That baby is mine.” He said angrier, realising his tears hadn’t shaken her resolve. His grip tightened on her.

Rhea sat up straight, pulled her face and hand out of his grasp staring straight at him and said with all the conviction she could muster. “The baby is not yours, I was already pregnant before you r***d me.” That last statement sent him over the edge.

He stood and grabbed her by the hair and pulled her towards the door. Rhea started screaming again trying desperately to have him release her. He opened the door and she fell at his feet.

“Please what are you doing!?” She wasn’t sure what his plan was now and she tried to stand to run out the door thinking that he was kicking her out of her own house. Then she saw a black boot come flying towards her abdomen. She closed her eyes, wrapped her hands around her stomach and braced knowing there was nothing else she could do. The boot collided with her forearms and she instantly felt something break, her arms flung as she went rolling down the back steps. She screamed as loudly as she could, hoping the neighbours would hear. “Help! Please someone ring the police!” She had rolled backwards and tried frantically to get up and run again this time he had taken two steps down towards her and grabbed her arm. It hung limply in his grasp. With tremendous pain echoing down her fingertips she knew she couldn’t pull herself free.

“If it’s not my kid then you won’t be keeping it.” The darkness had swallowed him up. There was no saving him or his soul. To Rhea in that moment, he was the devil incarnate. The look in his eyes was nothing but evil and she couldn’t believe at one point in her life, she had ever loved this man.

Before she could take a breath to yell again, another unexpected blow came straight into her stomach, the pain made her want to throw up, as blood came out of her mouth. She coughed and hung droopily, his grasp firm. There was no oxygen left, there was no scream just a blinding pain that ran through her whole torso. Her breathing was shallow and she coughed again unable to move, unable to register what was going on. Rhea felt him let go of her arm and she flopped face down onto the ground attempting to still curve into a ball and try to protect her little peanut.  Another boot, this time to her face, was the last thing she saw before she blacked out.

The outside light on the Wilson’s back porch came on, illuminating the space in the backyard where Zane was standing. He looked like a monster and with his black heavy clothes, he was unrecognisable to the elderly gentleman. He quickly pulled his hood over his face, he pulled his boot back one more time and kicked with as much force as possible, straight to her stomach. She didn’t move, she didn’t cough, the sound of boot on flesh filling the night air. She rolled slightly still unconscious and Mr Wilson stood shocked looking upon the beautiful young mother, who was bleeding profusely.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Mr Wilson yelled out. “Martha! Martha come quickly! Bring my phone! Ring the police and an ambulance!”

Mrs Wilson sat inside the lounge wondering what this stupid old fool was yelling about and she stood up exasperated. “Probably saw another phantom person creeping around.” She sighed.

“Good luck with the baby you f*****g bitch.” Zane spat on her and ran from the back yard as fast as he could.

Martha went out and grabbed John’s arm, “what the hell are you yelling about?” she chastised him.

“Martha quick its Rhea...” He pointed over to the body lying limp on the grass. Martha looked upon the sweet girl gasping. “Oh good lord no….”

John ran as fast as his old legs could carry him and went inside the house, grabbing his phone. He rung the police and ambulance quickly relaying the information, his neighbour had been attacked by an unknown man and she was lying unconscious in her backyard. After quickly giving the address and a short description of the attacker he started gathering the first aid kit and blankets. He kept the operator on the line as he turned towards Martha. “We have to go over there now….”

“John, what if the attacker is still out there?” Martha asked still shocked not knowing what to do.

“Excuse me sir please stay in your own home, the assailant may still be in the area and you could put yourself in potential danger.” The operator said to the old man. He hung up the phone, there was no other information he could give them that would help.

“Martha, get my gun.”

Martha hurried to the cupboard and followed her husband out the door. She carried the blankets and John stormed out his gate holding his gun in front of him, looking for any movements. His years in the military had not been in vain, even in his old retired body, his natural abilities in weaponry had not forsaken him. He cleared the area making sure the attacker had definitely left, while Martha lay the blanket on top of Rhea, checking her pulse and breathing. She rang the emergency services again relaying the injuries to the operator and telling them to hurry as Rhea’s breathing began to slow down.

Martha looked down at her swelling, bleeding face, she gently moved her hair out of her eyes and saw the bruises and haematomas’ forming. Her arm was bent at a weird angle and she knew this girl had just gone through hell and she wasn’t even sure if she would survive. She trembled and lay her hand on top of Rhea’s hand not wanting to make any injuries she had sustained worse.

“Rhea, it’s going to be ok, Me and Mr Wilson are here.” She spoke softly to her.

The back door of Rhea’s house moved and out popped a little curly haired boy who was confused and half asleep.

“Mama? Where’s my mama?...” He rubbed his eyes and Mrs Wilson quickly ran to him picking him up and carrying him inside.

“You go and look after her.” She told John pointing in Rhea’s direction, “and I will take care of little Laken here.”

Martha knew the last thing Laken needed to see, was his mum lying unconscious in the back yard. Tears fell from her eyes as she hugged the little boy. “It’s ok darling, mums had a little accident but Mr Wilson is looking after her ok?” Laken’s eyebrows furrowed in worry and Martha wasn’t sure how she could explain to him what was going on so she tucked him up the couch and turned the t.v on, waiting for the police to arrive.

It felt like hours before they finally showed up but it was only mere minutes. Police, ambulance, multiple vehicles and multiple personnel filled the backyard and the house, as they tried to ascertain what had happened.

Mr Wilson held onto Rhea’s hand unwilling to let it go, as the paramedics performed numerous checks on her as she lay on the ground, now on a stretcher and with a neck brace. She was put in the back of the ambulance and Laken was taken over to the Wilsons to sleep and wait for his family to be notified and to collect him.

Up on a hill, overlooking the small town in which Rhea lived, a cigarette lighter illuminated the darkness surrounding the park and bench. The flashing lights and sirens could be seen and heard from this vantage point. Zane sat with his back against the bench pulling out the bag and the pipe. He rotated the bowl and lit it again watching as the small crystals began to dissolve. He inhaled and smiled looking down upon the masterpiece he had created. There was no remorse only quiet satisfaction as he watched the scene unfold.

The high overwhelmed him and all thoughts of remorse or guilt disappeared with every breath he took in.

“That b***h deserved it.” He spoke out loudly to no one. “She won’t ever hurt me again.” He laughed and stood up watching the ambulance leave but the police remain at his house.

“I hope that b***h dies and next step, get my son.” He nodded to himself.

This wasn’t the plan he had initially wanted but it was a good alternative. He would take over the house and their son and maybe find a nice woman to be the step mum, then his family would be perfect again.

He stood up walking back to his current crash pad with a renewed hope for his future, thinking he should have really made sure she was dead before he left her lying in the backyard.

He whistled loudly, “come on boy! Here Bully-Boy…..” the beautiful, red-nose pittie came running out of the bushes towards him and he bent down and patted his head.

“I may not have got the whole family, but at least I got you.” He smiled down at Rhea’s beloved Bully and left the park.