Chapter 2 - The Violent Harvest
The steel blade sliced through the air and slammed into the earth just one inch from my left ear.
Cold mud splattered across my face and sealed my eyes shut.
He was not trying to kill me yet.
He was digging wildly, tearing the yard apart to unearth my trapped body.
His mother barked at him to dig faster before the sirens started.
The wet soil that had compressed my chest for days suddenly gave way.
Cold air rushed against my damp skin, sending violent shivers down my spine.
My husband grabbed me by the collar of my ruined shirt and hauled me upward.
My legs were completely numb and useless after days of being crushed in the dark.
I collapsed instantly onto the ruined grass as soon as he let go.
Agony shot through my joints as blood rushed back into my starved veins.
Mara finally stepped off the porch, holding a tangled coil of nylon rope.
She suggested tying my hands so I would not try any more tricks.
My husband pinned my arms behind my back and wrapped the rough rope tight around my wrists.
I gasped for air, tasting nothing but dirt and copper.
Then, a low wail pierced the quiet neighborhood.
Sirens were approaching from the main highway.
His mother ordered them to drag me to the root cellar immediately.
My husband grabbed me by my bound arms and began dragging my dead weight across the sharp stones of the driveway.
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Suddenly, a blinding, tearing pain ripped through my lower abdomen.
I screamed as a massive contraction tore through my body, signaling that the baby was coming right now.
