Chapter 7

Theresa left the Hotchkiss mansion happily and was on her way to her own home. The fact that she was no step closer to her kidnapped husband worried her though.

What would Gwen do to him?

What did she want with him?

So many thoughts filtered through her mind and nothing made sense to her.

Theresa was on her way home when her cell phone buzzed up and down on the dashboard. She reached for it and accidentally dropped it into the passenger's seat. Struggling to keep her eyes on the road, Theresa felt around for the phone until she finally had it in her hand, still buzzing.

"Hello?" she answered.

-- "Hey," Luis answered.

"Oh, hey, Luis. What's up?"

-- "I just wanted to let you know that I just got called onto duty. Some disturbance up north that Sam wants me to take care of."

Suddenly, Theresa was afraid for her son being left alone. "Where's Little Ethan?"

-- "I dropped him off at your place. I called Mama. She said she'd watch him until you get home."

"Oh," she breathed a sigh of relief. "So, Mama's with him now?"

-- "Yeah. I just thought I'd call and let you know. I wouldn't want you to hyperventilate if you didn't find him at my house."

"Okay, thanks."

-- "Night, Theresa. Be careful."

"I will. Goodnight, Luis," she said hanging up with her brother.

Theresa pulled into her driveway and something didn't look right. As she got inside, she saw what it was. All the lights were off. Theresa dropped her purse by the door and flicked the switch on the wall several times. No lights. The power was out. But it wasn't raining. A fuse must have gone out.

Or did it…?

"Mama?" Theresa called out into the darkness of her home. "Little Ethan?" No answer. The resonating silence haunted her. "Mama!" she screamed more urgently. Again no answer. Theresa began walking fervently through her house, popping her head into every room, screaming for her loved ones. "Mama! Little Ethan!" She ran around the banister and up the stairs and repeated yelling the names. "Little Ethan! Mama! Little Ethan! This is not funny!" Still no answer.

Theresa got to the guest room and her heart stopped. A shadow stood still at the end of the room near the wall. She walked to the shadow and the image before her terrified her. "Oh, my God! Mama!" Pilar lay on the floor, seemingly unconscious. Theresa ran to her mother. "Mama?" She tapped her and there was no movement. She feared the worse. Still, there was no sight of her son. "C'mon, Mama. Please wake up." Theresa shook her mother harder. "Mama, please!" She rolled her over to her front and that's when she saw it. Pilar's face was covered in blood. Her face was bloody and bruised. There were scratches and marks on her arms, and the bloody outlines showed through the white sleeves.

"Mama, can you hear me? Mama? Please…," Theresa was crying now. Pilar stirred slowly and somehow Theresa's hope was renewed. "Oh, thank God!" Pilar opened her eyes. She tried to focus on Theresa above her but her vision kept clouding. "Mama… What happened?"

Pilar was barely hanging onto consciousness. "Theresa…?"

"Yes, yes, it's me, Mama. I was so worried I lost you."

Behind Theresa, the closet door opened with a creak.

"It's hardly a miracle," a cold, hardened voice said with an icy tone. Theresa knew the voice and stared up at the owner in terror. "I could have killed her if I wanted. But I decided to reserve that for you."

Theresa swallowed hard. "Gwen…"

"That's right, Theresa. Scared?" Theresa didn't answer. "You should be."

"Ther… Theresa…?" Pilar tried.

Theresa looked down at her mother and she was now fully conscious. "Yes, Mama. I'm right here. What did you do to her?" she said, turning back up to Gwen.

"Gwen…. Gwen… she… she… threw… me… against the… wall… and…"

"Oh, please. You would think she would be thanking me. I could have done much worse," Gwen said, seeming to enjoy the scene in front of her.

"You bitch! She has done nothing to you but be kind to you."

"Done nothing! She is responsible for your existence. And that can't go unpunished."

Theresa stood. She looked down Gwen's arm and saw something silver and sharp…Gwen caught Theresa staring at the object in her hand and smiled. "Like it?"

"Where's my son?" Theresa asked hurriedly.

"Oh, Little Ethan? I wouldn't worry about him."

"WHERE IS HE!" Theresa was terrified now.

"My, my, my… Aren't we pushy?"

"He's my son! What have you done with him!"

"That doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you'll never see him again." Again, Theresa saw the same gleam in Gwen's eye. It was nothing she had ever seen in Gwen's eyes before and it scared her.

Gwen was slowly walking towards Theresa with the knife and Theresa was being backed up against the wall. She had no where to go. No where to run…

Gwen was drawing closer and Theresa's ears started to ring. She didn't know what to do. Her husband had been kidnapped by a psychopath, her son was missing, and her mother was on the floor helpless, all because of her. Gwen raised the knife and was headed for Theresa. Just by the basic human instinct of survival, Theresa ducked and flew past Gwen, barely missing the swing of the blade. Gwen reached for Theresa, pulling on her hair. At the sudden opposite lunge, Theresa fell back, onto the floor-- perfect prey for Gwen.

