Wait! I Thought I Was Safe!

Walking down the damp leaf strewn path, the wind blowing the hair off my shoulder, I let the rain slip through my fingers. Clinging the coat tighter to my body, I reached the mountain end, my get away that overlooked the city. Sitting on the metal bench a shiver ran down my spine, the cold, bone chilling. Leaning forward I took out my hands from the warm confines of my jacket. I watched the rain hitting harder and red near my feet mixing with muddy water falling off the cliff. Turning my hands in the air I let the blood wash away from them. I didn’t mean to do it I swear. It was all a spur of the moment or was it?

 His harsh words rang in my mind and my blood started to boil again. Lips pressed in a thin line my head whipped to the side, images of his hands violently abusing my body. Pots and pans flying everywhere, mindless cursing and death glares. It had been an hour and a petty argument about towels on the bathroom floor took an ugly and gruesome turn. I didn’t fight back until a particularly hard throw towards the furnace made my head jerk back and hit on the mantle piece. Pressing my hand against my head I felt warm liquid trickle in between my fingers and onto the nape of my neck.

I watched Ryan from the corner of my eye take another step towards me and that got the gears in my head turning. Grabbing the nearest rod to turn the burning logs in the fireplace I hit him on his legs with all the force I could muster up after being beaten to pulp an hour straight. My eyes snapped open upon hearing an ear piercing shriek and a thud on the wooden floor. There he was writhing in pain, leg turning blue. Gathering up my senses I hoisted myself up using the metal rod in my hand. Lost in agony Ryan was oblivious to the stance I had taken behind him, grip strong on the tool in my hand.

The years of pain, constant nagging, endless fights, sleepless nights, incessant mornings of waking up with a sore body, swollen eyes and before I knew my hands were up in the air swinging the rod with full vigour and smashing the back of my sweet little husband’s head. Eyes widened, breaths got heavier and I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I fell to the floor realising what I had done, frantically trying to wake Ryan up. Horror flashed before my eyes holding my shaking bloody hands in front of my face. Seeing that it was too late I ran to my room grabbed my already packed bag and made a run out of the house, without a second glance.

 The distant sound of the police siren nearing my region of rest broke me out of my trance, disrupting my train of thought. Standing up, I lazily made my way to the bus approaching the bus stop opposite to the cliff. Placing my hand on the metal support, one foot on the bus step I glanced back to the place of poignant memories, the one I was ready to leave behind and start afresh. Feeling as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, I hopped on the bus light heartedly, with a smug grin on my face, content with how the chain of events in my life came to a satisfied end. Oh wait? Did I say the end? Sigh, if only my dearest friend, if only that was the case!