sweet love/ short story collection

Safe Haven

NW 22.

The name of the colour that helped me cover up the dark-violet pain that was displayed on my face. Dark-violet pain that his fist caused me. That sometimes even his foot caused me. And dark-violet pain that he would always cause me if I would stay. Here, in this hell where I was his prisoner. His punching bag.

The handle of the make-up brush in my hand slightly quivers as I brush a few soft strokes over my bruised face. My blue eyes were a reflection of empty hollowness staring back at me through the shattered glass of the mirror. It would only be a matter of minutes until he would return. Until he would come back from the pub. Drunk, as most of the nights.

Quickly I stand up from my make-up table, grabbing my already packed duffel bag into one hand and the white fluffy bunny into my other. Trying to make as little noise as possible I quietly open the bedroom door.

Her room was down the hallway. The room of my baby girl was down the hallway. With big strides, I close the distance to her room. Her dark curls frame her face as she lifts her small head. Green eyes that hold a heaviness that no four-year-old child should carry, look at me.

"It's time, my little love. We need to go.", I whisper the words softly, while her bottom lip starts to quiver.

"But mummy, where are we going?", she whispers, all while her body is shaking like a leaf on a tree. I close the distance and take her into my arms. Wrap my long arms around her little limbs.

"Somewhere safe, I promise.", I murmur into her strawberry scented hair, swallowing down the tears that try to reach my eyes. For a small second, I close them, breathing in the familiar sweet smell of my daughter trying to think of my safe haven.

My safe haven with slate grey eyes. Kind and caring slate grey eyes

"We need to go, pumpkin.", I finally say as I detach myself from her.

My daughter just bites down her bottom lip and nods. There is an almost haunting expression on her face as she does so. A melancholy feeling stabs my heart as I watch her. She didn't deserve having such a monster of a father. She didn't deserve to see the world as such an evil place already. She was only four.

She should've believed in magic, seen the world through her children's eyes. Through glasses that bathed the world in bright colours.

But instead, her world was already painted in dulls of grey and black.

"I need your help Penny.", I press out hoarsely. "Could you look after bunny for me?", I finally ask her gently, at the same time I take the little white fluffy bunny and hand it over to her.

Penny's face immediately softens when she spots her little plush bunny. She loved her bunny almost as much as she loved me. It was a birth gift from my mother.

In an instant, she grabs it and presses the little creature to her chest. Full of love as if it was her child. My heart constricts as I watch her. As I take in her little heart-shaped face. Her soft brown curls and her green eyes that seldomly lit up. Green eyes she had from her father.

She was the only beautiful thing I ever had in my life. The only beautiful thing that had emerged from this hell.

Until he came.

I finally reach for the hand of my sweet, little Penny and lead her out of her room. Her so much smaller feet struggle to keep up with my long strides.

The hallway is still dark and quiet. My heart beats loudly in my chest as I move us around the corner. A shriek escapes my lips as an ice-cold hand suddenly wraps itself around my wrist.

"Where are you going, Síochána?", his angry voice enters my ear, while his stale whiskey breath fans over my face.

Immediate fear clogs up my throat. My palms turn sweaty. I swallow thickly before I muster all the strength inside of me. Strength for myself and strength for my little pumpkin.

"I'm going to leave and I'm going to take my daughter with me.", I reply calmly with just a faint quiver in my voice.

"The fuck, you will!", the devil roars, before his grip tightens around my wrist.

I wince while fear begins to paralyse my body. Like it always did. Thoughts of slate grey eyes flash in front of my eyes. Thoughts of these rare moments those moss-coloured eyes of my little Penny lightened up. The thought that they might light up more often in the future gives me the final push. With strength, I never thought I had in me I swing out with my leg and kick him into the genital area. Hard.

His hand lets go of me immediately, followed by a loud wail that escapes his lips. It gives me enough time to scoop up my daughter and run to the front door.

"You little slut!", the devil moans behind me. It's a deep, painful moan that signals to me that he was still unable to move.

"Mummy.", Penny whines, as I tear open the door forcefully.

"Hush, pumpkin.", I croon while patting her soft brown curls. "We're going to be safe. We're going to be safe, I promise."; I repeat.

The adrenaline kicks in, as I run down the little driveway. Towards the grey car. Almost the same slate grey colour as his eyes. His slate grey eyes that saved me, because they noticed me. They noticed that something wasn't alright. That I needed someone to be there for me and hold my hand. However, I never thought that it would not only be my hand that he would hold, but also my heart.

My brown, messy curls blow in the wind, as I run as fast as I can to the tall blond man standing in front of his grey car. The tall blond man whose eyes burn right through my chest and set my heart into blazing flames.

I reach him like one dying of thirst in an oasis in the desert. His blond hair is wind-blown his slate grey eyes now resemble the colour of the stormy, roaring sky above us. A rumble of thunder blows through the air. For a few seconds, we watch each other quietly. His eyes hold mine captive while unspoken words travel between us.

Angry shouts erupt behind me and bring us back to reality. The devil was near.

In an instant, he takes my daughter from my arms, opens the car door and straps my baby girl into a child seat. A glimpse behind me lets me know that he is almost at the car.

A large, gentle hand grabs mine and pulls me quickly to the front of the car. The car door slams shut behind me and a click sounds. Horrified I watch the devil reaching for my slate grey-eyed oasis.

"Mummy!", my daughter's anxious voice sounds from the back seat. At the same moment, Liam takes a swing and punches the devil in the face.

It all happens so quickly. One moment the angry, almost monstrous face of the devil hovers a metre away from the window of the passenger seat, the next moment he sinks to the ground.

Liam immediately rushes to the driver's side, opens the door and gets behind the wheel. Not a second later, the sound of my release hits my ear. Liam puts the car in first gear and opens the door to freedom for me.

_____________ 

First of all,  I feel like there is only one and mainly one inspiration who inspires me to write English short stories. 

Her name is Taylor Swift. 

But i love "Getaway car". It's my favourite of the Reputation album and i can't help my mind drifting while i listen to it. 

I know the ending can be seen kind of controversial and also problematic, since I think it's not always a good idea to run from the arms of one man into the arms of another. Especially if you've been in a toxic relationship. 

But to keep the romantic, sappy spirit alive I thought I would romanticise the story a bit and leave it this way. 

Lastly if you find any mistakes feel free to tell me. I'm not a native and this is my second language.  

Till then: Cheers and have a good week <3