Reaching for the phone across the empty bed, squinting at the clock
3:15 glowing in bright green. “Not again” she begs, silently to herself.
An angry, slurring voice, “Come get me, I need a ride home”
Sudden courage, after years of compliance, “No. Not this time.”
Snarling, accusing words, she hangs up.
It rings again.
Abrupt, hushed conversation, “Shhh, the baby’s sleeping.” and another refusal.
Loud bellowing, a familiar threat is made.
She slams the phone down, tears beginning.
Wide awake now.
Her mind is scrambling…what to take…what can be left behind…where will we go.
The sun is coming up, hurry, hurry.
A phone call to a friend, “can you help me?’
Time punctured by menacing threats, via phone,
he’s coming home, closer, closer.
Meaningless explanation to a sobbing toddler
“It’s okay. We’ll be fine.” Trembling smile.
Last bag packed, one backward glance through the rear window.
Breathe.
A clean getaway.
Trifecta writing challenge: Week Nineteen
This week’s word is:
clean (adjective)
I can't want to.... 
Very good. Thanks for sharing this. I’m sure it’s a very real scenario for some, unfortunately.
Thanks. And yes, it was real. But that bad ending, so long time ago, led to a new beginning that is still wonderful. 🙂
Very nice story, I have had experience with this and it’s very hard to explain to any child.
If you bottle your strength I’d like a case. That’s a good testimony and example to other’s that they can overcome adversity too.
well done, Kim . . . and I don’t mean just this entry. brava! and long life!
Wow. I’m gathering from your comment above that this is not fiction. I’m glad that happy times followed.
Sometimes breathing is all we have till we find our way. Yay you for finding yours, and your good solid new beginning. And yay you for writing about it! It is totally worth the read.
Very powerful! There is not much else I can say.
So glad you left your painful past behind. Thank you for sharing your story.
I really like the way you arranged the story (also, hugely impressed that this isn’t fiction. good for you, and glad to hear it was just the clean break you needed) – every new paragraph a new action, new sentiment. It creates a great cadence.
The palpable tension here made me worry the whole time that he would arrive in the last line and that there would be no clean getaway.
You and me both! It really brought back the memory. I’ve had a couple of unsettling days since I wrote it. I haven’t read it since I posted it.
Thanks for linking up, Kim. This is beautifully told. The tension and the terror all the way to the end until we see that the getaway was ‘clean’. You managed to draw the reader right into this story and we were all willing a much brighter future. I’m glad to hear that it turned out that way. Thanks for sharing this with us. See you for the weekend challenge too, we hope.