Turn for the Worst

Chapter 15

Arthur sits out on the porch of his home, smoking a cigarette, waiting for the wife and children to come back.

How can you hide such a thing from your family? He ponders, taking a long drag of his cigarette. What purpose can holding her like this do for you and your children?

Arthur's conscious seems to be battling his primal instincts, going back and forth like a tennis ball being swatted. Or Trump and Clinton during their presidential debates. He felt like he was wrestling with an alligator, putting down the guilty thoughts of what he had done, even though there weren't many.

She will wake up eventually and she will try to make a scene?

Not while she's gagged...

The chains and handcuffs!

I can tell them it's the furnace.

How are you going to explain the lock?

I'll tell her it's construction and the kids can't go down there.

This is all so insane; Gwen will figure it out eventually! And when she does she'll call the cops, release the girl, divorce you and put your ass in jail. Why did you do it anyways?

I wanted to... I wanted her.

That's awful and you know that's not the reason.

I want to give us another chance. She wants one so badly.

She won't when she finds out...

We'll cross that bridge when we get to it!

Damn you!

The sound of a car pulls into their gravel driveway. Arthur flicks his cigarette into the grass and stands up with a grin on his face.

Out of the car come the two little munchkins. Ben and Megan, both bright-eyed and lively children. Megan is almost eight, his little princess, a ballerina and an animal lover at heart. Little Ben is four with a love of dinosaurs and space.

"DADDY!" they yell, hopping out of the car and running into their dad's outstretched arms.

He lifts them both up into his arms, laughing out loud and enjoying their kisses.

"Did you miss us, Daddy?" Megan asks.

"We missed you," Ben says.

"What did you do when we were gone?"

"Why do you smell funny?"

"Grandpa took us fishing!"

"Ben caught a big fish!"

"Grandma made a cake with Ben!"

"I got to play with the animals at the petting zoo!"

"We got to pick apples on a farm!"

"Mommy said we could visit real soon!"

Arthur hardly listens to his children, so overwhelmed by their presences that he doesn't seem to care what they say. He swings them in his well-built arms before putting them on the grass.

"I did miss you and guess what? The tickle claw missed you too!"

He then begins tickling his two children as they shriek with laughter. The two roll around, trying to avoid his tickling hands, squirming and squealing in delight. Arthur's mind went back to focusing on his family life. When he's done getting the giggles out of his children, he looks up to see his wife smiling and getting the bags out of the trunk of their small car.