A woman's handbook to apocalyptic survival

Ah Cy

Ah Cy watched as her neighbor, Betty-Sue pulled out of her driveway and drove away. Ah Cy's husband would be arriving home soon from his night shift. "He'll be in a bad mood," She thought sadly, brushing her hand along the bruise on her cheek. She straightened her dress and smoothed down her hair. She was wearing one of her nicest dresses and handsome breakfast was sizzling on the stove. 

Ah Cy heard her husband pull into the driveway and she scraped a panful of bacon and eggs onto a plate. The toast popped up in the toaster and she buttered it and put it on the plate as well. The door slammed open and her husband stormed in. She stood beside the table, hands behind her back, ready to serve his slightest want. 

"Hello, Daniel," Ah Cy greeted her husband. He responded with a grunt. He pulled out the chair and sat down. He silently dug into his food without a word.

"Coffee," He paused eating for a second to utter a single word command. 

"Yes, Daniel," She replied. She walked over to the stove and carried back a piping hot pot of coffee and poured it into his mug. He picked it up and took a gulp. A second later he spat it out, most of it landing on the front of Ah Cy's dress.

"It was too hot! It burned my mouth!" Daniel stood up and cast it on the ground, where the mug shattered. He backhanded Ah Cy and she fell into the puddle of coffee. Daniel stood above her for a moment, breathing heavily. He turned back to the table and grabbed the edge of the table. He flipped it over and bits of bacon and eggs flew all over the room. Ah Cy was lying motionless on the floor, staring vacantly into the distance. She heard Daniel storm off into his bedroom and slam the door. As she lay there, the glass shards cut her arms and legs. She wasn't crying, she never cried. Slowly, she got onto her hands and knees. She took deep breathes to calm herself, before getting up. Her dress, oh, her poor dress. She stood there, staring down at her ruined dress. It was too much, it wasn't fair. Betty-Sue had a loving husband. She had a baby. She even had a job. She had freedom. No more, Ah Cy was no longer going to be Daniel's slave. She was going to break free.

In the closet was an old carpet bag that had never been used because Daniel never let Ah Cy leave. She took it out and dumped out the mothballs. Her mother had given it to her on her wedding day, to use when she came to visit her. That was the last time Ah Cy had seen her. That was 15 years ago. 

Ah Cy filled the carpet bag with everything she would need. As she backed away her items, a heavy, weight grew in her chest. Dread. She realized how serious the situation she was getting into. Her whole lif was about to change. She had never by herself, living for the first years of her life with her parents and then moving straight to living with Daniel. She had never had a job. Where was she to go, maybe she shouldn't leave. But then she looked down at her hands. The cuts had scabbed over but the pain was still there. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and saw the newly formed bruise on her face, bigger then the other one. No, it was time to leave. She had stories about wives with abusive husbands that let it go to far. They ended up with broken necks or beaten so badly, they died. She wasn't going to die by Daniel's hands. She clenched her fist, and took a deep breath. She could do this. 

As Ah Cy was standing in front of the mirror she heard a bang and crash in Daniel's bedroom. She turned quickly, her heart pounding inside her chest. She grabbed her bag and dashed for the door, but the door to daniel's bedroom was next to the front door. 

"Where do you think you're going!?" Daniel demanded. Ah Cy took a single glance at his face and knew something was different. The look in his eyes wasn't anger, it was murder. 

"Please, Daniel, please let me go," She begged. 

"I don't think so!" He stormed towards her, teeth grounding, the vines on his forehead standing out. Ah Cy turned and fled towards the door. Daniel reached out grabbed her arm as she passed. He lifted his arm up to beat her. She had one chance now. If she didn't get out of this, he was going to kill her. Behind Ah Cy was a table with a small, marvel bust on it. She reached behind her and grabbed it. With all the force she could muster, she smashed it on his head. He crumpled. She stood above him breathing heavily, still holding the statue. 

"Ó bù, wo zuòle shénme?" Ah Said, reverting into her native tongue. The statue slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor. She turned and fled. 

Ah Cy turned started Daniel's car up with trembling hands. She had to get up there, had to get away. The car rumbled to life and she put it in reverse and peeled out of the driveway. A trash can was unfortunate enough to be in her way and was sent flying, but Ah Cy tool little notice of it. She sped down the street, ignoring the speed limit. She hadn't stopped to check if Daniel was alive, but with the blow she struck there was very little chance that he had survived. It had been an accident. She didn't mean to do it. It was self defense. He would have killed her! As she dwelled in her thoughts she lost track of where she was, or long she had been driving. Presently, she was driving down a small back street between delapadated buildings, and over flowing trash cans. Suddenly, her car coughed and spluttered. She pulled the car over and put into park. She glanced down at the fuel gage. The needle was on the red E. She stepped out of the car and glanced around her, clutching the bag to her chest. She didn't know where she was so she began to look around for a street sign. As she walked, trash crunches under her feet, and the squeak of rats and mice in the trash bins. She glanced nervously from side to side. Ah Cy didn't notice a pair of eyes watching her from the shadows. As she walked the eyes slowly followed, and then a pair of worn boots started walking behind her.