Strange Escape (2015)

Chapter 4

Mason stared at the room, disbelief written across his ever paling face.

"What, what?"

Mason's heart began to pound with the memories that relentlessly began to flood his mind.

"No"

He saw Christmas morning three years ago, the relentless beating she gave him simply for asking did he have a present hidden around the house.

"No"

Mason began to stumble, the room span, and he lost his bearings. The slaps, the punches "you worthless mistake!" Mason's palms began to sweat and he could feel pure bile worming its way up his closing throat. His eyes filled with tears and he could hear himself screaming but it didn't register. He could feel himself thrashing on the ground but could not for the life of him understand what was truly going on, his body seemed to move on autopilot while his mind tried to gain control.

"No."
"No"
"Nooo!"

The moment he uttered the very last 'no' Mason shot up from the floor as if lightning fueled his steps.

"I have to go, I have to leave now! Oh my God I have to get out of here!"

Mason franticly grabbed everything he could see. Dirty tattered clothes, the old blanket his father gave him years ago, and shoes with worn ripped soles. Mason closed the ragged book bag he had fought to maintain since his early years in grade school and began to move swiftly and desperately out of the house. Taking one look back at the room that had housed him he was suddenly struck with the thought of staying

"It might not be so bad, once I explain the situation to her she might understand"

"Bastard!"

He could feel the slap across his cheek, the spot tingling as he touched it lightly reminiscing on the senseless violence over something as simple as a misplaced ink pen. After 30 seconds which felt like forever, Mason moved with even the more gusto than before. Swinging the backdoor open and streaking out across the Utah field toward the cold and unforgiving woods Mason's life flashed through his mind. The years of hurt, the heartache of being betrayed by the one you love, the torment of his day to day life, Mason almost laughed with seemingly psychotic delight at being left to the mercy of the elements.

"Better a bear than her!"

Reaching the border of the thicket he turned, glancing back momentarily. The house stood ominous, bleak, dead. Resolve strengthened and mind made up he began his trek. Feeling his pockets he grasped the phone which had caused the terrible beating he had last suffered.

Smash!

He threw the phone hard against a rock shattering it thus rendering himself off the grid.

"Better a bear than her."

And he was gone.