The Monster Within

Chapter 29

Arthur King unlocks his tiny apartment door and steps into the darkness. He sides step a pile of magazines in the corner by his bedroom door. Once he turns the light on, he heads for his bedroom and collapses onto his bed, faces first into the pillows. He'd never thought that his job would be so exhausting.

The wanted man had a new identity, Jacob Hart. He'd dyed his hair blonde and frequently spent time at tanning salons to hide his pasty skin. He'd acquired a job at a lumber yard just outside of Boston, a company that paid him under the table, which got rid of the social security problem. He'd managed to find a cheap apartment nearby that was small but livable. Using the loosest definition of the word "livable" as the place was tremendously dirty, mostly by his own doing. Stacks and stacks of newspapers littered the floors and the couch of his living room, dirty dishes filled the sink, take-out containers were overflowing his trash, dirty clothes lay in heaps near the bathroom, soap scum could be found staining the sink and shower and the whole place smelled of cigarette smoke and the used butts were extinguished in impromptu ashtrays. But most of all, his apartment was piled high with bottles of booze. Beer cans were crumpled and lay atop the TV, half-empty liquor bottles lined the floors by the kitchenette and bathrooms and the unopened bottles sat in the warm fridge.

Arthur groans and just lies in his unkempt room, still covered in sawdust from his job at the lumber yard. His life had fallen apart. He missed his wife and children, he hated that he'd never gotten that child he wanted and he hated that Emma had gotten away. He had done so much to try and make his family better, and instead, he is left as a bitter and very lonely man.

He rolls over once and looks at the far side of his wall. Taped to the dilapidated wallpaper were articles about the entire event that he had started.

He'd been collecting and cutting out articles about the case, almost from the beginning. For some odd reason, he liked having his name in the paper, even if it was for the wrong reasons. He felt almost famous. He had started collecting them back when he was first holding Emma in the basement and continued even after they'd "moved" to the cabin. They had been taking up space in the bed of his truck and he'd cut out the articles and stuff them in a bag. It was the only thing he had with him after he disappeared into the night and burned the truck. Now that he had a permanent place, he'd taped them up on the wall, it was not just a reminder of what he'd done, but what he still had to do.

Various headlines pop out at him.

Woman Abducted at Bar

Son of Kidnapped Victim Pleas for Help

Wife Found Beaten in Home

Arthur King, Most Wanted Man in Boston

Children of Monster Found Safe and Sound

Wife of Abductor Denies Any Knowledge of Kidnapping

"She Will Be Found," says Commissioner Gold

Is She Still Alive?

Sightings of Miss Swan Reported

Emma Swan Found Alive!

Boyfriend of Ms. Swan Wants Privacy

Pregnant by Monster?

Will She Keep It?

The Search Continues...

The ones that frustrate him the most are the ones about Emma's alleged pregnancy. The reporters couldn't confirm anything, but Arthur could. The blonde bitch was carrying his baby. He wasn't sure whether she was keeping it or not, but he wanted that child. It was rightfully his and he worked hard to get it. The Irish Idiot whom she called her boyfriend should not be allowed to raise his child, his flesh, and blood.

Arthur had added his own special touches to the articles, including drawing x's through Killian Jones' and Henry Swan's face. He'd also circled the pictures of Emma, indicating he still needed her.

He sighs heavily and rolls over to get a few hours of sleep. He'd been working the night shift for several weeks now and it left his body sore and exhausted. He falls asleep, dreaming of ways to get that child from the blonde one.

...

Several hours later, Arthur is up again, ready to go back to work. He remains in the same clothes and grabs a pack of cigarettes from his messy apartment before heading downtown. He always liked to grab a few drinks before heading to work. He believed that the alcohol made him stronger and more focused on the mediocre tasks he had to do.

After downing several brews, he looks at the clock and knows he should head to work. As he exits the bar, he notices someone across the street on a park bench. The man is hunched over and appears to be crying. Arthur squints to get a better look at the man, thinking he might be a good person to rob until the dark-haired man wipes his eyes and stares off into oblivion. Arthur's blood pressure rises when he recognizes the man. His face was plastered on his wall and he was the one who was going to raise his child. Arthur's hands clench into fists and he grinds his teeth together. He wants to go over and teach the man a lesson, but another idea pops into his head. He might be able to find where Emma lived. His heart soared with excitement and he stood in the shadow of the bar, waiting for Killian Jones to go back to his beloved Emma.

Eventually, the docks man stands up and goes along the street. Arthur casually follows him at a safe distance, fortunately, Killian is so caught up with his own problems, he doesn't notice that he's being followed. The stalker watches as Mr. Jones goes into an internet café for about 20 minutes and then towards an apartment complex. Once he disappears inside, Arthur grins to himself, knowing he's found her.

At first, he just wants to charge into the apartment and grab Emma, but if her boyfriend is around, she is likely protected. Plus, the building had good security. He needs to get her when she's alone... just like she was that night. He also needs to be as subtle and as inconspicuous as possible, not to draw attention to himself.

Arthur spends the next week during the day camped outside of the apartment complex, taking extra care at concealing himself. He takes careful mental notes of the comings and goings of this "happy" little family. He watches the son go to school every day and learns the name of said school. He watches the boyfriend go off to work and come home in the evenings. The problem is, Emma hardly leaves the apartment and when she does, she gets in her car to drive away before he can grab her or is with someone else.

Arthur also knows he must plan everything carefully, so it won't end up a big mess like the last time. He doesn't have a basement anymore to house a prisoner and most of his tools and drugs were confiscated by the police. He needs to take his time and have the patience to get his prize.

Today, he watches as the happy couple exit a therapy session, happily holding hands and stopping at that stupid diner again for lunch. He quietly observes them through the window, having a cigarette with him as not to arouse too much suspicion. His mind races with potential plots of how to acquire what was rightfully his. He knew he had to get Emma back, and he knew he had to do it soon.

Sorry if this is a bit shorter, but I am showing what Arthur's life is now like. He's going to have to do a lot of planning and this shows how he is slowly losing his sanity over this obsession of getting Emma's daughter.