I sat on the floor, my back against the wall. I was rethinking my plan over and over again.
My thoughts interrupted by a car engine. I stood up and ran over to the window, sure enough there was Gareth's car pulling in. I hurried and grabbed the cold, metal bar I had taken from the bed frame. I waited behind the door, the metal bar floated above my shoulder as I stood in a batter's position.
I heard him approaching. The front door closing with a THUD. His shoes knocking on the hardwood floors. As I heard him inch closer and closer toward the room, I became more and more tense. But I've had enough. I need to get out of here. My body was frail and weak. Gareth barely gave me enough food to make it by. I had been locked in this bedroom every time he left this house. No way for me to get out. He had nailed the windows down as well.
For me this was do or die. Either I was going to get away or stay here and wait for him to finally torture me to death.
I heard him unlock the bolts from the other side of the door. The door creaked open, "Anayis?!," he snapped. CRACK! I hit him right on his side as hard as I could with the metal bar. I hit him about five times after he landed on the floor. I dropped the pipe and ran as fast as I could. I ran down the stairs through the dining room. "ANAYIS!" I heard him yell. I through open the front door and ran out toward the gate. I was so weak, my run began to slow down as I lost more and more energy. I heard his foot steps behind me. I was panting hard, heaving from my chest to get as much air as I could. Next thing I knew Gareth's arm wrapped around my waist stopping me. "NO, NO STOP," I screamed. I screamed as loud as I could but I knew no one could hear me. "HELP ME! SOMEONE PLEASE!" I heaved.
Gareth dragged me back into the house, the same room again, it was his bedroom. He threw me on the floor and grabbed the metal bar. He repeatedly beat me with it, over and over again until I begged him to stop. He finished me off my throwing the bar at me, spitting on me. Gareth turned and walked into the bathroom.
I heard him turn on the shower. He came back at a fast pace. He picked me up from the ground and took me to the bathroom. Gareth threw me in the shower and turned on the water. I curled in a ball , crying on the shower floor. "We have a premiere we need to in 2 hours. Try to make yourself presentable," he sneered as he closed the door behind him.
I laid there on the floor as the water fell on me. The droplets slowly covering up my tears.
-
I dried myself off. I blew dry my hair and pulled in a bun. Gareth hated when I made myself look pretty, I had to make sure I looked as sophisticated and modest as possible.
Gareth threw a dress into the bathroom, "Put this on," he said firmly. I picked up the dress from the floor and slipped it on. It was black and sequenced all over, a scoop neck dress with long sleeves. Prettier than what he usually makes me wear. I put on some eyeliner, mascara, lipstick. I pulled the collar of my dress down very slightly. There lay a bruise on my chest, another on the side of my chin. Gareth entered the bathroom. I quickly pulled up my dress collar to conceal the bruise. But he saw it. I tensed up as Gareth placed his hands on my shoulders. "Why do you insist on making my life a living hell? Huh?," he said as he dug his sharp fingers into my boney flesh. I turned my head and whimpered in pain. Gareth grabbed my face and turned it toward the mirror in front of us. His head next to mine as we looked at each other through the mirror. "Your life would be so much easier if you just listened to me," he said in a low voice. I started breathing hard, trying not to cry. I was tired of crying. Gareth pulled down the collar of my dress revealing the bruise and turned my head to see the bruise on the side of my chin. He started to pull out something from his pocket. I closed my eyes, too scared to see what he had. I jumped at the sound of the item hitting the counter in front of me. I looked down to find foundation. "Cover up those," Gareth said as he slammed the door behind him.
-
The drive was long. Gareth and I sat in the back of the limo. The driver tried making conversation with us but Gareth shot him down, "Just keep driving man," he told him. It took everything I had in me to not beg the driver to stop the car. HELP! HELP ME! IM BEING TORTURED! I said over and over to myself in my head. But nothing came out.
We arrived on the red carpet. My face was straight, no smile to it. Gareth had his arm around me smiling trying to act like we were this perfect couple. He would pull my head close to his but I refused to "cuddle" with him. Lights were flashing everywhere while everyone shouted our names. "Anayis! Look right this way! Gareth! Look to your right!"
Gareth continued to pull me toward him. I was still resisting him. Gareth gripped my shoulder tightly and smiled and whispered in my ear. "You really want to do this now?"
God, I was sick of pretending to be happy. "I'm tired of you," I whispered back. I broke from his grip and walked off the red carpet.
I headed toward the nearest bathroom. I entered and went into a stall. Thankfully no one else was in there but me. I tried to hold back the tears.
Suddenly I heard the door open. BOOM! Someone was kicking the stall doors open one by one. BOOM! BOOM! I heard them inch closer and closer to my stall. Finally, BOOM! I saw an outraged Gareth. He grabbed me by my hair and through me out of the stall. I landed on the floor with a thud. I grabbed onto the sink to stand up. I turned around and SLAP! Gareth's hand hit my face. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Huh?" He had ahold of the collar of my dress. "Stop crying! And get out there! Pull yourself together for goodness sakes!" He barged out of the bathroom as I sat, leaned against the bathroom sink.
-
Gareth and I entered the dining floor. Everyone walked around in black ties and dresses with a wine in their hand and an orderve in another. Gareth chatted with his douchebag friends that always treated me like crap. His arm around me as I held a glass of champagne in my hand. I looked over and spotted Mel across the room from us. She smiled and waved to grasp my attention. "Hey," I spoke softly to Gareth. He gave me an annoyed face, "What?" he said sternly.
"Um, I was just wondering if I could go talk with Mel over there," I pointed my finger in her direction.
Gareth pulled me aside from his friends, "I don't care but dont you dare say anything stupid to her. You heard me?" I nodded in agreement and headed toward the other side of the room.
Mel was dressed a beautiful red dress that cut down the back. Her long, light brown hair was in a bun with curls draping down from it. Her makeup accented by beautiful gold earrings.
"Anayis," she started "Your dress is beautiful"
"Thank you," I responded.
Mel and I talked for awhile and by 'Mel and I' I meant mostly Mel talking while I listened to her. She'd ask me questions and I would keep looking over my shoulder toward where Gareth and his friends were.
"Anayis, what's that on your chest?" Mel asked. She tried to pull down my collar.
"Nothing," I pulled away from her quickly. Her face fell serious, she grabbed me and pulled down my collar slightly.
"How did you get that?" I could sense the concern in her voice. I started to breathe hard as I grew nervous. I whipped my head around to look toward Gareth. Mel's voice was low "Anayis....is he hurting you?"
I turned back to face her, my eyes watery, "Help me, please" I spoke very low.
We looked over toward Gareth, he was chatting obnoxiously on the phone. Laughing and cracking jokes as he left to the other room.
Mel saw the chance, she grabbed my hand and we ran out the back door. I jumped into the passenger seat of Mel's car and Mel started the car as fast as she could. We speeded out of the parking lot and onto the freeway.
