Legacy

Chapter 3: Worse

I had declined watching the Harry Potter movie once we tucked Robin in for the night. Just the thought of spending more time with this monster of a man makes me want to bash his face in.

He traumatized our son. And it wasn't an accident.

Michael did let me know his intentions from the beginning. I give him a baby and that baby will follow in his footsteps as a serial killer...

But why does he have to start so soon?

I shift and roll over in the bed and look at Michael's sleeping face. Just like every other night, I find my eyes flicking past him, toward the door. The longing to slip out of bed and sneak down the hall, to grab our son and run, to not stop until we reach help... it's all just a fantasy at this point.

No one is still looking for me. There's nothing waiting for us beyond that thick woods.

One day I'll just snap and attack Michael. He'll kill me. But if Robin watched it happen... He could run. Maybe there would be a real life for him in the real world.

Shaking my head, I just close my eyes and go back to sleep.

~~~~~

The sun is bright and unblocked by the few clouds surrounding it. A perfect day for a barbecue and bubbles.

Michael stands in front of the smoking grill, picture perfect with his apron and plaid shorts. I sit with our son on the bench swing, right between Michael and the house.

A mild precaution.

That's all it is. When Robin was a baby Michael went as far as to shackle me to the swing while he was doing something. Just to ensure I wouldn't run. I really tried not to mind it. The man was still building trust with me.

Robin blows his bubbles and I watch him without seeing him. One pops on the tip of my nose, making me jump suddenly, causing him to giggle.

I smile softly and tap his small button nose with my finger.

How can he be so different from his father?

Michael snaps the grill shut suddenly and glances back at us. "Steaks should be ready in a bit." He turns to face us completely. "I have a surprise for you, Robin."

My blood turns to ice in my veins at the sight of Michael's classic smirk.

Something is definitely off.

Michael comes over and picks Robin up, quickly hoisting him up onto his shoulders. With a jerk of his chin, he has me up on my feet as well. He takes my hand in his, the other keeping a secure hold on Robin's knee.

He leads us around to the other side of the house before suddenly crouching down in front of a small cage. It looks empty at first. Before I see a ball of fur and a long tail huddled up in the corner. I yank my hand out of Michaels and jump back, barely containing my scream.

Robin, on the other hand, giggles in excitement, clapping his hands together at the same speed as my heartbeat. Michael lifts him down so he can have a better look.

"Wow," Robin breathes, leaning foreword so his nose is almost touching the cage bars. "That a mouse, daddy?"

"No, it's a rat." I answer, all too quickly and a little too loudly. My entire body is tense and jumpy as I look down at the cage.

There were a couple times, back when Robin was a baby, that I saw mice make their way into the basement during the winter months. They weren't the least bit afraid of me.

After that I had never been more happy to be sharing a bed upstairs with Michael.

The rat hobbles around to face us, looking up with its little black eyes. Its nose twitches curiously as it comes up and braces itself on the cage door.

"You wanna hold him?" Michael asks, kneeling down next to our son.

Michael has no reservations about me staying where I am now. Not when it would mean leaving my son with him. He knows me all too well.

Robin smiles ear to ear and nods excitedly.

My brow furrows.

What the hell is Michael up to? He has to have an alterer motive...

Before I have even finished thinking, Michael has already handed the rat over to Robin. The thing barely fits between his tiny hands. He adjusts so one hand is under the rats tail and the other has him around the belly.

My disgust at the animal fades away for a moment upon seeing how happy my son is. His smile is enough to make me smile too.

Michael smiles again. "A boy should have a pet," he says before taking the tiny thing away from our son. The rat wiggles and squeaks, trying to get free. "Watch closely, Robin," he says. The rats squeaks grow more frantic and labored and I suddenly see what he's doing. His fingers are gripping tightly around the belly of the rat, squeezing tightly. "See..." Michael grunts, "the look in his eyes... He wants to live."

Robin's face suddenly pales. This is so much worse than any movie could ever be.

I step forward, covering my baby's eyes. "Michael. Stop."

My breath catches in the back of my throat as the man looks up at me, sunlight glinting off his glasses in a sudden flash.

Not my husband. This is the man who kidnapped me. Tortured me. Took away everything I ever was.

Michael slowly rises to his feet. The rat is barely moving now. I pull robin into my body and wrap my arms around him.

Every step Michael takes toward us, I take a tiny inch back. I feel the tears boiling up behind my eyes and my lip starts to quiver. The look in his eyes makes me hold Robin even tighter to me, his body shaking like a leaf.

Without a word, Michael turns and throws the rat at the side of the house. I flinch, closing my eyes as all I hear is one tiny squeak, silenced by a sudden thump.

"Let's eat." Michael says, causing my eyes to open again. He walks past us, heading for the grill. His sudden silence twists my stomach into a knot.

I take a breath and nudge Robin toward the woods, knowing what I have to do.

As Michael opens the grill, I walk up behind him and slam it back down on his arms.

"ROBIN RUN!"

And he does.

That's all I can think about as Michael howls in pain and tackles me to the ground. The grill tips over and the hot coals and steaks spill out into a sloppy pile. Michael picks me up by the neck and slams me down onto the burning pile, holding me down as my skin sizzles.

Now, for the first time in years, it's my turn to scream.