Regina woke up to find herself clawing at a face in the dark. They were choking her with a clothesline their weight on top of her. Regina couldn’t see the face, stars bursting in front of her vision as she began to lose consciousness.
Leo, her mind screamed, her legs kicking and her hips bucking to get the attacker off of her. Regina stopped clawing at the face she couldn’t reach and punched them on the arms, then the gut, her last thoughts intent on dislodging their grip.
She sucked in sweet air. She’d managed to hit them hard in the kidneys and the hands had slackened enough to let a few deep breaths in. Regina bucked her hips again, laying on the punches swifter and harder till they toppled off the bed.
Regina removed the clothesline from around her neck. She saw Leo sprawled on the floor, blood pooling under his face. She screamed and tried to run towards him but the intruder tripped her. Regina fell and stars burst in her head. She struggled, kicking the intruder in the mouth and running towards the door.
Regina switched on the living room lights and rushed to the kitchen. She grabbed a knife from the counter and turned around just in time. India Lee charged at her, her eyes crazy and her mouth bleeding from where Regina’s foot had cut her. Regina slashed and cut India’s arm. India yelped in pain.
“What the hell are you doing?” Regina screamed. “What have you done to Leo?”
“Oh don’t you dare shed a tear for that monster,” India sneered. “He was going to force you to keep the baby; like Frank forced Dakota, and then you’d be miserable and I’d have to come and finish things for you.”
“What?” Regina froze. “You killed the Simpson children?”
“Of course I did!” India screamed. “You think Dakota had enough gumption? She was a mouse who was cowed by her children! She couldn’t do anything for herself. She was giving us women a bad name. It takes the movement back so many years!”
“What are you talking about?” Regina said. “They were her children!”
“They were brats and the world is so much better without them,” India said. “Honestly, why do you do this to yourself? Why do you marry idiotic men who want to rule your lives? Am I the only sane one here? Dakota was my friend and she needed help. She couldn’t manage to abort those brats so I did it for her. Let me do the same for you,” she came forward extending a friendly hand.
Regina slashed and India backed away hissing. Regina’s eyes widened when she glanced the hunkering shadow limp silently in the living room behind her.
“You’re a fool,” India said. “He’s going to make you have his babies and keep you at home while he goes out in to the world feeling like a god.”
“You’re the fool,” Regina spat. “Leo is nothing like that,” India scoffed. Regina kept talking, holding India’s attention. “He’s the one who suggested we get an abortion done.”
“Hah!” India said. “That’s the oldest trick in the book. He’s probably going to take you there and make sure the doctor says that you’re over the legal date for abortion!”
“She’s a lawyer,” Leo said and struck India on the head with the baseball bat she’d used to knock him out. “How stupid do you think she is?” he said to India’s unconscious body. “Are you okay?” he asked limping over to her and she hugged him.
“I thought you were dead,” she said touching his torn lip.
“Nah,” he said, “just a broken tooth. Show me,” he lifted her neck and looked at the ugly blue bruises on her neck. His jaw stiffened. “I’m going to kill her.”
“Please do it after the trial,” Regina said kissing the tip of his nose. “I need her confession to acquit my client.”
“I’ll call the police then,” Leo said.
“I’ll tie her up,” Regina picked up the clothesline India had dragged into the living room. “We seem to attract all kinds of trouble,” she commented when they were sitting in the living room waiting for the police to arrive. “Do you think that’s a healthy environment to raise a child?”