I knew it was him. From the moment my eyesight was covered with that black sack...I knew it was him. The grip of his hands bruised me, and when it seemed like months later, reality hit me, and I guessed it had only been a matter of hours.
I found myself beaten in a tiny room with a dim, flickering light. The marks of his fingers were on my wrists. It was difficult for me to breathe easily, and I coughed a little blood. Tears rolling down my cheeks; I curled myself up, so I could lessen the pain of my bruises. As I heard footsteps approaching, I got up from the dirt ground and rapidly went to the corner. Immediately, when the door creaked open, my suspicions were confirmed. It was him.
He came running at me, so I rolled away, and he went crashing against the wall, causing me to flinch. My body trembled so much. How could this happen to me?
Those bright blue eyes stared directly at me. The same eyes that I once saw as incapable of even harming an ant. The same eyes that I now faced and feared. I felt a roach running up my leg. Even my fear of insects didn’t matter anymore. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. My only thoughts: he’s going to kill me; they were right; I just wanted to be happy.
As I attempted getting up, my vision flickered the same way that the dim light did, and I repeatedly blinked in attempts to adjust myself, so I could run away. I pulled out all the strength I had within me and ran out. Stumbling and crashing into the wall as I zig-zagged my way out, I left roars behind me, but as I continued to run, they seemed to get closer. He’d always been faster than me. I knew I’d miraculously made my way out of that cabin as I felt the cool breeze touch my sweaty, blood-draped body. I began to run as I heard him from the innards of the cabin, bellowing with so much rage. My shaky legs guided me through the trees. I felt as if my arms were being impaled with every branch that brushed them. The only thoughts in my mind were to find a road and get some help, but as I kept running, the trees began to appear endless. Trees that seemed as angry as he was. What had I done to deserve this? I’d never wronged anyone, so why me?
Just as I was ready to drop and let him get me, the trees came to an end, but there was no road. Instead, there I was, facing the edge of a cliff. Maybe if I jumped this would all end. So I walked to the edge of the cliff, and the simple sound of small rocks moving underneath my shoes caused goosebumps to run through my body. “Don’t jump!”
Who was that? I turned, but there was no one in sight, despite the fact that I’d heard it so close to me. Once again I started making my way to the very edge of the cliff, but this time the same voice came from my head. I heard the voice in my head telling me to open and close my eyes, so I did.
His distant screams have disappeared, and I am now laying on my bed. This had all been a flashback, a dream of what had happened so many times before. As I felt my heartbeat slow, I turn my head to the left and feel his heavy breaths. I fully turn my body, so I can hug him, but as I do so my wrists begin to ache. He did bruise me...always had.
After I found myself sitting on the edge of the bed in complete darkness for a couple of minutes; I slipped on a Grateful Dead shirt, some shorts, and sandals. My heart always skipped a beat faster when I was around him, but it wasn’t because of love. I drove down the dirt road our little town had and thought about the note I left him on the fridge, “Thanks for the dream.” Maybe I’ll go for a swim at the lake before I head on out of here...hmm, better not. I’ll swim when I get home. This isn’t home. I rubbed one of my wrists, and for the first time in a long time, my smile, as I leave behind this nightmare, was real.