Safe

• Beth Stalker, Grade 12
• Short Story
• 2016

The downpour continued as we drove through the autumn storm.
Speckles of water ran down the window.
I was trapped. In the car. In my mind.
He’d be waiting. He’d probably be staring out a similar window, waiting, always waiting.
Things weren’t supposed to go this way. We had a plan! He had approved.
But what are plans but empty promises subjective to change.
There was a girl staring at me through the window. She had blood red lips and black smokey eyes. Eyes that darted side to side, chaotic, searching. Illusions. the girl was an illusion. With her smudged red lipstick and black eyes. Was that me?
I felt my fists tighten into balls. We had Plans! Dammit. My friends, they knew what was happening, so why didn't they listen to my objections? But could I blame them for not listening? Wouldn’t i have once done the same thing?
?The familiar site came into view.The lone house, on an abandoned street.
My chest tightened. “I can do this”. “I CAN do this!”
The car came to a grinding halt and I stumbled out.
I could feel his eyes on me, he was watching.
I grabbed the key from under the mat and jammed it into the hole.
The door creaked open. He was standing, waiting.
His voice boomed through the empty house, “You’re late!”
“I.. I know, I'm really sorry, things changed, it was stupid”
“You’re late!”
i felt my throat tighten, my voice nothing but a bare whisper
“I know”.
In the darkness I felt him grab my fragile wrists, caressing his thumb over the place where the skin would bruise, then he yanked. The pop could be heard throughout the silent house. I was unable to process what was happening though there was a burning sensation making its way up my arm. Then, there was nothing.
Nothing but darkness, and an annoying beep. The darkness was fading, replaced with a searing light. The room came into view. There was a word for this place. I knew there was. Home; no this wasn't home. Hos..pital, hospital. The past memories came back, flashes of blood and anger and him. Everywhere. Fingers touched my hand and my body flinched. There was someone there. She seemed to be speaking
“You’re ok now. You’re safe.” Her words wouldn't process how could I be safe?

Doctors swirled through my room for weeks, trying to get me to talk,walk,talk. Nothing. They brought in a special doctor. Everyday he tries to get me to say one simple phrase. “My name is Mia I am safe. I am safe.”Everyday I try to repeat his words, although I don't understand how I can be safe.

I was never filled in on the situation, but I put bits and pieces together. He was denied bail, set for a life in jail. And as for my friends they visited every now and again. The doctors never let them in. They had known what was happening, they let it happen. The doctors didn't know they too, were to blame for the piece of a girl that I became.