The Battered Heiress Blues - By Laurie Van Dermark Page 0,24

the lobby was empty. We proceeded in and sat down. No one ever came out so I instructed Daniel to wait while I walked back to the exam rooms. The clinic was eerily silent. The floors were dusty. Lights hung from cords above, swinging gently in the breeze. My search of the rooms yielded no results. Finally, I saw an open door with a light on. A shadow moved across the wall. I pushed the door in and entered. A blue curtain was drawn shut and I assumed that Cecilia was resting behind the drape.

Suddenly, I was startled by the door being slammed behind me. I turned back to find Hector standing in front of it with a knife. Clutching my belly, I began moving back to put some distance between us. The door opened behind him and Daniel ran across the room to my side. I yelled for him to go away, but he stood, motionless and afraid. I pushed him behind me and told Hector to leave. He laughed. He was drunk. The note had been a trap.

I whispered to Daniel that he should move with me and be ready to run. We walked in unison around the edge of the room, hugging the wall, as Hector advanced toward us. I angled my belly away from him, as he lunged toward me, grabbing me by the throat. He slammed me into the wall and began choking me, raising the knife to my cheek. I reached around, struggling for air, trying to find a weapon of any kind. My hand felt an open glass jar of some sort. Gripping the glass, I hit Hector with as much force as I could muster, releasing his hold on my neck. He dropped to his knees. His knife fell to the floor.

I gasped, trying to catch my breath, as I scanned the room for Daniel. He remained in the far corner, paralyzed with fear. The door was within my reach. Safety was at my fingertips, but I couldn’t leave Daniel alone with him. I knew he’d kill him. I had no option but to stay.

I screamed at Daniel to break his trance. He tried to run to me, but Hector caught his shirt as he brushed by him, throwing him back into the far wall. Hector ignored me and began to walk toward Daniel. In an effort to draw his attention, I threw another glass jar at him, striking his head. He recoiled, swung around, and came at me, leaving Daniel alone. His fist hit the side of my face with such force, that blood sprayed his dirty white shirt. The side of my body crashed against the dusty floor. I was gagging on the blood that I couldn’t help but swallow.

Daniel rushed to my side. He wasn’t hurt. The blood seeping into my eyes had clouded my vision. I told him that he must run and not look back when Hector came at me again. I pulled myself up as he taunted me with how he would torture us.

A shiny object caught my attention on the table next to me. I reached for the scalpel. Hector laughed as he picked up the long knife from the floor, realizing that he was better equipped for our final battle. I looked at Daniel and yelled for him to run as I sprinted forward. I saw him clear the door as our weapons met their targets. I thrust the scalpel into Hector’s neck, while feeling a burning tear in my body as I watched him fall to the floor. I looked down and saw the knife sticking out of my abdomen. My hands were drawn to its rubber handle. I pulled it out and stood watching blood pour out of my belly. The handle became slippery. The blade fell off my fingertips, clanging against the concrete. Within a minute, my legs buckled. My body fell hard.

A gargling sound was coming from my mouth. I tried to spit out as much blood as I could to aid in breathing. I was helpless to move. I saw Hector pulling himself to the door- the scalpel still in his neck. He disappeared around the corner, leaving a blood trail. Every shadow, cast by the swinging light made me worry that he was returning to finish me off. I grew very cold and tired. I heard the sounds of crying before losing consciousness.

These are the events that led to the death of my son, Connor. I urge you