Phantom in the Cradle

Part One

If she was going to have any chance at keeping the little child inside her safe, Ruth would have to leave her husband tonight. Ruth tried to force her mind away from the stale smell of beer cans and cigarette butts that had started to decorate the carpet since her pregnancy was discovered. She knew it upset Aidan but she had hoped he would have gotten used to the idea. 

Unfortunately he had turned to excessive drinking as a way to detach from the names, the clothes and the cradle. That very cradle was set up in what was supposed to be the nursery in the spare bedroom. There was very little doubt that she would see it again after tonight.

Ruth's left hand felt a soft kick as she gently stroked her stomach. Only a month to go before she could meet her beautiful baby. She placed the blouse she was folding into her over night bag. Only the bare minimum was being packed as she wanted to leave as easily as she could. She had already planned her escape during her husband's daily routine of pub hopping. The weight of the baby caused her back to strain and Ruth rested herself down on the bed next to her bag. Her eyes closed and she took a deep, confident breath. 

 The peaceful silence encouraged her to begin singing softly to whoever was listening inside her. Ruth wanted to ensure that her child wouldn't be afraid when they came into the world, despite the fear she felt herself. "Hush little baby don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a-"

A jolt of fear caused Ruth to choke on her words as she heard the front door slam shut. She checked the time on her phone and saw that Aidan was an hour earlier than usual. The nights in which he arrived home early never ended well. Panic set in as Ruth realised she was only halfway through packing her bag and hadn't managed to put it back in its' hiding place. Before she could raise from her position, the bedroom door burst open and Aidan tumbled in, belching up vomit and spitting it onto the floor. 

His drooping eyes landed immediately on the bag and in an instant, the atmosphere shifted. Ruth's right hand gripped onto the bedsheets, her left arm creating a protective barrier between her baby and the only person she had ever trusted.

"Planning a little trip away, are ye?" Aidan slowly staggered towards his trembling wife. His face grew red as he pointed his bottle so aggressively that Ruth was sprinkled with its contents. Ruth tried to calm her frantically beating heart as she thought of her escape plan.

She knew she only had very little time before her husband's anger completely took over. Any wrong movement could potentially risk and explosion.

Her eyes carelessly darted towards the phone on the nightstand and in a split second the bottle was thrown against the wall behind her. A shard of glass dug into her cheek as the bottle smashed everywhere. "Are you really going to leave me Ruthie?" Before Ruth had a chance to react, two firm hands gripped her ankle and she was dragged from the bed. A terrified scream escaped her lips as Aidan pulled his wife from the ground by her hair. Hair he used to twirl around his finger when they were watching television. The same hair that he admired in the sunlight when it turned from copper to gold. Moments like that now seemed more like a cruel dream then a memory.

"I've been nothing but attentive to you for the last ten years. And now you want to repay me by leaving?" His sour breath felt hot against her ear. All Ruth could think of was keeping her child safe. Her thin arms were wrapped tightly around her stomach, her knees fighting hard to support her. "Well I'm not going to let that happen Ruthie." 

Adrenaline spiked through Ruth's body and without realising it, her fist had collided with Aidan's nose. A snap echoed throughout the room and she managed to free herself from her husband's grasp. Blood spurted out of Aidan's nose in a thick stream and Ruth watched with horror as he grinned widely at her, his teeth shiny and red.

"P-Please Aidan. Let me leave." Ruth failed to keep the fear from showing in her voice. She knew that she was in a very dangerous territory now. "I know you weren't so keen on having a baby. I understand you weren't happy but you did it for me and I appreciate it so much. That's why I thought it would be best if I left with the child. We could both start again. It's better this way, please." 

Her plea was a desperate attempt to make him see sense in the situation. She took a brave step towards him a put her hand out to calm him down. Aidan looked at his wife in her large fear filled eyes. Through the fog of intoxication and anger, he saw his beautiful wife. He loved her deeply and only wanted this woman in his life. Thinking of the child brought a strong sense of jealously as he knew that once it was born, her attention would always be elsewhere. That's why he would have to sort this out once and for all.

Aidan gently took her hand in his, seeing his wife still watching him warily. Blood still dripped from his chin while he uttered the words; "I love you Ruth." He kissed her hand softly before making his decision to push his wife so hard that she fell right onto her stomach. 

A gut wrenching cry ripped from Ruth's lungs as she scrambled to leave the room. Aidan pushed her back down onto her side and sent his foot straight into his unborn child. Scream after scream filled the room but his movements didn't falter as he continued to kick his wife's stomach. Ruth begged him to stop, tried to get away, but these attempts proved futile against the frightful determination in his eyes.

After what seemed like years, Aidan finally stopped and heaved himself onto the bed before losing consciousness. Ruth lay still on the carpet, tears and snot drying onto her cheeks.

An intense pain was brewing inside her lower abdomen and she knew in her heart that it was no use trying to get to a hospital. She rose herself slowly onto her bottom, letting out a quiet cry as she saw the growing red stain beneath her. Her child was gone.