The Futile Effort

V

Despite Oli's words, I couldn't avoid Julia forever. Mary's behavior did not indicate that her daughter was as monstrous as Oli had drawn it. A mother knows her child, right? Especially since Julia was a frequent guest in my bedroom. On the one hand, it suited me - on the other, I felt like I was betraying Eva. Now much more than before. I had denied myself sex for so long that I was now enjoying the freedom and the fact that Julia was beautiful and sweet. Was Oli telling the truth? I looked at the woman sleeping next to me. Her naked body glistened in the moonlight. I couldn't clear my mind. I got up, got dressed and left the room. I went to my favorite place - Clare's room. The girl slept with her hands up, despite her small size, she occupied almost the entire bed. I walked over to her quietly, brushing her strands from her forehead.
"You sleep just like your mom." I whispered smiling.
I was watching her sleep when suddenly I heard a scream. I jumped to my feet while clicking the magnetic lock on the wall. I glanced at Clare, but she hadn't woken up. I closed the door and heard the click of the latches. From now on, no one but me could get into the baby's bedroom. Plus, security was about to come in.
I ran down the hall from where I heard a scream. After a while, I heard the sounds of a scuffle. Broken glass, groans.
I moved faster.
I barged into Mary's room and saw her under Haiko. The man choked her pinned to the floor, and she greedily tried to draw breath, her fingers tightening on the man's hands.
I immediately grabbed a vase from the dresser next to the door and hurled it at the man's head. It stunned him and he rolled onto his side. I helped Mary up and she clung to me for dear life. Haiko was recovering and slowly got up from his knees.
“Mary, you need to call outside security, I don't think they heard the signal.” I told her, but she was sobbing, her hands on my shoulder. “Mary! Mary!!" I screamed. She looked at me. "Call for help. Now!" I screamed and pushed her out the door. At that moment, I felt a strong blow to my head. I fell to my knees.
Haiko knocked me down and wanted to go after Mary, but I threw myself at his feet, knocking him down. We were rolling on the floor fighting for dominance. I felt his weight on me.. twice as heavy as my weight. If he managed to be at the top - it would be end of me.
Luckily, I had time to punch him, but his fingers reached for my neck. Then Julia burst into the room, shouting:
“Leave her Haiko!” she screamed
And to my great surprise. The guy let me go. I pinned his hands to the floor. He wasn't looking at me. He stared at Julia, who stood beside us, towering over us.
"You..." breathed the man "... why did you stop answering..." He didn't finish because in the next second my security burst into the room, pushing me away from Haiko and forcing him up.
“Mrs. Hunter, the police are on their way.” I nodded.
"What about Claire?" I asked quickly.
“The girl is still sleeping in her room, we did a scan of the rooms. The attacker was alone."
“Is that an ambulance?” I asked as I ran out into the hallway, passing Julia without a word as the security chief caught up with me.
"Emergency. We called an ambulance for Mrs. Trenton."
"What happened?" I asked quickly.
“I think heart problems. She couldn't catch her breath and passed out."
“Call a helicopter, immediately!” I screamed as I ran down the stairs to the hall. I found paramedics circling around Mary as she lay on the couch in the living room. I quickly approached them.
“The helicopter will be here shortly. What about her?" I asked the doctor who had his hand around Mary's neck.
"Too late. I'm sorry." He said dryly.
“How is it? What happened?" I asked him looking at Mary's body. She looked like she was sleeping.
"Myocardial infarction."
Julia ran into the room. She immediately crouched next to her mother. She began to sat when the doctor pronounced Mary dead. I unconsciously pulled her to me and hugged her. Stunned, I watched as they took away Mary's body, as the security chief cleared the rest of the people out and locked the door of the house, saying something I hadn't recorded.
Mary was gone.
And Eva didn't even get to say goodbye to her.
And Clare…? How will they explain to her that in the evening her grandmother bathed her and played with her, and in the morning she was gone?
"Jess...Jess..." Julia shook me, looking at me sadly.
"hmm?"
"Please, never leave me. I do not want to be alone." she cried.
And I didn't say anything.