by Jennifer Mark

Created on: January 22, 2009

Stop, please just stop!

It was as if she was having an out of body experience. She could see him shaking her, slapping her, kicking her, doing whatever he could to hurt her. She silently took the beating, knowing that if she said anything she would just get hit harder. When the attack was over, he walked away going into the bathroom and closing the door. She stayed where she was, curled in a ball and crying. She slowly picked herself up off the floor and gingerly laid on top of the bed. Five minutes later, he walked out of the bathroom. He changed his clothes to his t-shirt and boxers and laid down next to her. They didn't touch and she could feel the tension as she felt herself drifting to sleep.

When she opened her eyes, she sat up and winced, feeling the pain from the day before. She looked around the room to see that her husband had already left for the day. The only evidence of the attack the night before was her bruises and the chair that he casually threw out of his way when he headed her way. She shook her head and felt a splitting headache that seemed to be torturing her.

He has to stop drinking, she thought to herself, or else I am leaving him. I can't take anymore of this abuse. I think I will confront him tonight, and tell him what I have to say. Making up her mind and feeling better about the whole situation, she picked herself up off the bed and went to prepare for the day. She worked around the house and when it got later in the day, she started supper. She watched the clock as it got closer and closer to the end of his workday. She knew when he was on his way home, and held his breathe waiting for his car to pull in the driveway. When it became apparent that he wasn't coming right home, she put away the rest of the food from supper. She grabbed her overnight bag and rushed around the bedroom packing all the essentials that she could grab. She kept listening for the sound of the door, or a car, or anything signaling that he was home.

When she got everything packed, she locked up the house and jumped into her car. Then she sat in her car and waited. Since she was parked on the street, she had a better view of the turn in to the neighbor. She ducked down low anytime she saw headlights. That's when she saw her husband turn the corner and drive up into the garage. He swayed as he got out of his car. He stumbled inside as she pulled away from the house.

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