Ruthless

                                     
Ruth leaned over the kitchen sink and gazed down. She clenched her teeth and vowed to avenge any woman who had suffered her pain.  She grabbed the sharpest kitchen knife she could find, glared at it through her tear-filled eyes, and sliced her ivory wrists wide open.  In a trance-like state, she observed her vital fluids rapidly spilling onto the white tiles of the floor.  Heather was Ruth’s sister. She was upstairs in her room that night tossing and turning.  She was worried because earlier that day, Ruth, had just found out that her fiancé was cheating on her throughout their entire relationship.  Heather was still unsettled, so she decided to get up and walk downstairs to the kitchen in hopes that a warm glass of milk would soothe her nerves, but instead, found her sister lying in a puddle of her own blood.  Heather's eyes bulged with terror as she howled beyond despair. In shock, her knees gave in to the weight of her body as she dropped to the floor sobbing uncontrollably.

"No! No! No! I should have known! I should have known!"

Three days later, On June 3rd, Ruth Gale's ashes were scattered over the Batten kill river, where she loved to spend most of her time when she was alive.  After the funeral, The Gale family moved in order to avoid the painful memories that Ruth had left behind.

One month later, a couple by the name of Amber and Jake Doran had moved into Ruth’s old home and after only five months of marriage, their relationship began to take a sour turn.

That night, Amber stared at the digital clock on her night table, it was 3:30 AM on a Saturday and Jake still wasn't home.  Suddenly, she heard the door creak open.  She walked down the stairs and found Jake stumbling into the bathroom.  Jake gasped as his eyes widened upon the presence of his wife standing angrily before him.

"What’s the matter Jake? Are you surprised I didn't give you a chance to wash off the smell of that whore you've been sleeping with?" 

"Oh come on babe, you know you’re the only whore for me." He laughed and stumbled closer to Amber, arms wide open trying to kiss her, but Amber pushed him so hard, that he toppled backward through the bathroom door hitting the back of his head on the edge of the toilet seat. 

"Fucking stupid bitch!" Jake hollered.  "You’re lucky I just had my dick sucked or I would be really fucking pissed right now."     

Amber began to cry hysterically. "What the fuck? Why are you doing this to me? Don’t I satisfy you?  Am I not enough?"

"Of course you are honey.  I’m just a man, I have needs."

"Yeah, well, I have needs too, I need you to be a real husband, to live up to your vows, and just be a fucking decent person!"

Enraged, Jake peered at her through his blood shot eyes and screamed, “Fucking decent person?”  Who the fuck bought you this house? Huh? And who the fuck bought you your clothes, car, and anything you could fucking think of. Huh? Me! That’s who!  And you have the nerve to tell me about decency?  I bust my fucking ass just so you could whatever the fuck your little heart desires and all I ask for is to be treated with respect.  And how do you repay me?  By nearly knocking me out and calling me a scum bag! That’s how!" 

“Possessions’ don’t matter to me Jake! Our love matters!  Dammit! You matter to me! she cried.  Your devotion matters!  I’d trade every thing you ever gave me for that in a second!

Jake yawned and responded, “Babe, I’m tired. “I’m going to sleep okay.  We’ll talk about this tomorrow.” He stammered up the stairs and plopped down on the bed without removing his suit and tie. He was snoring loudly within minutes.

Amber, went into the kitchen sobbing and poured herself a glass of red wine to calm down.  She quickly chugged the merlot then bellowed at the top of her lungs, “I hate him!”  as she hurled the empty wine glass at the wall smashing it to pieces.  Frustrated, she leaned over the kitchen sink and mumbled under her breath, “I fucking wish he would get what he deserves!”  Suddenly, the phone rang, she looked at the caller ID and read the name "Ruth Gale" but the phone number didn't appear. Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring...

Amber picked up the phone, but, no one answered.  Assuming it was probably another one of his mistresses; she laid down defeated on the couch and cried herself to sleep. 

It was 5 pm when Jake finally awoke from his alcohol induced slumber to the sound of his cell phone ringing. He squinted as he reached for the phone and read a text message that someone had sent him, "I want you inside of me NOW, I'll be at the Batten kill river waiting for you…NAKED."  Jake assumed that it was the same woman from last night, so he rushed to the bathroom to freshen up when he found a note stuck to the mirror, “Food is on the stove, be back later”  Jake sneered as he tore it off, crumbled it up, and flushed it down the toilet.  He got dressed and drove about five miles to the river where he found a beautiful woman sitting on the riverbank combing her long black hair.  His mouth watered as he approached her with each lingering step; the temptress looked up at him and began walking in his direction.  As she slowly walked towards him, she began to unbutton her blouse and unwrap her skirt, exposing her breasts, and leaving nothing on but a black lace thong. 

I told you I’d be naked.  She smiled coyly.

Jake asked,” How do you know me?"

"Why does it matter, you're here aren't you?" 

She cupped his tender face in her hands and  kissed him as she ran her dainty fingers through his hair. Playfully she ran towards the river and submerged herself in the water.   

She moaned and beckoned him to join her, "The water feels amazing! Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm.” 

Without a second's thought, Jake removed his clothes and tossed them on the ground.  He eagerly swam up to her and embraced her naked body, lustfully kissing her exposed chest.  His hands reached down to slip his fingers between her legs, but strangely, he could not find the gap between them. As he continued to feel her lower half he was perplexed by the rough scaly texture.

"Oh my God! What are you? What the fuck?" he screamed. 

Terrified he peered into her demonic eyes and realized that she had shape shifted into some kind of monster! 

"What the fuck are you?" 

"The woman responded, I am a rusalka, I am half fish, half mortal and straight from the pits of hell!  I have come to take vengeance upon unfaithful lovers like you, my dear.

In that instance, she sunk her razor-sharp fangs into his neck. The demon then grabbed his face and glared into his horrified eyes,

"Is this what you wanted?" Does this satisfy your manly needs? Jake gazed at her exposed jagged teeth now coated in his blood and pleaded for his life,

"No! No! No! let me go! Please let me go!" 

She tightly held him in her arms and tauntingly replied, “It’s too late now Jake. The damage is done.” 

She tightly wrapped her arms around him and dug her jet black finger nails into his back dragging him to the bottom of the river.

Once again, Amber lay awake in bed that night staring at the clock, it was 3:30 AM, and Jake still wasn't home.  This time, Amber gathered all of his and her belongings and threw them into a pile in the backyard.  She marched into the garage like a soldier prepared for battle where she picked up an old canister of gasoline, strutted back outside, and poured it over all of his and her possessions.  She then lit a match and smiled as she witnessed the flames devour it all.  She took off her wedding ring and happily tossed it into the blazing inferno.  She gazed into the flames and watched the wind carry away the ashes of their love and thought, I deserve better, I deserve much better...I will have better.