My fingers twitched nervously around the small plastic stick in my hand. Two lines? No I'm imagining them! Shaking the plastic stick vigorously I stare at it. Two lines! Wrapping the stick up with toilet paper I flush it down the toilet. I couldnt tell him, he will kill me! Fixing my shirt and jeans I walk out of the bathroom heading straight towards the man who repeatably ruined my life more times than I count. Determination clear across my face as I storm into the lounge, the bitter smell of smoke wafting carelessly through the air. I need to escape! Now or never. The selfish greedy bastered sat there his shirt covered in food stains, a beer in hand while the other occupied the remote. American football why am I not surprised!
"Chris! I'm leaving." I shouted awakening the sleeping dip shit of Chris's brother Joseph who was asleep on the old floral couch. Chris stood up abruptly making me step back. Shit!
"Stop talking shit, you won't leave!" He spat, his eyes still drilled to the television.
"Fuck you, I'm leaving, for good!" I shouted, my shoulders shook with anger.
"To hell you are! Where are you going to go? Back to your daddy, oh that's right he's dead! You have no where to go we have been through this." He yelled in my face grabbing my shoulder shaking me violently before his hand met my cheek. I stumbled back clasping my face.
"Man what the fuck!" Joseph grabbed his brother forcing him back.
"If she wants to go let her she's a piece of shit any way you can do so much better!" Just when I thought he was going to help me. Chris pushed him down turning back to me.
"Your not aloud to leave, I own you. Now go back to the bedroom. Now!" I was frozen, he 'owned me?' I might have loved him once but that time has long passed. I sprinted down the hall locking the door behind me. Suitcase? Where's my fucking suitcase? I don't have time for this! Grabbing a backpack I rip open the mattress pulling out the folder which held my passport and other things and the secret stash of money I kept stealing from the weekly shopping trips, I was only aloud to go to the local market on a Wednesday morning for an hour. Every time I would sneak $20 or more knowing sometime I would escape this hell, 3 and a half years! Loud footsteps rumble down the old wooden floors. Shit! Pulling the backpack on I pull my jacket off the door before running to the window. Sliding it up, the sounds of fists hitting the door.
"Don't you fucking leave me! I will find you and drag you back kicking and screaming, you are mine!" He screamed hitting the door with his body. I leapt out the window into the setting snow on the cold ground and I ran, as fast as my legs could possibly carry me. I couldn't take the road, he would be searching in his truck. The forest was the only choice I had. Tears poured down my cheeks as my lungs burned for oxygen but I wasn't going to stop. I will not have a child in a house full of abusive drunk ass holes. How did I get mixed up with them? We were highschool sweet hearts, I loved him I really did, I thought we would spend the rest of our lives together. Then he lost his football scholarship for being caught trespassing in school grounds. It all went down hill from there. He started drinking, smoking and taking drugs but I was so blinded by love that I stayed. 3 years later my dad died giving me no choice but to stay. Being pregnant has given me a reason to run. I think me leaving him will break him and honest I don't care. All I care about is this baby. Hours it feels like I've been gone now. The watch on my wrist reads 5pm. 1 hour before sunset with another 15 miles till the next town. We lived out in the middle of no where in the Colorado mountains. My feet throbbed as the snow came down thicker luckily my gloves and beanie were stuffed in my jacket pockets, I didn't have a phone, we couldn't afford one. Chris owed a lot of money, taking loans from people he shouldn't be messing with just to get his fix, I tried to stop by telling his parents but they didn't care. The trees where thinning out slightly the sound of cars and trucks groaning through the darkness. My heart leapt with hope. Climbing through the last bundle of bushes I stumble out exhausted on the side of a motor way. Brilliant! A truck was hurtling down the road, waving my arms out eagerly the truck slowed before coming to a stop. The passenger door swung open.
"What the bloody hell are you doing out here?" An English man probably in his early 50's reached a hand to lift me up.
"Escaping!" I answered bluntly. Closing the door behind me I didn't realise how cold I was till now. My toes where frozen and I couldn't feel my hands.
"I can understand that but why escape out in the mountains in -12 degree blizzard weather?" His eyes were full of worry, something I hadn't seen in a long time.
"Reasons, please drive, I will pay you when we get to the next town!" I buckled myself in and leaned my head against the head rest revealing in the cab warmth.
"I'm John McMillian, if you won't tell me what's wrong at least tell me your name?" He questioned turning back onto the highway. The rumble of the truck setting my nerves at ease.
"Isabell Crane, nice to meet you. I'm sorry if I've been rude it's just this is the first time I've felt free in a long time." I whispered feeling my eyes close slightly. John reached in front of me pulling a box out of the console.
"Here eat all of them if you want, you look like you need it. I'm stopping in Denver tomorrow, I can drop you off at the airport if you want?" I opened my eyes taking the box cautiously out of his hands. Protein bars?
"Thank you, really. I haven't had this much kindness from a stranger well ever!" I ripped open the first bar biting into the chocolatey goodness.
"No problem, get some sleep i'll wake you up before we get to Denver!" He reached behind him pulling out a blanket and handing it to me.
"I hope what happened doesn't effect your future too dearly." He said sincerely before focusing on the road. I wrapped the blanket around my body my back pack hugged to my side as my free hand placed lightly on my stomach. Muching peacefully on another bar I close my eyes.
'I promise to protect you forever, I would move a mountain to keep you safe!'
