"RISE FROM THE ASHES" by Sarah Ryniker

STORY LAST UPDATED ON 17/08/2002

Rise from the Ashes Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Epilogue

CHAPTER NINE

I felt it in my blood. The need was there to end it all, to get rid of it. I saw no need for Rachael to be here anymore. She was a helpless, miserable creature. She would never find happiness. Her child was gone, I had forbidden her to go near my children and the man she had loved had married another.
    I plotted and planned ways that I could be rid of her. I thought of all sorts of evil ways I could get rid of her for good, all of them ending in murder and death. I didn't want to simply send her away. No, that would be too simple. I wanted to end her life. Wouldn't that be better for her, anyway? She had no reason for existing anymore.
    I became nicer to Gerald. I eased up on him a lot. I had no reason to be mean to him any longer. I would never marry another. Men were not of interest to me. I was married, I had two children and all the money I needed. So, I became a better wife to a husband that I didn't even want.
    He thought that it was great about how wonderful I was being to him. He forgave me about the surgery, and began to even try getting me to get it reversed. I told him no each time, and eventually he stopped asking.
    Not long after, he gave me my own room. He no longer wished to share one with me. He found no point in it. I was relieved. I was fed up with him trying to turn me on and have sex with me. When I allowed him to do his business, I would lie still until he was done grunting and moaning and would roll over and fall asleep.
    How I hated how much he spoiled Jenny. Though I pretended otherwise, I knew what she would become. She was her daddy's princess, one who could do no wrong. And when she got older she would use that to her advantage. I hated the thought. But, I ignored it while I tried my hardest to make my son like me.
    But Mitch refused to believe that Rachael would suddenly start ignoring him. He was not a stupid child. At four years old he was intelligent and hardly ever mispronounced a word. If he did, he would become angry with himself and pronounce it over and over until he had it correct. I guess I had Rachael to thank for his intelligence, though I refused to acknowledge that.
    When Rachael stopped going into the library to read to him, I offered to do so. Instead, he wanted only to know what was wrong with Rachael. He looked at me as if I were completely insane, and insisted that only Rachael could read to him. "I don't want you to. I want her to," he insisted, glaring at me.
    I got down to his level and tried to pull him to me. Instead, he shoved away from me. "Well, Rachael doesn't want to read to you, anymore." I was trying to have patience, though it was killing me.
    "Yes she does. You just made her stop!" he yelled at me.
    My mouth dropped to the floor. "And how do you know I did such a thing?"
    "She told me so. And I know you did because you hate her. You're jealous of her." He seemed to gloat at the last words uttered. And I wanted to slap him across his tiny, smug face.
    "I am most certainly not jealous of her and I would never tell her to stop talking to you," I lied.
    "Liar! I heard you yell at her for picking up Jenny!" he continued to scream at me and contradict everything I said.
    "Only because she was hurting Jenny!" I defended myself.
    "Rachael would never hurt anyone. I hate you for saying that! I hate you!" He ran past me then, ending the whole conversation.
    And I knew then that I had to get rid of the problem. Rachael had taken away my child. I had to get rid of her before she harmed my relationship with both of my children.
    And so began my plotting against her. I apologised to her for being mean to her and then told her she could have time with both of the children again. She smiled, thanked me and left to go read to Mitch. She never did take advantage of being allowed to spend time with Jenny, though.
It seemed that for as long as I really knew Rachel I was planning something against her. This time, however, it would end her life. She should be grateful, if she only knew. She was a miserable wreck now. I was giving her a great reprieve by getting rid of her.
    It was only my luck that Gerald saw how depressed Rachael was. He wasn't sure if she would last much longer. He didn't know how right he was on that level.
    "I know what you mean, Gerald," I told him one day at breakfast. "She is so depressed now."
    He nodded. "I know. I just don't know what to do with her. Maybe we can send her away to some kind of camp or maybe we can put her into a hospital."
    I shook my head. "Oh, Gerald. How could I ever forgive myself for putting her into a mental institution?" I cried out.
    "What else is there to do, Ella? She is miserable. She hardly even eats," he insisted. I could tell that he was truly concerned. How sweet, I thought bitterly.
    "Let's give her a little more time." I didn't want to simply get rid of her that way.
    "We have given her two years now!" He calmed down a bit. "Alright, if you insist."
    So I got my way and she stayed. But only for a little while, I vowed. For I wouldn't let her live much longer. No, I would get rid f her. And then, I would be happy. Because I would no longer have to deal with her being in my life anymore. And what could be happier than that?

Rise from the Ashes Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Epilogue

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