Gwen had dropped the knife in pursuit of Theresa. It now laid on the floor and Gwen and Theresa both stared at the gleaming blade and went for it at the same time. Gwen jumped to the floor, trying to cover it with her body, but Theresa made contact before Gwen could. Her hand skimmed the edge of the blade, sending it on a spin across the floor, slicing her palm with blood. Theresa took her opportunity to lift herself from the floor. She found the knife lying on the hardwood floor, just minor feet away from her. Before she could reach it fully and grab it, Gwen tackled her like a football player, giving her only the chance to kick it away from Gwen, far enough away to keep her alive. Theresa hadn't counted on it, but thanked her lucky stars when it hurled down the stairs and she heard it clank all the way down.

The surge of adrenaline was incomprehensibly strong now. Theresa realized that her life could very well end this night.

But it couldn't!

She had too much to live for now. She had a beautiful son that she loved more than her own life and she was finally with the love of her life after years of struggle. Then his face finally came into view.

Ethan…

Where was he!

Gwen had succeeded in what she said she'd do. She would destroy Theresa's life and have her begging on her knees for mercy. Theresa was prepared to do anything if meant saving her husband and her child. But it wasn't over yet.

Gwen was furious. She had come to do a job and she could see that she was already failing.

Damn Theresa!

Pilar had lost consciousness again and Theresa made a run back to the room to get to her, get her away from Gwen's evil grasp, but Gwen caught her before she could.

Gwen grabbed Theresa with the strength of fury in her arms and pulled her away from Pilar to her feet. Gwen's hands took Theresa's throat and squeezed hard. Theresa coughed and tried to speak, but it was no use. Gwen's grip lightened as she pulled Theresa over to the top of the stairs. Their faces were close now and Theresa could see the cold hatred in Gwen's eyes that mirrored what was in her heart.

Images of the struggle that almost ended Theresa's life only months before flashed into her mind. "Gwen…," Theresa breathed. "P- please…" Gwen liked the sound of the begging and refused to heed her request. "Gwen… ah…," Theresa struggled to get out.

Gwen wanted this so much; to look into her enemy's eyes as she died. But she couldn't. The game had just begun.

Gwen spun with Theresa in her hands and threw her hard. Theresa's head made a loud contact with the wall, beginning to bleed.

Gwen was reeling in anger and she looked back to Pilar, still unconscious.

"Gwen," Theresa muttered. "I'm sorry… I… I never… never meant to hurt you or Sarah. You have to believe that."

Gwen tore around in absolute rage, not believing what she had just heard. She ran to Theresa so fast, she almost jumped on her. Her grasp on Theresa's throat was reborn and clenched down. Theresa saw stars at the sudden deprivation of oxygen. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY HER NAME! DO YOU HEAR ME!" Theresa tried to utter her response, but her throat only made gurgling sounds it seemed like. "YOU DON'T KNOW THE MEANING OF PAIN!" Gwen's eyes burned with hatred. "But I can teach you."

Theresa struggled to breathe as she saw her mother awake and try to crawl to her, somehow she knew that she was beyond help now.

"Gw-" she coughed. "Gwen…"

Gwen's grip tightened to the point that Theresa couldn't speak anymore.

"What was that?" Gwen asked. "You know, you're lucky I haven't killed you yet." Theresa's eyes were watering and she was becoming dizzy. Her mind was screaming for oxygen. "I just want you to know something before I do… Your husband will be mine again. He loves me. Your son, he will call me 'mommy.' You will never see them again." Theresa was bashing her head from side to side frantically, trying in vain to speak. "Goodbye, Theresa," Gwen said, smiling. She tightened her already vise-like grip on Theresa's throat and pushed her back, sending Theresa on a tumbling, deadly fall. Theresa's neck hit the base of the stair, her feet flew above her, pulling her body down, sending her down several more stairs. Her head slammed into the banister and she fell down several more stairs before she finally hit the first floor, unconscious. Her world was black.

Gwen stood at the top of the stairs, smiling when she heard the final thud. I won, she thought. Gwen listened for movement. There wasn't any. Gwen walked down to the first floor as slow as possible. She was there, lying in defeat. Theresa had landed head first, further aggravating the wound on her forehead. Her body landed on her stomach and her arm was unusually bent under her.

Gwen smiled when she saw Theresa lying there, helpless. She should find her knife and finally finish it. Rid her life of the bitch forever. But something in her mind told her she couldn't. "Not yet…" Gwen went back upstairs and grabbed Pilar. When Pilar saw her daughter lying motionless on the floor, she screamed.

"No! Theresa! Mi niñ a! No! What have you done!" Gwen said nothing and pushed Pilar out of the house. She went back to the woman lying on the floor. She evaluated the situation and smiled. She was doing it.

"It's almost over, Theresa. Your suffering will be over soon. And then, I will have everything I've ever wanted." Gwen stared at her for another moment and finally reached into her pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. She stared at the words and threw it down as she walked out of the dark house and the paper floated down to the floor next to Theresa…