Beautiful Irenic Life

In the heart of April, the air crisp and sweet. The spring is blossoming in every looming, luscious cherry blossoms. The ravishing green trees in the woods, music of rustling leaves, a symphonic rhapsody alongwith the singing birds.

A love melody of joy, so sweet and serene, the mother earth blows wisp of breeze from it's thriving lips.

Wildflower meadows sleeping silent under winter snow, now they arose. Merry and bright, as the bees and kaleidoscopic butterflies friends with them, flutter, float and dance with the blooms.

The cloudless blue sky, sigh and smile, high in spirit and light, for bright is the nature, and garden-fresh the soul from a refreshing shower of rain.

The hills and valleys, the misty crystal white waterfalls, the emerald lake, the flowers vibrant in the shore. Life is irenic. Living is beautiful...

Amusing giggles fills Neva's warm cozy home...

She picks up her seventh month old son from the ground, laughing sweet in happiness. She spins gently both of them around, wafting euphoric giggles and squeals from her little boy. While Rhett chuckles, as he stands there, arms crossed with a slightly tilted head, admiring them with such love. Baby Rhean had just crawled a short steady distance for the first time. And his parents were ecstatic and over the moon; grateful for the growing baby.

Rhett smiling approaches them, as Neva looks at him with a huge jubilant grin. Caressing her face, he kisses her on the lips, and follows another tender kiss on Rhean's small head.

"He's growing so fast." Neva says smiling. She glimpses down at the baby, "I'm happy and sad at the same time."

Glancing up at him, their eyes tangle, and Rhett's gaze softens at her watery eyes. Kissing fondly her forehead, he embraces both of them, with baby Rhean in between, secured in his mother's arms. "I know." He whispers, smiling softly.

Rhean had grown four little teeths, each two of them in the middle of his upper and lower gums. He had even started stringing syllabus, where he first started saying words dada and then later mama. And the couple couldn't be happier.

"Dadada..." Baby Rhean mutters, probably because he was sandwiched between his joyous parents. Rhett pulls away, he pinches gently Rhean's cheek. Neva chuckles, kissing his chubby cheek.

In the evening~

Neva was breastfeeding baby Rhean, resting on the bed, when Rhett approaches them, geared up for a stroll with his son by the stores—with his dad's baby carrier in the hold.

"You're ready?" Neva asks, smiling up at him. He nods, mirroring her lovely smile.

He takes a seat on the bed beside her, caressing the baby's head. "He's become such a big guy, binge eating his mama's milk." He utters, having Neva chuckle lightly.

"We should now have him taste softer foods other than milk." Neva says, brushing away the hair from Rhean's forehead.

"Ba-bye, have a good time with your dada." Standing by the door, Neva kisses Rhean's cheek, while he's cradled with the carrier wrap in his dad's embrace.

The baby smiles at her, earning him more kisses from his mother. "I need kisses too." Rhett complains, feeling abandoned. Neva chuckles at him, closening to his lips, they share a deep loving kiss. "Come back soon." Kissing the cheek of her happy husband, she murmers.

Neva stayed back at home, sending them off with kisses and warm clothes, for the evening in the spring of Alleanor was breezy and still cold.

Few minutes after Rhett left with their son to a nearby grocery store, Neva was occupied in the kitchen—preparing a warm meal.

When with the silent wind, slices through loud noises of roaring cars alike a gale, storming towards the cottage.

(Trigger warning : Violence ahead ⚠️)

Neva drops the ladle on the pan, lowering the flame, she walks for the window. Sliding away the blinds, there, through the tiny window at the front; she could feel her world stop.

Her heart beat quickening; for there swarms black cars all around her home.

Breathing in rags, she shuts the window. Running to the door, she locks it with her trembling hands. Just as she hastens towards the room to call Rhett, rough and hard knocks plummets the door.

Neva gasps, her feet still and frozen. Staring at the entrance ahead, his brooding voice threatens her. "Open the door Neva!! You don't want me to break in." Ishmael warns, his menacing voice accompanied with agressive slams on the door. Neva gulps down the bile rising up her throat.

She steps back, her mind hazy, impelling her stiff legs—running towards the room.

Beyond the safe facade, at the doorway, Ishmael steps away. He gestures to break open the door. Within seconds, colliding shoulders against the entrance door, the two men forces it open.

"Remain here. Be alert." Ishmael's monotonous voice commands. "Yes Boss." "Yes Boss." The guys return concurrently, guarding the door as he trudges inside.

Zev was infront of the cottage, with the rest of the large numbers of men. He takes out a pack of cigarette, and ignites one with a lighter. Puffing out white smoke, he sighs, staring at the closed entrance door of the house.

Neva's trembling hands holds the phone near her ear. Her eyes blurred and teary, she glances at the door almost being forced open. She had dragged all the furnitures she could find in the room to block out the way, hoping he couldn't ajar the wooden door.

