Within The Walls

Mallory drove by her old house slowly. The new owners had painted the house a light coffee color it reminded her of a cup of coffee with too much creamer not quite brown but darker than beige the trim reminded her of dark chocolate and the front yard was full of overgrown shrubs. The house looked sad like it knew about the sadness that had occurred within its walls. Mallory missed and hated her old house it was a house she bought all by herself the house she raised her child in the house she had hoped to raise more children in. The house she bought from working as a teacher during the day and nighttime shifts at a local coffee shop. Mallory had decorated it to match her colorful personality and filled it with family heirlooms.

Mallory loved her house until her boyfriend Mike moved in with her. Mike had told her they should make it their house and fill it with their memories not second hand junk from her grandparents. Mallory came home from work one day to find the house redecorated with Mikes stuff he presented the new decor and a envelope of money as a surprise and surprise it was. He had sold most of Mallory's furniture on Craigslist to make room for his, the rest he had moved outside to the shed. Mallory didn't like the surprise but she didn't want to make a scene she knew Mike was trying to fit in. Mallory believed him when he said he wanted to make a home for the two of them.

Mallory had not been by the house in over two years however Mallory knew seeing the house was crucial to putting her past behind her.

Mallory was emotionally drained after visiting the prison and driving by the house she needed some peace and quiet so she went back to her sons house where she was staying with her daughter in law until she found a job and an apartment. Mallory was grateful that the apartment was empty Mallory turned on the television and quickly fell asleep that's when the nightmare came.

The nightmares came every night just like clockwork fall asleep and then boom. The nightmare was always the same. Mike had asked Mallory for money to make a trip to Long Beach for a job interview. Mike felt so confident that he would get the job that he wanted to fly out three days early to look for an apartment. Mallory was working extra shifts to pay for Mikes upcoming trip to Long Beach. Mallory was feeling sick and running late for her shift at the coffee shop. Mallory had just recently discovered she was pregnant and her boyfriend Mike wasn't happy about the pregnancy. Mike had wanted Mallory to have an abortion he said they just didn't have enough money and Mallory's health was a concern. Mallory had just celebrated her one year breast cancer free milestone. Mike said they could try again when things got better. Mike had recently been fired from his job for what he told Mallory was just a misunderstanding between him and a female coworker.

Mallory yelled to Mike that she would bring him dinner on her break as she rushed out the door. Mallory tried to call Mike on her first break to see what he would like for dinner and to let him know what time she would be going on dinner break but his voicemail picked up she left him a message and went back to work. Mallory finally was on her dinner break her house was less than ten minutes away so she had enough time to bring Mike dinner. Mallory entered her house she could hear strange noises and Mikes voice coming from the back of the house. She called Mike's name but no answer when Mallory walked to the back of the house she saw her bedroom door was ajar and Mike was sitting naked at her computer talking to a lady via webcam she stood in the doorway listening to their conversation. She heard him say to the lady on the computer how he couldn't wait to see her and how he couldn't wait to touch her. He then described where he was going to touch while he touched himself. Mallory had seen and heard enough to know that Mike had planned to have an affair with this lady while on his trip. Mallory burst through the door and Mike jumped up to run knocking Mallory down in the process. Mallory started crying and asking questions in a hysterical high pitched yell. Mike wouldn't answer her so Mallory got up and went over to the computer where the lady was still online waiting for Mike. Mallory instructed Mike to get out of her house while she asked the lady for answers. The lady named Linda was very forthcoming and told her that Mike was moving to Long Beach for her that they had met online and had planned to be together. Mike had told her that Mallory was his ex girlfriend and that he was living there as a roommate until he found a job. Mike also told Linda that Mallory was pregnant but the baby wasn't his. He had Linda give him money for his upcoming trip to Long Beach too. Mallory had filled Linda in on what the truth was while Mike grabbed his clothes and left.

Mallory had to get back to work so she called her son Brian filled him in on the events of the night. Brian said he would have the locks changed by the time she got home. He also said he and his wife would stay the night at her house in case Mike came back. Mallory somehow managed to finish her shift at the coffee shop her coworker offered to let her go home early but home was the last place Mallory wanted to be.

Mallory arrived home just after midnight to find her son Brian and his wife Amanda waiting for her. There had been no sign of Mike however Brian had went through some of Mike's papers and had found his termination papers from his last job stating that he was terminated for sexually harassing and threatening to harm a coworker. Mallory admitted to her son that Mike wasn't a great boyfriend and that this was just one of many incidents. Her son knew she was pregnant but he wasn't happy about becoming a big brother as he told his mom any other guy he would be happy but he had always disliked Mike. Around two in the morning all were awakened by the sound of breaking glass in the house. Brian turned on the lights in the front room he saw a hand reach through the glass reaching for the doorknob. Brian grabbed a frying pan to use as a weapon against the intruder he called for his wife and mom to stay in the bedrooms. The intruder was Mike Brian hit him on the head with the frying pan and Mike jumped at him. Mallory came running out of the room putting herself between Mike and her son. Mike was intoxicated or high on a substance. Mike was angry that the locks had been changed and that Brian had hit him with a frying pan. Mike called Mallory a cunt and threatened to kill all of them especially Brian and the unborn child. Mallory went wild and flung herself at Mike throwing punches against his face this just made Mike more angry and he simply threw Mallory into the nearest wall. Mallory crumpled against the wall and fell to the ground. Mike kicked her stomach and Brian jumped on Mikes back attempting to pull him away from his mother. Amanda chose that time to come out of the room and announce that the police were on their way. Mike ran out the door. Brian tried to chase him but he couldn't catch up to him. The police took statements from the family and offered to call an ambulance for Mallory. Mallory chose to have Brian take her to the hospital instead. Once at the hospital they did an ultrasound but no fetal heart beat was detected. They gave Mallory a sedative and performed a DNC. Mallory was released from the hospital late the next day and went to rest at Brian's The following day Mallory wanted to go pick up a few things from her house when she arrived the door was open she called the police before entering her house. When the police entered they found Mike dead he had been killed by a blow to the head. The police brought both Brian and Mallory in for questioning. Upon questioning decided to hold Mallory for suspicion of murder the formal charge involuntary manslaughter.

The detective assigned to the case had a hunch that there could be more to the story because the timeline didn't add up. During the investigation a bloody hammer is found outside Mallory's house the police were able to get fingerprints off the weapon and they don't match Mallory's.

Forensics came back weeks later with a match. The fingerprints belonged to Linda it seems Linda was upset by the incident on the webcam so she came to talk with both Mike and Mallory only when she arrived she found Mike in the house packing his belongings and confronted him. Linda was tired from her drive and Mike's lies and when he reached to embrace her she had enough. Linda hit him on the head with a hammer. Mike had used a hammer to break into the house and now that hammer was being used to break him. Brian arrived to check on his mom's house and saw the crime through the window. Linda hit Mike on the head with the hammer several times. Then Brian saw Mike fall to the ground. Brian then saw Linda calmly walk out the door and throw the hammer in a bush. Linda walked pass Brian who crouched behind a shrub on her way to her car she seemed to be in a trance like state. When Linda left in her car Brian entered the house and saw a dying Mike. Brian left the scene not saying a word until he was brought in for questioning. His mother Mallory was the prime suspect and was being held on charges of involuntary manslaughter. The police were sure Mallory had committed the crime until Brian gave his statement. After his mom was released Brian packed up his belongings and walked away from his life. His mother had heard a rumor that he was living in Long Beach waiting for his girlfriend Linda to be released from jail.