The Lady & The Nurse / Shivian

Prologue

She was thrown against the wall. Hand on her throat, the air slowly disappearing.

It was not the first time this had happened. But it was getting more and more violent.

She didn't even know, what she did wrong this time. But that didn't matter now.

"Roger..." her voice was just a breath. The hand on her throat made it hard to find any words. " Let go..."

The man stared into her eyes, cold and blue. He seemed to be waiting for the life to slowly fade from her.

But the woman held firm. Maintained eye contact. "Let go of me..." she repeated quietly.

The hand around her neck loosened and she fell to her knees. He left her there and left the room. While she still gasped for air.

Her hand was now on her neck. She had the feeling to keep her hand there to protect herself. Perhaps even to keep her head on her neck.

The wooden floor was cold and hard, it was silent around her. A suffocating silence. She waited for him to come back and continue. But the minutes turned into hours and she was still sitting on the floor.

Her body ached, she had the feeling that his hand was still around her neck and would take her breath away a minute. But she had to pull herself together.

She had to hold on to the wall and every piece of furniture to stop herself from falling to her knees again.

She made it to the bathroom. One look in the mirror and her stomach almost churned.

A nasty handprint had appeared on her neck. Her make-up has run down. She looked like a walking corpse.

But this was the life she had chosen. The man she chose and now she couldn't get out of his trap.

Who would save her? She. Who had caused so much pain to so many others.

No one. Alone. That was her life and would be her death too.

"You don't deserve it any other way... Siobhan..." she said to herself in the mirror.