Glimmer of Hope

Chapter 11

"So anyway, I walked right into this man, because I had my head down, and I looked at him and thought he was the most spectacular man I had ever seen!" Sarah told Melanie excitedly over a cup of coffee.

"Ok, so then what?" Melanie asked with her ear almost glued to Sarah's lips.

"Well we spoke for a few minutes, then I left..."

"That's it? When did you have time to get his number?" Melanie asked almost disappointed.

"Well the story doesn't end there."

"Ok ok, sorry please continue." Melanie giggled.

"So anyway, I get home and I am making Mark's dinner when I hear a soft knock on the door. So I go to the door, half expecting it to be you right? When I open the door here is this same man from the mart." Sarah told her. Melanie was sitting there totally amazed at Sarah's story.

"You must have been speechless!"

"Well I was kind of surprised he was there. It felt like a dream you know? Like nothing else mattered but him standing there."

"How dreamy..." Melanie sighed. "Ok so then what?"

"Well we spoke for a few minutes, and then he gave me his number. Mel, he has the most incredible smile!"

"Ok, so when are you going to call him?"

"What do you mean when I am going to call him?"

"You know, call him on the phone and have him over for coffee..." Melanie prompted her.

"Mel, I can't call him, I am married."

"Sarah if you haven't noticed you are living with me now.

"Yes, but I..."Sarah started until Melanie cut her off.

"Sarah, do yourself a favor and call this man. You may lose him forever."

"Mel, it really is kinda soon for me to be thinking about this. I have enough to worry about as it is."

"I am not saying to sleep with him Sarah, we are just talking coffee here!" Melanie explained herself.

"Well maybe you are right, I guess I may owe him an explanation, he must have thought I was crazy." At that moment Sarah looked at the clock and noticed it was five thirty pm."Oh dear!" Sarah said with fear in her voice.
"What is it Sarah?"

"The time Mel, Mark is probably home. I was supposed to have dinner ready for him. I left the house a mess." Sarah said with panic in her voice. She began to wring her hands together and started to pace across the floor.

Melanie began to worry about her friend and realized how serious the situation had become. She knew she had to calm Sarah down. "Sarah, hon, relax, you don't have to go back there ok? You are safe with me. I am not gonna let him hurt you ever again ok? I really think you need to press charges against good ole Mark!" Melanie stood up and began locking every door and window in her house. Sarah joined in. They closed every curtain as well. "Ok Sarah, now you sit tight, I am going to go pull the car into the garage."

"No Melanie don't go out, he could be watching you. He has just gotten so crazy Mel, you don't know what he is capable of."

"Sarah, it is ok, he may not even be home yet. Now I really need to get the car in the garage, I really can't afford to get a new one once he is done with it ok?" Sarah gathered herself together and agreed. 

"Just be quick ok?" Sarah said as she wrung her hands together.

"I will...." Melanie answered and went out the door. Sarah watched her get into the car and pull into the garage, then heard the garage door lower and she breathed a sigh of relief. Melanie came in through the adjoining door.

"Well he is not home yet." Melanie told her.

"Oh I had forgotten he said he was going to be working overtime today. Otherwise never wastes time to get home. I am going to call in to get my messages, do you mind?" Sarah asked.

"Of course not, you go right ahead."

Sarah dialed the number for her messages. "Sarah, where in the hell are you? I was calling to remind you I would be late this evening. I certainly hope you plan to be there when I get home, otherwise you will be sorry! Do you hear me..." Sarah dropped the phone. Melanie went over to her and picked up the phone and just caught the 'good bye' part of the message.

"Sarah come on and sit down." Melanie said as she led Sarah to the couch.

"He is going to be so mad at me Mel, are you sure we will be ok? I mean it is just you and me here." Sarah was mortified.

"We will be fine." Mel said as she looked at the door and noticed it was not locked. She jumped up and locked it, and then locked the adjoining door to the garage. "We won't even answer the door if he comes to it. He will get home and see your things are gone, and maybe think you and I went somewhere else."

"No Mel, he will know." She said shakily.

"Ok I have an idea. I have a friend on the police force, I can call his desk, and see if he will sit outside of the house for us ok?"

"Oh come on Mel, will he be able to do that?"

"Oh yeah, Nick is a great friend to me!" Melanie said covering up the sly smile that played on her lips. She got up and went to the phone. While she was dialing and talking to Nick, Sarah begin to pace the floor yet again with horrible thoughts playing in her mind. She wondered exactly how safe they would be. She just wanted this to all be over with. She wished that she was in another state, or at least another city, anywhere but right next door to him.

"Ok Nick said he was on his way." That made Sarah feel a little better. Melanie walked to the window and took a quick peek out. "Still no sign of mister wonderful."

"I hope Nick gets here before Mark does." Sarah felt herself getting frantic all over again. She began pacing the room just  trying to calm herself down a bit.

"Try not to worry too much Sarah, if Mark gets home we will be ok until Nick gets here." Melanie told her trying to sound reassuring. But she was not sure who exactly she was trying to reassure, Sarah or herself.

Sarah interrupted Melanie's thoughts, "I am sure you are right, I mean I hope Mark is smart enough not to do something crazy." Sarah slowly sat down on the couch wringing her hands.

"Well, why don't we try and relax over another cup of coffee, what do you say?" Melanie asked trying to relieve some of the tension, the air was so thick with it you could cut through it with a knife.

"Yes, that sounds good." Melanie went and poured them some more coffee, and met Sarah back on the couch.

"So did Mark say why he was running late?"

"He called to remind he was staying late at the office. Probably tied up with some extra work or something."

"Tied up with his secretary you mean..." Melanie sneered. "I mean why would he suddenly start disappearing on his days off and staying later at work?"

"You don't think he really is having an affair do you?" Sarah gasped.

"All I am saying is that he is acting odd right? I mean outside of the abuse."

"Yeah, becoming more controlling and then coming home a little later, but if he is having an affair, then why did he feel like he needed to rape me?" Sarah questioned her friend.

"Sarah, rape is not a sexual act, it is an act of power." Melanie saw the tears begin to form in Sarah's eyes. Melanie reached over and squeezed her hand. "It will really be ok Sarah, I promise you!"

"I know someday it will, but it is looking so grim..." At that moment there was a knock on the door. It startled both Melanie and Sarah. "Oh God Mel, he is here."