Free The Incubus, Succubus and Son of Perdition Box Set: The Len du Randt Bundle by Len du Randt

finished his thought.
    For a moment
there was an uncomfortable silence among the guys. Rupert had a good point
supported by a valid argument.
    ‘Come,’ Luke
said and crunched the remainder of his cigarette inside an ashtray before
twisting it several times. ‘Time’s up. We gotta go.’
    In less than a
minute, everyone had separated and gone their ways; scattered from the lounge
like roaches in a kitchen when the light goes on. Justin finished his coffee
alone and then made his way back to the workshop.
     
     
    *    -    -    - 
  *
     
     
    Rebecca dipped
her hand in the lukewarm bath water and moved it around to mix the hot and cold
water properly. As she did so, she stared at her own reflection in the mirror.
Was she gaining weight? Was she losing colour? The reflection that stared back
at her was someone else. The hair was unkempt, and the cheerful glow in the
cheeks, gone. She worried about the pregnancy; about the creatures she saw in
the corner of her eyes, the nightmares, but most of all, Justin’s
strange—almost aggressive—behaviour since they heard that she was pregnant only
two short weeks ago.
    ‘Are you losing
it?’ Rebecca asked the reflection in the mirror. ‘Are you going out of your
mind?’
    The reflection
in the mirror didn’t answer.
    Once the bath
was relatively filled up, she closed the taps and took off her gown. Slowly,
one foot at a time, she got into the warm water and melted away into the thick,
foamy bubble bath. She wet a face cloth and twisted it to drain the excess
water. Rebecca then laid her head back on the rim of the bath and placed the
damp cloth on her face. The warm water against her neck aided in relaxing her
otherwise very tense muscles.
    The analysis
of your blood indicated the presence of the human chorionic gonadotrophin
hormone , the doctor’s words echoed in her mind as
she thought about tomorrow’s appointment. In other words, you’re pregnant.
    Rebecca let out
a little chuckle. She was pregnant. Going to be a mother. The reality hadn’t
set in properly yet. Sometimes she didn’t feel pregnant, but Rebecca knew that
it would only be a matter of time before she would. She wondered if Justin felt
like a father yet. If he did, he hid it very well. He didn’t read the
strategically placed magazines and parenting books she left lying around the
apartment. He also didn’t talk much—if at all—about the baby and their future
as a family. Tiny bubbles popped softly in her ears and she sighed. Nothing
relaxed her as much as a long, warm, bubble bath. Eventually the water cooled
down and Rebecca used her foot to pour some more hot water. She re-dipped the
cloth and twisted it again, placing it back onto her face. After she had
repeated the process twice more, she decided that it would be best to get out
and prepare dinner. Justin would be home soon. She drained the tub of its water
and rubbed her hair with a towel. Rebecca wiped her hand over the fogged up
mirror and eyed her fresh, rejuvenated reflection.
    Definite
improvement, she thought approvingly. She didn’t
notice the light fixture slowly turning above her head. She brushed her hair as
she hummed softly to herself. The colour had returned to her cheeks, and she
hoped that it wouldn’t only be temporary.
    The fixture
above her head turned faster.
    As she stepped
into the cool hallway, a loud crash sound behind her made her shriek and jump.
She turned around and stared at the shattered glass on the floor where she had
been standing only seconds ago. She looked up at the glowing, naked bulb and
shuddered at the thought of the fixture smashing on her head. She tried to
fight the shock as mixed feelings of anger, fear, and sadness all overwhelmed
her at once. She lost the battle and buried her tear-stained face in her hands
as she slowly slid down the wall.
     
     
    *    -    -   
-    *
     
     
    ‘Please remember
to keep the study door closed,’ Justin said as he got into bed.
    Why?