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75
Dead By Her
Own Hand
A rush sped through Ruth, her heart was racing – caught up in
the thrill of the hunt. Her prey was weak in her hands; unbeknownst
to Adam, Ruth was digging a hole. Her nails are scraping up against
his security, gouging right into the heart of the henhouse.
Upon the leaves sat the fox, blending into the autumnal warmth. Next to him
lay the hen crumpled up, all its lines cracked. Red smeared over the feathers. The
regal gaze demonstrated the overwhelming superiority and cunning of the fox to
the hen. The remaining hint of blood on the fox’s palate was a reminder of his
victory. Nature had taken its course, the ruthlessness of the wild had been shown.
For the fox to survive he must eat the hen. As serene and stately as he may appear
– the fox’s victory is tainted. For nothing comes free.
Waiting was a pain – she knew it was coming. They would be
unpacking the issue in a small discussion group. The honest Joe
would say ‘give him a chance, innocent until proven guilty.’ The
others would laugh. Damage control would take its ruthless course
and eventually Adam would be forced to leave. Ruth pressed the up
button and waited. The lift voiced its arrival with a friendly ding –
the doors opened to reveal AdamWynn Jones. In his arms was a box
filled with papers and trinkets – a Tax File report, a photo of a
smiling family. Ruth could not contain her glee. Adam’s business life
lay dead by her hands, cracked and disfigured. Smeared with the dirt
she had planted.
‘Adam, are you off?’
He did not reply – just slid past, out of her life. The scent of his
cologne hung in the air before fading into the background. Ruth
walked into the lift pressing the button for the 19th floor. Ruth
glowed with a sense of empowerment. She gleamed with a grandiose
gaze, and if you looked closely you might even catch a smile in the
corner of her mouth.
‘Ruth, the meeting starts in ten. See you there?’
‘Yes yes, I’ll be there.’ Ruth replied silently sliding her hands into
her pockets hiding her nails once more.
The fox circled and found a way out.
‘
10