Reaping of the Wives

STILL FULL

Four Years Later

All it takes is one second to change the course of your destiny.

She listened to Caleb's soft, steady breathing as he eased to sleep. Methodically rubbing his back with one hand while the other rested beneath her pillow, gripping the cold metal knife.

Once she heard the whistle from outside her bedroom window, she knew it was time. It took but one perfectly placed slit across his throat, and mere seconds later, more liters of Caleb's blood pooled around him on the mattress than flowed within his veins. It was a quick, silent death. One that was far too painless for what he deserved, but Camilla felt no remorse when she stared down into his eyes and watched the darkness within them fade. Gone was the evil glint that made a shiver run up her spine and fear grip her insides. Gone was the monster that slept in her bed every night and consumed her thoughts every day.

She slipped from the room, having finally ended her own personal nightmare.

Running into the bathroom, she quickly washed the fine droplets of blood from her hands. She had thought of this day for years. Acted it out in her dreams over and over again so many times, and each time her hands shook from fear. Yet as she washed away Caleb's blood beneath the florescent lights, there wasn't a tremor to be found. She looked at her reflection and saw nothing but a remorseless woman, steady as a rock, reclaiming the life that had been stolen from her all those years ago.

Turning to the linen closet, she squatted down and reached to the very back of the bottom shelf where she had stashed a small bag that contained a change of clothes and sneakers. Once she was dressed, she rushed out, pausing outside the closed door to the room across from the one she shared with Caleb.

When she quietly entered, her heart nearly burst at the sight before her. She slowly approached the small bed, kneeling down before gently shaking a little shoulder.

Three year old Ezra sat up and rubbed two little fists into his eyes before blinking several times. He squinted into the dark, trying to make out the figure before him.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah, baby, it's me," Cami smiled and patted his thigh.

"No, no!" he whispered in a panic, trying to push her away with his hands. "Go back to bed, Mommy! Daddy will get mad dat you up at nighttime and I no want him to make you cry."

Cami smiled at her sweet boy who was absolutely nothing like the monster that tried to raise him. He was so good and pure, everything Caleb claimed to be himself, but wasn't.

"Daddy won't get mad, sweet pea. He.. he's asleep."

Ezra watched her with curious eyes as she moved to his nightstand to turn on the lamp.

His eyes widened once the room illuminated. "Are you hurt mommy?!"

Looking to where his big brown eyes were staring intently, Cam swallowed weakly and she wiped away a splatter of blood from her upper arm that she had missed.

She then forced a smile onto her face. "No baby, I'm okay." 

"But you got blood on you! Did you hab a bad accilent?"

"Accident," she corrected with a smile, "And no, Mommy's just fine. Are you ready to go, baby?"

The little boy tipped his head to the side. "Go where?"

"To meet your grandparents."

His head fell so low his little chin nearly touched his chest. "I no wanna see dem."