Battle scars

• Reality Check •

*julies POV*

Why would he love me? He just caught me trying to commit suicide. And yet he still loves me? I dont understand. I hate myself. How can anyone love me, if i don't even love me. I'm glad he didn't see the note. I wish he didn't walk in the room. It's not that I want to die. It's that I dont want to live with this pain anymore. I can't do it. I can't sleep. If I sleep, I get flashbacks of mark beating me. Like in the alley. Or in the house. Every time. I literally every time I try to sleep. I wake up screaming. Sometimes I wish I could just disappear.

I soon fell asleep thinking about what happened.

_________________________________________________
*dream*

--Mark, why are yo-" I was cut off by his fist hitting my stomach. I fell to the ground.

"GET UP!" He yelled. I tried to sit up, but my stomach started to ache. so i fell back to the ground. He grabbed my arms and jerked my body up. He put me against the side of a brick building. His hand was on my mouth. I whimpered. He used his other hand to punch me in the side again, the same place he kicked me last time. It was still bruised. He released his hand from my mouth. That hand soon met my cheek. He slapped me hard. I fell to the ground again. --

I woke up screaming. Jake was by my side, rubbing my back. He was trying to calm me down.

"JULIE! JULES! YOURE OKAY! CALM DOWN!" He was holding me tight. I had tears running down my face. I finally snapped out of it and calmed down a little. I was still crying. I turned over to plant my face into his chest. He was now stroking my hair. "Shhhhh. It's okay. It's okay." He was saying softly. "You wanna talk about it? What happened?"

"It was mark. It was when he was beating me in the alley because you called me while we were on a date. He thought I was cheating on him. So he took me to that alley and beat me. He hurt me so bad, Jake. He kicked me. Them he punched me several times in several different places. Then he slapped me. And he hurt me. I just I can't do it, Jake I can't. I can't. No I can't." I rambled.

"You're safe now. You're with me." He said.

"But I can't sleep. I can't. I haven't been able to sleep in days!" I said. "How long was I asleep for this time?" I looked at my phone to check the time. "I was only asleep for an hour! I haven't gotten that much sleep in like three days!" I said.

"Sounds like i need to get you to the doctor." He said.

"Okay." I said. The TV was still on. I turned it off.

"I'll make an appointment in the morning. It's 1 o'clock. How about we tty to get some sleep..?" Jake said, his voice calm and soothing.

"C-could I-" I stopped myself for some reason.

"Could you what?" He asked.

"Could I sleep in your room, w-with you? I think I'd feel safer there..." I said, tears still escaping my eyes.

"Of course, babe." He said.

We went and laid down. He fell asleep before me. I laid there, awake, for about an hour. He had his arm around me. I was laying on his chest. His heart beat took me back to the hospital. His scent, and heartbeat, so soothing. I drifted off.

__________________________________
*Julie's Dream*

I was little. Maybe 5. I was in a classroom. I'm going to assume it's a kindergarten class. The room was filled with shapes, and letters, and numbers.