Echoes Of The Past

~Dear readers, this story might be triggering to those suffering from self harm or depression. I do not promote self harm in any kind of way but I just wanted to put this warning out there. Nevertheless, enjoy this story.~

Chapter 1: Dreamer's Disease

In a dark alley, dark from the earliest hours of the morning. In an even more careless town, she wandered around aimlessly. Her sneakers hitting the gravel was the only sound that filled this silent night. Her breath visible with the cold. A tear-stained face. Dried tears mixed with the ink of her black eye liner. Her lip was cut, her arms covered on bruises and scars. She was wearing a black shirt and black yoga pants. She had no time to put on her coat. She had to leave. If she hadn't, she would be lying on the floor. Dead.

The relationship with Seth wasn't always easy. He was charming, wealthy and good looking. The first year of our relationship was like a dream, Seth treated me like a princess. He bought me everything I could have wished for. I was starstruck, literally blind with love. Then shit hit the fan. Seth lost a good deal with a contractor and that almost ruined him. Even though his family came from old money, he wanted to be independent and not rely on the money his parents had. He started drinking, pretty heavily. He came home drunk almost every night. If something wasn't in his liking, he started to shout at me and call me a fridgid, spoiled bitch. A gold digger, a fat worthless piece of shit. This happened on the good nights. There were also night when he came home and started a fight, verbally and also physically.  The first times he hit me, I took it without saying anything. My skin is so sensitive that just at the slightest blow of his hand, it came off bruised. The pain was overwhelming. But the only thing I could think was that I probably deserved it. That's what I  started to believe after a while.

~I'm sorry this isn't that much but I will try and write more. I just have too much going on right now and also I'm having a pretty bad case of a writer's block. ~

lt was the fifth night that Seth came home drunk. Luella was typing away on her laptop. As she heard the keys pushing into the look and Seth turning them around to open the door, she immediately shut down her laptop and set it on the couch table, where it always lay. She sat down on the couch, legs crossed and clad in her beat up grey sweat pants. Her breath hitched with fear. She wanted to end this. She started taking a blade to her wrist and inner thighs, it made her feel something. Release the pain. It wasn't about drawing blood out of the cuts. She hated that it bled. But she couldn't stop. The pain was deliciously soothing.

He stumbled into the living room mumbling curses, throwing his keys to the ground. As soon as he saw her, his eyes got cold, distant mixed with a glimpse of hatred. He grabbed her from the couch and pressed his mouth to hers in a forceful kiss. She tried to get out of his grip, twisting her wrists, thrashing against him. He wouldn't stop. He started to take her top off, she started screaming. thrashing against him. He silenced her with hitting her. The pain was sharp and stung her flesh. He grinned. Seemed like he enjoyed hitting her, seeing her pale skin turn bright red. Bruising her. That was nothing new to her. She hasn't stopped screaming. He pulled her auburn curls forcefully hoping she would stop screaming. But she didn't. He reeked of whiskey and beer. She tried to get free of his strong grip. But she couldn't.  Then she remembered one thing she saw in a video of her favorite band. That you can knock any man down with a swift kick to the crotch. She trembled but angled her knee right to his crotch and kicked him. He fell to the ground, groaning and cursing her. That was her chance. She ran into the hall put on her sneakers and ran.

As soon she was out of the door she ran without knowing where she was going. Her sneakers hitting the gravel in a fast rhythm.  All she knew is that she was alive. That is what matters right now. She was so pumped on adrenaline. It was an unusual cold night. She cursed because she left her coat at home.

Then it hit her, she was homeless. She couldn't go back to Seth. She had nowhere to go.  Her parents lived in Florida and that at the other end of the country. Her best friend was on vacation in San Diego. She had no one.