He Saw Her Standing There

Chapter 3

(this is just a song I wanted to share. I'm not saying that Laura is going to die in this story,  but rather just setting the mood of the story)

 
  Laura awoke with a jolt. It was the same nightmare. He was coming for her. He told her he would,  and that she could never get away from him that easily.

  She had met Anthony on a spring day back home in NC while visiting some friends in Raleigh. He had come to America with his parents,  who were visiting family that lived there.

  He was the first Englishman that she had ever met,  and it didn't take long for him to charm his way into her heart.

  Before long he had talked her into moving to England with him,  and so she soon found herself living with him in Blackpool.

  Almost immediately he seemed to change from the sweet,  caring man she had fallen in love with to someone she didn't know at all,  nor wished to.

  He got mad at her at the drop of a hat,  and it didn't matter how small the matter was,  he always made it seem to be catastrophic.

  She couldn't please him no matter how hard she tried,  and he always made her feel lower than low.

  Sometimes the meal wasn't quite to his liking,  or sometimes little things she said would set him off,  but it always ended the same way,  with her wearing countless bruises all over her body from where he had beaten her.

  The worst thing that he did happened one week when she had come down with a bad cold.

  The cold came out of nowhere,  and hit her like a brick. Fever,  sore throat,  cough,  sneezing,  runny nose,  yeah she had it all.

  She had no strength to do anything,  and did the only thing that she could do. She took to her bed.

  Anthony had no time for sickness,  and no compassion and understanding for her,  and expected her to carry on as normal.

  He had taken off on a business trip,  and had been gone for three days. He returned to find her in bed. She was too sick to get up and do anything,  so she just layed there.

  Anyone else would have taken pity on her and helped her,  but not Anthony. He was beyond angry,  mostly at the fact that she had not bathed in three days.

  " What the hell are you doing in this bed you stupid bitch!!"
" I'm sick Anthony!" She barely spoke above a whisper.
" This place is a mess,  and you look like you haven't bathed since I left!  Get your lazy ass out of that bed now and take a bath and clean this place up!!"
" Anthony,  I'm sick!!"

This sent him over the edge....

"I said....." He cut himself off when he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out of the bed,  through the house,  and threw her into the bathroom tub,  gown and all.

" Now turn that water on and bath!  You worthless piece of shit!!"

She had no choice. Silently she switched on the water, took off her gown and underwear,  and picked up the soap.

Apparently she wasn't moving fast enough. She found out from a backhand across her face.

" MOVE!  WASH THAT NASTY HAIR!!" then he grabbed her and dunked her head under the water several times.

She managed to survive her forced bath,  and shakily got out of the tub and dried off.

He literally gave her no time to get dressed,  and grabbed her naked body and dragged her into the living room.

" But Anthony,  can't I get dressed first?"
" No,  I rather enjoy watching your naked body,  now tidy this place up!"
" But.."

For this she received a smack across the face,  and with no fight left in her she just turned around and obeyed.

Because of this day,  three days later she ended up in hospital with pneumonia.

She confided in one of the nurses there who helped her escape,  so on the day she was released from hospital she fled,  just moments before Anthony arrived to take her back home.

  She ended up in Liverpool. She stayed with a friend for a while,  but one day the phone rang....

" I swear to you I'll find you,  and after I beat the hell out of you, I'm taking you back home! You can't get away from me that easily!!" She promptly hung up the phone.

Five months had now gone by and she hoped that he had given up.

  Groggily she dragged herself out of bed,  trying to shake off the nightmare,  and all the bad memories that haunted her like a terrifying ghost.

  The day flew by and before she knew it,  it was almost time for Paul to pick her up.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.......

She opened her door to find Paul standing there,  smiling, holding a bouquet of roses.

" Oh Paul,  oh my gosh,  thank you!"
"You're welcome beautiful."
" I'll just go put these in some water ok, Please come in?"

Soon she returned,  put on her coat,  and dug down way deep inside herself for her best smile,  and presented it to Paul.

" Is something wrong luv?"
" No,  why do you ask?"
" You look upset about something."
" No,  I'm fine."
" You sure?"
" Yes I'm sure,  can we go?" And with that Paul led her out the door.
" Now,  do you like Chinese?"
" Yes,  I love Chinese!"

He started the car,  and then they were off on their first date.

WOW! That was intense!!  Let me know what you think??