The Woman in the Letter

PART 4

Then he freed my throat and pushed me. I didn't believe my coughing would stop. I could not stand on my feet. Holding my throat, I fell to my knees. He was staring at me. He stood like an executioner, not like Paul. Gathering my last strength, I stood up."Even if I die, I will never marry a monster like you" I could not stay straight and tried to balance myself so as not to fall to the right again.When he came to me, it was as if the ground shook in his steps. I wanted to shout, but it was too late. First, he grabbed my mouth with his palm. My nostrils were blocked by the size of his hands, and I could hardly breathe. He knocked me to the ground. He opened the box, took the ring out of the bowl with his teeth, and threw it aside. Slow music could be heard inside the restaurant. On the other side of the wall, everyone was hugging and dancing, on the other side of the wall, I was struggling to survive. I looked into Paul's eyes and tried to ask him for mercy. The veins in his eyes were so sharp in the dark. I heard him say, "You are my only chance." He took my hand and bent all my fingers except my middle finger. Slowly everything began to darken. I could understand what he was trying to do. He squeezed the ring between his teeth. He was trying to put the ring on my finger. I felt Paul's palm a little empty from the sweat of my face. I grabbed a piece of his palm with teeth with all my might. Paul took off his hand on my mouth as if he had drawn it out of boiling water. I felt the piece of the skin on my mouth and the taste of blood which was dry and ironic. I knew I had only a second to live. I shouted with all my might for the last hope. But I didn't have a chance for a second. Paul pressed his bloody fist to my lips again. This time he did not only close my mouth, he pressed my head to the ground.I heard my name. I didn't know if it was Paul's voice because I had lost consciousness so much that I couldn't tell if the voice was coming from near or far. But I saw his palm loosen and he turned his head back. He got up and quickly turned around. I tried to pull myself away from him with my elbows. I saw something black jumped on Paul and knocked him to the ground. I would almost be dying because of the breathlessness. When I turned my head towards them, I saw my brother fall to the ground and punch Paul in the face as if he had hit the concrete. I had just heard all the swearing from Hafiz that I had never heard before.I did not see when Paul came out from under Hafiz when I tried to get up with all my strength. Hafiz pushed back and hit him with all his weight to knock him down. The scream of pain echoed all around as if his skin had been cut. I wanted to grab Paul's waist and pull him back. When he hit me with the back of his hand and knocked me back, the lower part of my head hit a small but sharp river stone. When I saw the heat pouring down my neck from behind my head, I was blindfolded, and I could no longer tell which one was my brother. Sounds and swearing echoed in my ears as if they were in a concert hall. I was only worried about Hafiz. Instead of trying to separate them, I regretted not running to the restaurant and calling for help. Then, when I saw some people running towards us from the side where Hafiz came, I closed my eyes and let myself into the void.