Retribution

Chapter 34 - Adam-o-phobia

Warmth spreading across my cheeks woke me the next morning. Opening my eyes, I smiled as spring sunshine filled my room. The happy chatter of birds singing against a clear, bright blue sky was delightful. I couldn't have asked for anything more perfect.

Until the scream came.

The most chilling, blood-curdling yell I've ever heard.

And it came from my child.

My legs didn't move as fast as my brain thought they could. Getting tangled in the covers, I fell out of bed with a heavy thud. Jake was leaning over me in a split second, his eyes only half-open in his half-awake state.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Harvey," I said, kicking at the damn sheets.

He blinked his eyes wide open, leapt over the bed, and grabbed his jeans. By the time I'd finished my wrestle with the duvet, Jake was already halfway out of the door, zipping his fly up. I grabbed my dressing gown from the back of the door and ran to Harvey's room. Jake opened the door as I came up behind him.

Harvey was sat up in his bed, his duvet tucked up around his face and his knees hugged to his chest. Tears streamed down his freckled face as he sat there quivering.

Jake walked in, allowing me past. I rushed over to my frightened son, confused and scared myself as to what was wrong.

"What's wrong, Harvey?" I said, only a couple of steps from the bed.

"NO!" he screamed. "DON'T!"

I stopped dead in my tracks. A lump of hurt lodged in my throat. What had I done wrong? I instantly filled with dread, thinking he must have heard me and Jake in the night, but that was impossible. Not only had we been quiet, but my bedroom was nowhere near Harvey's for him to have heard anything.

"Don't what? Harvey, what's wrong? You're scaring me."

He broke out into fresh sobs and pointed upwards. My heart hammering away inside me, I glanced up. I don't know what I expected to see but I certainly didn't expect this.

"Harvey, it's just a spider. You normally play with spiders."

It was a bit of a beastly looking thing. With a thick brown body and hairy brown legs, it looked like it could bench-press me for breakfast.

"But I didn't know they could hurt you. Daddy said they're venumonous."

Jake stepped to my side and put his arm around my waist. "Do you want me to put him outside so he can play with his buddies?"

Harvey shook his head and shrank back against the wall even more. "No. I don't want it to bite you."

Bending down so he was at the same height as Harvey, Jake tried again. "He won't bite me, little man. I promise. He's probably just lost and scared, that's all. I can get a piece of paper and a glass and put—"

"NO! You need to kill it. It's got to die."

I gasped. Tears pricked at my eyes. Harvey had never spoken about hurting any living creature. He loved all the weird and wonderful bugs we came across by living in the countryside. Spiders were one of his favourites along with dragonflies and caterpillars.

Swallowing my fears, I said, "Harvey, where did that come from? You know that's not how we deal with them."

I knew what was coming next before he even said it.

"Daddy said they're venumonous and will poison me, and anyone who touches me or them."

"Venomous, sweetie. And yes, spiders are, but not to us. They're only venomous to the little bugs and flies they eat. It's like having an injection at the hospital so you don't feel any pain, that's all."

"But Daddy said—"

"I'm afraid Daddy's wrong, poppet."

"He said you'd say that."

All my strength left me. It took everything I had not to collapse right then and there. I was battling a torrent of emotions between wanting to eviscerate Adam and wanting to burst into tears at my son's innocent, happy mind being twisted into such terrifying, dark thoughts.

Jake stood up and folded me into his arms. "It'll be ok," he whispered, kissing my cheek. "I promise."

I closed my eyes and sobbed. There was nothing else I could do.