Page 17 of Senescence (Inferno World)

“Stupid fucking Bob Atler.”

I hated that dumb ass mother fucker more than I hated anyone else in the entire world. Slamming the door to my truck, I started the engine and waited for the heat to kick in. Two months he had denied me groceries, attempting to call my bluff. I wasn’t having it anymore. If that meant I had to go dig up the bones of that random kid that had wandered onto my property all those years ago, I would. If I had to grab another child about the same age and kill him to replicate photos of Bob’s “accident”, I would. Nothing was going to stop me from getting what I deserved from that bastard and his store.

I backed out of the parking lot with a screech and took off in the direction of home. Jocelyn was once again in the Oubliette, and the last thing I needed was to be gone too long allowing Vaughn and Eloy to sneak her the last bit of food we had.

I could drive out of town to find another store, but it was the principal of the matter. Bob Atler owed me free groceries for life, and he wasn’t going to get out of that debt. Thinking about the night Bob had run over the nameless boy had me reminiscing on the past. His wife, Stella, had been a distant cousin of mine several times removed, and including a good fuck with her had been an ingenious idea on my part as a stipulation of not running to the police. Bob hadn’t been happy about it, but I truthfully didn’t give a shit.

Turning on the dirt road leading to my house, I turned the heat down and listened. Something wasn’t right. Easing the brakes gently, I listened even more carefully to the noise before slamming to a stop. Something was in the bed of my fucking truck.

I put the truck in park, grabbed the baseball bat from the front seat and jumped out. I already had an inclination of who it could be, but just in case it wasn’t, I was prepared.

Reaching for the handle, I pulled and held the bat up. Just as I suspected, Lucy Marie’s face poked out. Her face was red and her hair wind blown. Her eyes held a look of reverence towards me that I both hated and loved to see.

“Luke,” she whispered. “You found me.”

I watched, anger rising as she scooted her way out of the truck and fell to the ground, and when she stood, I lowered the bat.

She was pregnant.

“We’ve missed you so much,” she whispered, rubbing the swell of her belly.

The look in her eyes was one I had seen before. The girl in front of me was bat-shit crazy. I didn’t know if it was a result of Bob Atler and his obvious treatment and disdain for her, or if it was something else entirely, but I knew I could use it to my advantage. She was, afterall, my daughter, and I could read Greene women like the back of my hand.

Dusting off the dirt from my knees, I looked up to see the man I had been pining over for nine months. There in front of me stood a God amongst men, and his eyes were locked on my swollen pregnant belly. Was he happy about it? Was he excited to see me? Was he ready to raise this child with me at his side? So many questions ran through my mind but there was just one thing on my lips that he needed to know.

“We’ve missed you so much,” I whispered, rubbing the roundness of my protruded tummy, letting him know, not so subtly that the child inside of me was his.

Luke blinked rapidly, the confusion on his face morphing into obvious irritation. This wasn’t exactly a good start to the conversation, but it didn’t matter. I knew he would come around. He had to. I was carrying his child.

“What the fuck are you doing in my truck, Lucy Marie?” He growled, making me shrink back from his tone. Why was he so angry?

“We’ve been trying to find you Luke. Don’t you see what we’ve created? We made this out of love, Luke.”

I tried steering the conversation back to the baby. Once he got over the initial shock of seeing me in his truck, my hope was he would fall to his knees, kissing my belly. He was going to be such a good dad. I just knew it. Hopefully, I could make him see it as well.

I watched Luke’s eyes as a series of emotions passed through them. Anger, irritation, rage, and finally intrigue. This was the direction I needed this to go. As long as he was intrigued with the idea of having a baby, we could eventually morph it into acceptance, and then love. Luke would love our child just as much as I did. Just as much as I loved him.

“I haven’t named him yet,” I told Luke, breaking the silence. “I was hoping you could help me with that.”

“Him?” Luke asked, annoyance laced with the singular word.

I nodded, smiling at the love of my life before me. Did he know how much I loved him already? Should I tell him? I wanted to, but there was something else far more important that he needed to know. I hated to be the one to spill the bad news, but there was no other way. I had to just rip the band-aid off.

“There’s something else, too,” I whispered, the heartbreaking news about his health weighing heavy on my mind.

“What?”

“The baby has a bit of a health problem,” I said through developing tears.

Luke raised his eyebrows, a gesture I took to mean to continue.

“His heart is growing outside of his ribcage. I think it means he’s going to be filled with joy and lov-.”

Luke raised his hand, cutting me off mid sentence. I paled and took a step back. It was clear my news had hit Luke hard, and while I wanted to hold and console him, it seemed as if it might be the wrong move. I’d had several months to grieve over our little man’s condition, but Luke was just finding out. It had to have been a shock.

“And how the fuck do you know that babies my blood?” He seethed, his fist tightening at his side.

“Because you’re the only man I’ve slept with, Luke. Don’t you remember my birthday?” How could he even think I had let anyone spill their seed into me? I was his. Didn’t he know that?

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