The light in the dark

Hello

I set the stack of movies on the coffee table eager to start my movie marathon, it was the first time in weeks that I finally had a night to myself after all the countless working hours balancing college courses with my shifts at the diner. Finally, my mind relaxed as I browsed through my pantry until my eyes settled on the bright red packet of microwave popcorn. Feeling excited, I stuffed the packet into the microwave and waited for the few final pops then placed the contents into a big bowl and ran towards the living room.

I cuddled into the softness of the couch. The trailers began to play and I always tended to eat half of my popcorn during this portion, just when I began to relax into the couch I heard a huge BANG!

I jumped off the couch as if it were a reflex action, growing in the wrong side of the town did that to you. I ran outside to see what happened, hopefully it wouldn't concern me but it all went down the drain when I saw my best friend Jenna's white tank-top soaked in red liquid, she wore a scared and tired look on her face, her face and arms completely bruised with a dark purple turning black stain. I knew exactly what had happened and I was clearly enraged.

"He hit you!? Are you kidding me?! Jenna!!" I said rushing to her side unable to change my angry expression. I tried to soften my voice so she wouldn't feel more horrible about what had happened. "Jenna please talk to me." I continued when I realized she wasn't responding.

"He said he wouldn't let me leave, even if it meant locking me up or killing me!" She replied, I could tell she tried hard not to cry.

"Why didn't you leave or call me? He is a fucking psychopath." I managed to say though my shock.

"I tried, but just as I was about to reach the door he grabbed me..." That was just enough to push her off the edge, she started to cry and collapsed to the floor. I knew what she was about to tell me was much worst, "He hit me, but I managed to run when he thought I was knocked out, I got in the car and started to drive. It wasn't till I realized he was following me... I managed to lose him."

"He can't do this to you!" I patted her shiny ginger hair.

"He is going to come here, I'll leave." before she finished muttering those words I got her to her feet and rushed her inside. We went upstairs so Jenna could get a shower and get changed. As soon as she got in the shower and switched on the water I closed the door and rushed downstairs to call the police. I was about to start dialing when my door bust open, it was Russell, damn!

"Where is she?" He asked agitatedly looking around.

"You should leave." I replied with a gentle tone.

"I just want to talk to her, I didn't mean what I said to her." He stared at me "I need her" his mouth shivered as he said those words.

"She deserves better!" I couldn't help the rage anymore! He always did this! Always made it look like a mistake, always making her feel guilty for what he did! Enough was enough!

"God damn it Meredith!! Where the fuck is she!?" He looked right above the stairs and back at me. "She's up there, isn't she?"

"No, she isn't here." He didn't believe me because the next thing I knew it he was climbing the stairs two-by-two and I rushed after him. He managed to get a glimpse of Jenna as she ran across the hall to the bedroom, she had just managed to close the door and lock it before he reached the knob. He hesitated, looked around for another entrance but didn't find any.

"Please baby, please! I love you. Open the door." I just hoped the neighbors had heard his loud voice and called the police.

"Leave Russell! Just leave! I can't do this anymore!" She replied, she was scared and I could hear it in her voice.

"You can end this, not like this. Come out, we can talk about this at home." He calmed his voice down.

"So you can hit her again?!" I yelled at him.

"Stay out of this Mer!!" He looked at me with a fierce look.

"No! I'm stopping this bullshit now! Go home or I'll call 199!" I took two steps toward the stairs, I knew he wasn't going to give up.

"Mer, I can't let you do that." And I heard a crackling sound, I turned around to see what he had done. He grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth so I wouldn't scream, he was holding a gun to my head. "You see... Momma always told me to fight for what I love so you better not move too much or else BOM." I was too shocked to move anyways.

"What's going on?" Jenna asked from the other side of the door.

"Hum, ok. Jenna why don't you come out?" He said with a smile on his face. He was really out of his damn mind.

"No. You're going to hurt me."

"Would you rather I hurt Mer? She has nothing to do with this. Oh! By the way, she has a gun to her head."

"What!? Are you crazy?!" She yelled.

"Jen, get the hell out here or I'll shoot!" I could see his veins rise from his skin as he yelled. This was getting bad and there was nothing I could do but sob.

"No! Anything but her! Please!" She had started to sob, this made my eyes sting from the tears that drizzled down my face.

"So come out like the good girl I know you are, and suggest you hurry up." He thought he has won this. No! I wasn't going to let her do this! "You don't have to cry anymore." He whispered in my ear. "I got her back now."

I heard the lock shrug open through the other side.