Grace

Chapter 5 - Small Comfort

Grace stuttered as she tried to explain to the 911 operator what was happening. She knew full well her voice was wavering in rising hysteria.

"Ma'am... Ma'am... I need to you to slow down," the operator stated.

She took a deep breath, apologized and started over – trying to keep her voice as calm and slow as she could. As she spoke, crashes and scuffling could still be heard through the door though it was not nearly as loud as the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears.

The operator assured her that some officers were on their way and asked her to stay on the line until such time that they could arrive. Grace nodded in agreement, then realized that the operator couldn't see her response.

"Yes... yes... I will," she said.

She looked down to her hand in her lap and realized her nails were all chewed off again. She wondered momentarily when that happened – she tended to bite her nails off subconsciously when she was especially stressed. Did she just do it? No, she figured that she probably did it as soon as she decided she would break up with Wade a few days ago. Well, her manicure was ruined. Only took her a month to grow them long enough again for that manicure. There's $40 down the drain, she thought.

Just then she heard another crash and a groaning sound – one of the men was hurt. She sucked in a breath and held it – listening intently trying to figure out what was going on. A moment later, the door handle jiggled and she heard Wade hit the door in frustration as he exploded with a "God fucking damn it, Grace – open the door! I know you're in there!"

She wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. No way was she going to open the door this time. She just needed to hold out for the police to show... She didn't answer at first, but whispered to the operator what was occurring. The operator assured her the police would be there presently, and that she had notified the ambulance service as well – just in case.

Grace was scared to death over what may have happened to Tim, but at least she was still hearing groaning periodically; at least she knew he wasn't dead. Small comfort, that.

Wade continued to beat on the door, screaming expletives and informing her of the condition she would be in once he got his hands on her. Grace was curled up on the floor, tears streaming down her face whilst hugging her knees and keeping her phone pressed against her ear – so much so that her ear was starting to go numb. She was starting to think he would indeed break down the door any minute now; and couldn't help but to let an scream escape when he started kicking at it as well. That caused him to let something out audibly as well – a laugh. Wade laughed at her fear.

She hit the tiled floor with the side of her fist as her thoughts screamed Why the fuck did I open that front door?