Broken: Emily's Story

2

It was the last day of school. I had been falling deeper and deeper. But I still wore short sleeves, still had blonde hair. I had had a boyfriend. He was always telling me, it'll be okay Emily, you're okay Emily.

I shouldn't've believed he cared. I should've known he was just using me.

I had gone to school like normal. I went up to my locker to find the usual notes on my locker. I pulled them off, opened my locker and put them where they belonged.

I knelt down to grab my last book when I found the note. It was from him. It said, meet me later. By our place.

Our place. The weeping willow by the library. I had been sitting there, crying after another day of my dad hitting me when he was drunk, another day of my mom's howling. I had had a bruise on the right side of my face from where my dad hit me.

What's wrong, he had said. I shook my head, said, Go away. He had sat next to me, putting his hand on my shoulder. I had jumped, pulling away. He had pulled me closer to him more forcefully. I fell into him and he held me.

I sat there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. I hadn't been held or hugged in a while. Eventually, I relaxed into him. I fell asleep like that.

So, after school, I went to that place. He was standing there, waiting. Smiling, I ran to him. He smiled and pulled me into him. We kissed quickly and then he said, Come on, let's hang out at my house.

We walked to his house. I should've seen the red flags, but I wasn't gonna believe that he was bad. I had to believe that he cared, that I'd found someone who cared.

We got to his house and I went to his room while he went to get something from his living room. I turned on his T.V. to see if anything was on. He finally came back, bringing a hat with him. He throws it across the room and sits next to me. We both watch the T.V.

After a while, he shifts. He turns my head to him and kisses me, hard. Confused, I kiss back.

This kiss is longer. I try to pull away, but he pulls me against him.

Eric, stop, I manage to get out. But he doesn't. He takes his hand and runs it down my back, to the hem of my shirt. I push his hand away, but he puts it back. His hand goes under my shirt and goes up the bare skin of my back and I shudder. His hand finds my bra and he fiddles with it.

Startled, I pull away, using all my strength. Eric, what the fuck! I yell, my voice shrill from fear. He reaches for my arm, but I stand up and step away from him.

I run out of his house, out of his neighbourhood, I just run. I run from everything.

I found myself in a dark alley. Thin, shattered glass lay on the ground. I held a shard of it in my hands. My hands and arms were bloody. And the shard in my hand was covered in blood.

I felt a cold numbness throughout my body, chasing my fear away. It felt peaceful and it felt good.