Chapter 5 The Child's Shadow
664 Words
"He's just a kid! Whatever's going on, take it up with me!" Shawn shouted.
She twisted against his grip, trying to break free. "What the hell does this have to do with me? Let go!"
Shawn refused to release her. His grip only tightened, his nails biting into her skin hard enough to leave marks.
To him, her reaction looked less like confusion and more like guilt.
"What did you do to Eli?" he demanded, his voice rising. "Do you even realize he's still sick?"
Lydia stared at him in disbelief.
"He's not my son," she shot back. "Whatever happens to him isn't my responsibility."
The moment the words left her mouth, something changed in Shawn's expression.
He remembered another night, when he'd begged Lydia for forgiveness. She'd looked him in the eye and said almost the same thing.
She'd told him she wished all of them would disappear from her life.
Ever since then, those words had stayed with him, lodged somewhere deep where he could never quite shake them.
"You're unbelievable," he hissed. "I knew it was you."
As though he'd finally found proof of what he'd already convinced himself was true, Shawn grabbed her harder and pulled her toward him.
"Where is he?" he demanded. "Tell me where you took him."
Fear flashed across Lydia's face.
"What are you talking about?" she said, backing away. "I have no idea what you're saying."
She turned to leave, unwilling to keep arguing with someone who was clearly out of control.
Before she could get far, Shawn caught a fistful of her hair and jerked her backward.
"Where are you going?" he shouted. "Where is he?"
Pain exploded across her scalp.
Lydia reached up instinctively, trying to pry his hand away.
"Let go! I don't know anything!"
"You don't know?"
He released her hair so abruptly she nearly lost her footing. Before she could recover, a brutal kick slammed into her and knocked her to the floor.
"Then tell me where he is!"
Shawn dropped down on top of her and wrapped both hands around her throat.
Lydia immediately began choking. Tears streamed from her eyes as she struggled beneath him, desperately clawing at his wrists while her vision started to blur.
"It wasn't me..." she gasped. "I don't know..."
Her hands beat weakly against his arms.
She was already running out of air.
"You still won't talk? Fine."
One hand remained locked around her throat while the other came crashing across her face.
"Where is he?"
Another slap.
"Where did you hide him?"
Another.
"Talk!"
By now there was no reasoning with him. The hospital room door had been locked, leaving Lydia trapped alone with a man who had surrendered every trace of rational thought to panic and rage.
"Where is he? Where's Eli?"
Blood trickled from the corner of Lydia's mouth. Her nose was bleeding now too, and every breath felt harder than the last. Even so, she kept repeating the same words.
"Shawn..." she whispered hoarsely. "You bastard..."
The sight of blood finally broke through the haze clouding his judgment.
Shawn froze.
Through Lydia's fading consciousness, she could hear Willa crying on the other end of the call.
The child had been found.
Relief washed over Shawn so quickly it almost seemed unreal.
"Thank God," he said, his voice softening at once. "Thank God he's okay."
Before he left, he glanced back toward Lydia.
"Don't let something like this happen again. Because next time," he continued, "I won't let it go this easily."
He straightened and stepped away from her.
"You should spend some time thinking about your behavior."
"I'll fulfill my responsibilities as your husband," he said. "And I'll make up for everything I owe Willa."
He paused briefly before adding, "The two of you need to learn how to get along."
The sound of his footsteps gradually faded down the hallway until there was nothing left but silence.
Unable to hold on any longer, she finally closed her eyes.
- Writer
