Jekyll's Wife

Chapter Thirty Eight - The Husband

"Husband." She whispered, taking one step towards him, before Jonathon's hands slipped around her waist, pulling her to him.

He gently pushed her behind his body, as though trying to shield her from him.

"Wife." Her husband barked, as she peered around the side of Jonathon's body. "It is up to you what happens here today." His voice was laced with an unrepentant anger, and he shook Nancy for effort, causing her to scream out as the knife cut deeper.

"No" Maria whispered, trying to walk around Jonathon, but his hands held her back. She turned to him and shook her head, "Jonathon, I have to go to her. He's going to kill her." She half pleaded, as Jonathon tried harder to keep her by his side.

His hands whipped around and grabbed hers, staying her struggle, "Mary, he'll kill you. Please don't ask me to loose you again." He pleaded, as his eyes filled with water, "please."

His voice sounded so broken, that Maria wasn't sure she could ever fix him. She bit her lip and shook her head, "I'm sorry."

She turned to face her husband, "Let Nancy go!" She demanded, her voice stronger than she felt. The wind was growing and seemed to wrap around her, restricting the capacity of her lungs. "Please husband, don't punish Nancy."

Her husband's face twisted into a smile. "come to me Maria, and I will let her go. Deny me and I will kill her." His voice was sure and true and she knew that he wasn't lying, he really would kill her.

Jonathon's hands grew desperate as he tried to cling to her, but she repeatedly brushed them off, as she pulled away from him. He gripped her waist and turned her to him, she saw the pain in his face and knew it reflected hers, but she couldn't let her friend die, not like this.

"I'm so sorry Jonathon. I love you." She promised, leaning forwards and planting a soft kiss on his salty lips. Then she pushed him, harder than he expected. She used the distraction to move his arms and then she ran towards her husband, pausing a couple of meters away.

He looked smug, righteous, as though he knew he'd won. "Release her." Maria demanded, the strength in her voice a surprise. "I will do anything you say husband, but release Nancy."

"Walk towards me, Maria." She dropped her head and walked closer, until she stood before him. She looked up briefly to meet Nancy's eyes. She looked so torn, somewhere between guilt and fear.

"I'm sorry." She croaked, but Maria shook her head to tell her it wasn't necessary.

"I'm sorry Nancy, you've nothing to apologise for. I'm so sorry."

"Maria." He demanded her attention with that one word, reluctantly her eyes focused on his face. "Get on your knees, Maria."

Maria gulped and slowly sunk onto the soft ground. cool patches spreading through her dress as the mud soaked in. "Good girl." He complimented.

Maria didn't look up, just waited to see what would happen next. In the background she could hear Jonathon calling her name and realised that he probably had been all along.

"I'm going to let you go," he warned Nancy, "and you're going to run before I change my mind." He growled.

Maria didn't hear her response, or him release her, but sagged in relief as she heard her hurried footsteps through the wet ground. Nancy was safe, if nothing else, she would be safe.

A cry left Maria's lips as her husband's hand wrapped in her hair and dragged her to her feet, twisting her, he pulled her back flush against his front.

Watery eyes blinked as they focused on Jonathon, he was closer to them, he'd tried to run to her. Tension built in Maria's stomach as her husband's hand snaked around her throat, holding her in place.

She hadn't realised that he'd swapped the knife for a syringe until she felt the bite of the needle at her neck. Jonathon's entire body stilled, as though frozen in time, he watched on helplessly as Maria cried out.

Her husband pushed the needle further into her neck, causing her to squirm in pain, but his hand on her neck tightened. "Now you'll understand Maria. Now you'll understand exactly who I am and why I've done all that I did." He spoke quietly against her ear, his breath warm and wet on her skin.

Her attention however, wasn't on him. It was on Jonathon. Who stood as still as the night, his eyes a mixture of rage and helplessness. Maria knew she was likely about to die, but to die with a view such as him wouldn't be so bad, would it?

Tears bit at her skin and traced intricate patterns down her face. Maria had never felt so hopeless, or so in love with anyone, ever before.

His love for her, and vice versa, chased fear from her bones, as she basked in the memories of their brief moments together. If she died today, she would not do so as her husband's wife, but as her monster's lover.