Running Free

This is something I wrote with a friend last night. The teacher set up the story and we had to continue it. Let me know what you think? :-)

After what seemed like hours in traffic, Jay turned into the apartment parking lot and saw heat waves rising off the neighbors’ cars. Dragging a load of groceries up the pebble-stoned, spindly stairs, she/he shoved the key into the door, dumped a sweat stained backpack on the floor, and noticed the red light of a message machine blinking across the curtained gloom of the “studio” she/he called home…….

She walked over to the machine, Jay was not used to having messages and she was very curious to know who had called. When the machine voice began to replay the message, she didn't recognize the number. A deep, familiar voice then began to say, "You thought you escaped. But I am coming for you." Jay felt a panic so deep in her gut that she sank to the floor and started hyperventilating. 

She thought she was done with him. It had been three years since she had finally got free from him. Ethan was a past boyfriend who abused her. Everyday the whole dreadful five years that they were together. He put her in the hospital more times then she could count on one hand. 

Her friend Tritney helped one night after she realized what was going on. They packed their bags and left on a plane going across the country. They were now living in a one bedroom dump on the east coast, but they had been  safe. Until now. 

She had to pull it together quickly. If he had her number he most likely knew where she lived and would either be here soon or is watching the place now. She would need to warn Tritney about him being here so she wouldn't come home. 

She knew she didn't have much time so she sent a quick text to Tritney "don't come home, Ethan found us. Go to the meeting place. I will be there shortly." She received a quick response saying to stay safe and to grab the wigs. When she grabbed the get away bags she headed for the door. Leaving her life once again because she didn't know how to say no. 

She knew what he was like before she married him but his charm and good looks won her over. She didn't realize the "I do's" were so permanent. Apparently "till death do us part" meant Jay would have to die for them to be apart. She took one look around the apartment and turned the door knob. She was not prepared to see what was standing outside her door. 

"Leaving so soon?" Ethan said with his deep, bone chilling voice. All Jay could do was jump back. She didn't expect him to be there. "What, you can't kiss your husband hello? What's it been? Two years and some?" Ethan said sarcastically.

"Three years 45 days and 6 hours to be exact!" Jay said through gritted teeth.

Even though she was crippled with fear for the encounter that was about to happen, she had to clear her mind and think of a way to get out of her apartment so she could run. He helped himself into the house closing and locking the door behind him. 

It was obvious he didn't intend on her leaving, at least not alive. She knew otherwise. He didn't know that she had been taking every precaution she could in case this day ever came. She planned escape routes and had things hidden around the house to help her if a fight broke out. She also took fighting lessons twice a week. She was ready for this.

"Ethan, do come in sweetheart. Would you like something to eat or drink?" Jay said with a sincere smile. 

She had prepared a special cup with sleeping pills already in it so she could drug him. She changed the pills out every other week so they were fresh.  Tritney called her paranoid but looks who's paranoid now. 

"Now there is this wife I knew you could be. I would love a glass of tea darlin!" 

"One glass of tea coming right up sugarplum." Jay hated that she had to be hospitable but it was all part of the plan. Get him to drink and eventually he would pass out. Usually he would only last 30 minutes after taking Tylenol PM so this extra strength dose should do it quicker. Not to mention she put way more then is prescribed. 

She went into the kitchen and grabbed two cups and got the tea out of the fridge. Her hands shaking uncontrollably, scared that she wouldn't make it or worse scared that she would have to keep running. She was so tired of running.

"What has my wife been up to these past years? I was quite surprised that you never came home, even more surprised that it took so long to find you." Even from the other room his voice brought goose bumps to Jay's body.

"A little of this, a lot of that. Every day things, nothing special. Something that surprised me was how long it took you to find me as well. We rented rooms at people's houses for a while, then we got an apartment for a little while. Then we moved here last year. We figured you stopped looking." She yelled back from the kitchen. 

