~Gunshot~

~The Before~

The before

I was in a strange room, it was dark and dingy it smelt of damp and cigarettes. Suddenly the light bulb clicked on. I spun around to see my mum waddle in. Her stomach was bulging and she looked so tired. She had dark rings around her eyes that matched her dark bruises up and down her arms complete with dark bruise bracelets around her wrists. My mum moved over to the window, she took a deep breath as she rolled back on the bed. She slithered onto her back and lay against the pillows. She rested her hands upon her stomach and smiled. She began to whisper. Telling her unborn child everything would be all right and she would get out of there for both their sakes.

Suddenly a door slammed. I saw my mum tense as she began to shake uncontrollably. I moved over to the door to get a glimpse of this man who is hurting my mum so badly. I saw a figure race up the rickety stairs and burst into the bed room. Mum wrapped a protective arm around her huge belly. The dark figure came into light so I could have a proper good look at him. He had short almost white hair, dark eyes that had no soul and had a muscular build. How my mum fell for that I'll never know. He approached her slowly, I could feel my mum's fear hanging in the air. He touched her bruised wrist and grinned as she winced.

"Ed" my mum whispered.

"You do know this is all you fault" He hissed. As she sat on the bed next to her and ran his stubby fingers through her straggly blonde hair. My mum held her breathe as she watched his dirty fingers do their work.

"So you keep telling me" Mum muttered under her breath. She didn't mean for him to hear but his did. He forced her head against the headboard. I was shocked to my very core. This man was a monster.

"You what? Did you back answer me!" he hissed against her cheek.

"You're hurting me!" my mum whimpered quietly.

"Good" the words slipped of his tongue, it made me feel sick.

I saw his hand reach out to my mum's thigh. She whispered the word "No" over and over again. I could see the glee on Ed's face as he moved closer to my mum. I began to yell at him shouting with every ounce of my being. I was begging him to stop, my mother was begging him to stop. He couldn't hear me and he ignored my mother. My mother let out a deafening scream. This knocked Ed off track long enough for mum to kick him away.

"The baby" my mum shouted between her deafening screams. Ed got up off the bed, I saw anger cover his face.

He raised his arms to his head and began to mutter to himself. He paced around the room occasionally pausing to kick a cupboard. I stared at my mum she was in complete agony. Her face was bright red and covered in a thin layer of sweat. She was so scared and Ed wasn't helping. Mums screamed echoed around the room.

"For crying out loud Sue! Why did you get pregnant, you've caused all this! Why didn't you get rid of it!" Ed screamed at her. Mum was taking no notice. I smiled Ed was going to be found out and he knew it this was the end!

"For god's sake Ed I'm in labour! Call an ambulance!" Screeched my mum.

Ed did nothing. Mum screamed again as she leaned over using all her strength to reach for the phone. Ed got there before her and snatched the phone.

"Ed!" my mum stammered balancing on the bed.

"You honestly think I'm letting you go!" my mum stood up and somehow managed to punch Ed on the nose. She grabbed the phone and sunk back down on the bed. She punched dad's number in and waited impatiently for him to pick up.

"Martin I need..." Before my mum got a chance to finish her sentence the phone was in tatters on the floor beside the door.

Screams once again echoed through the house.