I watched as the blurry world around me moved, the faces of my children swimming in and out of view. I wanted to reach out to them, to hold them, but my arms felt like lead. I could barely even talk to them, my tongue heavy in my mouth and my words slurred, feeling lucky to simply be able to tell them I loved them. To say how I had missed them. Sadly, they barely seemed to be able to understand me.

I could barely hold back my tears as I heard them asking Leon what I was saying. The only thing that kept me from breaking down entirely was the fact that he actually answered them honestly, telling them that 'Mommy loved them and had missed spending time with them both.'

After they left to go play in the living room, I sat there propped up in bed, waiting for him to visit me. I knew he had been waiting for the children to leave the room. And all too soon, he proved me right.

"My beautiful Shina, how lovely you look right now. Do you know how much I missed seeing your face? Hearing your voice? Touching your body?" His voice was filled with a dark need.

I wanted to pull away when I felt his lips against my neck, but I could barely manage to even shift my body, let alone avoid his touch.

"Shina, beloved. You shouldn't do that. It makes me feel like you don't love me anymore. And we both know that is a lie. Did that man really damage your mind that much, that you are acting like this? I'll have to try very hard to make you remember your love for me." I felt his teeth graze my neck before gently biting down.

I wanted to cry out, but all that would come out was a soft moan of despair. Something he seemed to think was from enjoyment of his 'tender ministrations' on my body.

"Shina... Let me love you like I used to... Like I need to... Let me have you for my own again..." I tried to block the world out as I felt his hand slowly lift my shirt upwards, my mind silently screaming as his fingers began tracing over the area on my back were his name was forever branded into my skin.

All I could do was pray it would be over with soon as I saw the small razor blade in his other hand slowly moving closer to me as I closed my eyes.