"I never stopped looking" he whispered into her ear. She didn't know he had come so close. It scared her. " why so jumpy my love?"

"I just didn't hear you come in the kitchen is all, would you like sugar in your tea?" She said trying not to show her fear.

"Why yes thank you." He said as he kissed her cheek.

Although she wanted to pull away she had to get him to drink the tea so she did the only thing that she could think of to keep herself alive. She kissed him like she has never kissed him before. She kissed him like her life depended on it, she kissed him like it was her last kiss she would ever get, because there was a chance it could be her last kiss and that frightened her. 

"Tea?" She said with a giggle and smile.

"Well, if I would have known I was going to have such a warm welcome back I would have bought some flowers." He replied grabbing the cup and taking a big drink. "Aww baby I have missed you and this tea. Nobody could make it the way you do." 

"I am glad you like it, now should we go sit down and get more comfortable?" She said biting her lip. 

"Baby, baby you know what biting your lip does to me." He said as he set the drink on the counter then picked her up and put her on the counter kissing her. She was blocked and it was taking all her strength to not push him away.  She had to think clearly. He didn't drink enough to knock him out yet, she didn't want this to go any farther then it had. 

"Hey mister, I am a lady and I prefer to be taken out on a date first." She said with a smile. "How about we go finish out teas and talk then see where we end up after that" biting her lip again she kissed him and slid off the counter rubbing against him then walked backwards toward the living room. As she turned around she saw him gulp down the rest of his drink and set it in the sink. He never could resist her. Sometimes it stopped him from beating her, sometimes he would beat her while forcing himself on her. 

"Oh how I have missed you!" He said as he grabbed her hair and pulled her into another kiss then threw her into the couch. "But you have been a very naughty girl and need to be punished." He must have seen a flash of fear in her eyes because he have her a wicked grin.

"How about I run the tub, I could wash you off then you could do the same to me?" She asked holding back the tears. She had never seen him so angry. She knew if the pills didn't kick in soon she would either have to fight for her life or loose. 

"Oh know, that will not work. I was thinking about something a little different. I actually brought some toys for us to use. You don't mind using toys do you?" He eyed the bag beside the door. 

"No," she stuttered.

"Good go get my bag for me" he commanded. 

As she went to the door to get the bag he was turned around so she quickly unlocked the door and tried to make a run for it. She barely made  it to stairs before he grabbed her and threw her against down the stairs. 

"Did you think you could get away from me so easily this time?" He laughed out the words. "Was I not good to you, did I not buy you everything you could ever want? Was I so bad that you had to run away from me?" He yelled at her as he walked down the stairs. 

She is was so much pain from the fall she couldn't move. All she could so was hope someone would hear them.

"Did I not buy you all the greatest clothes and the nicest cars? Did I not send you to the best school so you could earn that stupid nursing degree? This is the thanks I get? You stupid stupid girl! To think you could leave me?!" 

That's when she got the courage to stand up. "I ran because you never really loved me, I ran because you hit me! I ran because when I was pregnant you, YOU told me to get rid of it and when I didn't YOU beat me so bad I lost it! I ran because I no longer loved you! I ran because I wanted to be truly happy!" And that's when he finally made it to the bottom stairs. He looked her in the eyes and then slapped her so hard she fell back down.

She had been preparing for this for three years. Instead of laying there taking her beating she waited for him to bend over to get closer to her face like he always did. Once he did she kicked him in his face so hard he fell against the stairs. She jumped up and started running as fast as she could. 

All of a sudden Ethan jumped on top of her, knocking her to the ground. Her face hits the ground and she knew her nose was broken. She could feel the blood running down her face and onto the ground. 

"You stupid bitch!"he yelled at her as he flipped her over. He was on top of her. " you stupid stupid dumbass bitch! You broke my nose!" He was rambling, but his words were starting to slur. The sleeping pills were kicking in. 