Neva sobs, dialing again and again his number. "Please, please pick up." She mumbles. Lengthened and forebidding, each of the lingering beeps, shredding her senses to debries.

"Open the door!!" Ishmael screams, propelling the door, loud and hard. Neva's body shudders; the world thundering her with it's true colours.

Rhett was at the bakery store, clammed up between ordering Neva's favourite bread, and shushing the crying baby in his arms. "Yeah, that'll be it." Rhett says to the cashier, his hands rubbing the child's back simultaneously.

"Alright sir, it'll be prepared in a moment." He says, and after, he's occupied again with the customers in cue.

The customers seated round the tables, seemed clearly annoyed by the fussy baby. Rhett moves away, "Shh... What's wrong my boy?"

He attempts to calm the suddenly weeping baby. He was just fine a minute ago.

What annoyed him that he cries so heart-renchingly?

He wipes away his drizzling tears, rocking him gently.

He senses the buzzing phone in his pocket, fetching it out with the other hand caressing Rhean, he sees the caller id to be Neva.

He picks it up. "Angel?" "Rhett come-come home please!" Neva cries. He frowns at her panicked voice. "What-" Before he could've finished the words, the line cuts.

His heart drops down the stomach. His gaze hardening, without further thoughts, he rushes out the store.

"Sir your order?!" The cashier calls holding up the package, bewildered by the man running out abruptly.

He shrugs, the customers not caring, hurrying him up to haul their own orders.

Neva flinches from the blasting noise. The door was slammed open. The phone drops, the breath caught in the throat.

Ishmael stands, there, before her. He barbarously kicks away the furnitures, flinching her brutally.

He nears her, each of his slow steps terrifying; a looming disaster.

Neva moves back, stumbling on her steps. His grim eyes riveted on her, he glances down at the ringing phone laying on the ground.

He picks it up, raising his brow at the name on the screen. "Hubby?" He mutters, a sinister smirk curving up his lips. He looks up at her, his darkened gaze boring deep her aghast eyes.

Violently he throws the phone at the wall, shattering it. Neva trembles, tears soaking her beautiful face.

As he closens to her, Neva grabs the lamp on the nightstand, threatening sternly to throw it at him. "Don't-don't come closer."

His heavy trudges unceasing. "Make me." He dares, inching closer.

The road vague, Neva has her back against the wall. Gritting her teeth she hurls the lamp at him.

He dodges it away, effortlessly. The lamp coming apart in thorns. She gulps, his solemn eyes piercing her down.

She searches around for anything to fight against him.

She throws the books and vase placed on the nightstand. But he evades all her futile attempts.

He pins her hands on the wall above her head.

She squirms under his predatory gaze. "Please let me go!" Neva twists her wrists, abused from his chained clutch. "Stop saying that!!" Ishmael slams the wall beside her head. Neva winces, her emotions hysterical. "I'm never letting you go, never again." He hisses through gritted teeth.

Her hands confined with a grip, he caresses her face with the other. He kisses her on the cheek. "You are all mine. Only mine!" He growls, pressing words, hard and clear.

Neva weeps, her senses slipping away. Loud thrumming in the ears, she could feel her legs giving up.

Ishmael kisses her on the neck, devouring her roughly—leaving bruises.

"No, no-" Neva gasps, her words withering away. She curls herself, disgusted by his touch. She's strained, pushing him away; but she was merely a flame; against his volcanic strength.

"Rhett come soon please..." Neva sobs, her soul flickering to fade.

Ishmael clenches his jaw at his mention. He furiously grabs her neck, choking her. His gaze gloomy and blackened.

Neva sniffles for air, she's losing strength. As she feels life draining out of her, his grip on her loosens.

Her mind clouded, Ishmael picks her up and shoves her on the bed.

He tosses away his coat and forces her down. She screams and struggles to free, with barely any authority left in her body. Unbuckling his belt and the pants, he rips away her dress. Her head muddled, Neva wails for help, yet no one comes to save.

He was destroying her; he who she thought was a look alike of the man she loves. How she was terribly wrong. They paralleled not a glance.

Because he was a monster, a murderer.

He's bruising her, tearing her apart. Faintly fighting heart, she couldn't move anymore, she couldn't breathe anymore. Through her blurry, reddened orbs, she lingers by—the tragedy eroding her prayers.

He's invading her purity, haunting her with heavy, minty breaths, plaguing her with his rinding caresses.

Where did she go wrong?

His eyes were so cold, they held no warmth; but rage and lust.

The man who sought to protect her: he masticates her spirit and decays her soul.

And the pain of the soul burning out is more agonizing; then the trauma on the body being burned alive.

He left her with nothing anymore, the flicker lights out; and Neva was no more.