"I guess we are even" she said as she spit blood at him. She tried to buck him off but he had her trapped. He was holding her hands down with one hand while undoing his belt with the other. She looked him in his eyes and could tell he was starting to have trouble keeping his eyes open. 

"Getting sleepy honey?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"You bitch, what did you do?" He slapped her across her already beaten face. He was blinking hard and his grip was starting to loosen.

"What ever do you mean Dear?" She said with a smile. He was now shaking his head to try and keep himself awake.

"I will kill you!" He yelled and he started slapping and punching her. He let go of her hands and was using both fist. It was one blow after the other. All she could do was put her arms over her face to try and protect it. She was in so much pain. She could feel herself slipping into darkness. He wasn't giving up and she knew this might be the end. 

All of a sudden he was pulled off her and thrown into the wall. She couldn't hear anything, she couldn't even open her eyes.  

She heard a a loud crash and a male voice she didn't recognize.  She could tell her head was bleeding but could remember he head hitting anything. She just hurt, and hurt everywhere. She had never hurt this bad. She wanted to kill Ethan! She wanted to watch him suffer. She needed to get up. She needed to open her eyes. 

It seemed like an impossible task, but she kept trying. She felt like it was a lost cause, but she started to lift herself up. She found a rail on the wall and used it to pull herself up. 

"Jay you're awake!" She heard Tritney say, but it sounded so far awake. 

She kept trying to stand up on her on but as soon as she would let go her knees would buckle and she would start to fall.  She had to kill him and that is what she kept telling herself so she would find the strength to walk over to him.

"Jay, what are you doing?" She heard Tritney say from far away. She was walking toward what she thought was Ethan's body on the ground. 

She was Above his body and all she could think was, kill him. She went to kick him but all of a sudden he grabbed her ankle and yanked it up. She fell all the way back and hit her head on the hard ground.

She was going in and out of conscience, someone was shaking her. She could hear her name, but it sounded to far away still. Where was she,  what had happened? Did she kill him? Is she dead? 

She woke up the next day in the hospital. 

"She's awake!" A familiar voice yelled. 

"Where am I?" She asked coughing.

"Jay, I was so scared when you didn't show up to the spot. I thought I lost you forever. Then I walked into the building and saw that asshole beating you. I did the only thing I could do" Tritney was crying. "I killed him Jay, I hit him with a shovel and I kept hitting him. I couldn't stop. I hit him for every time he hit you, and the. I kept hitting him. The police had to pry the shovel from my hands. I lost it! I am so sorry!" 

She was sad that Ethan was dead, only because she wasn't the one who did it. She had tears rolling down her face. She was happy she didn't have to run any more. She could finally be happy. She could go work at the hospital again, she could move back home and see her old friends. She could do whatever she wanted. She was finally free. 

"It's alright Trit, I would have done it if I could. Tell me one thing?" She asked

"Sure anything!" She replied.

"I heard a guys voice, who was it?" Jay said as she tried to readjust.

"It was an officer. When you didn't reply to my text or call I knew something was wrong. You never showed up to the safe house so I called the police. I told them the situation and they rushed there. I was right behind them. The officer had him on the ground but you started walking toward him. That's when he grabbed your ankle and you feel back. He got up and knocked out the officer. I found the shovel and started beating him until I couldn't stop. More officers came in and took the shovel and the paramedics took you away." She said in a serious voice, Jay hanging on to every word.

"things are looking up. No more running, we can finally go home!" Jay said with a smile. 

"You can finally start fresh, maybe even talk to the guy from the bakery?" Tritney said why a wink.

"I don't even know if he is interest, plus I thought we would go back home? Now that my husband is dead I am a widow and should get all of his things." 

"Do you really want to go back to that house? Remember all of those memories? All those people looking down on you? Is that what you want? Why don't you sell everything and start over here!" She practically yelled. It made sense but Jay missed her mom, she missed all her siblings. 

"Maybe you are right but I need to go back and get a few things, you coming with me or do you want to stay here?"