Warrior

Chapter 1

Six months later

Fear. It's a powerful feeling. It can consume you, if you let it. Fear never fails to determine how she lives her life. The constant looking over the shoulder, and locking her car door as soon as she is in it. Seeing objects in her house-having her mind take over, only to find out that it was just a shadow. Fear is all she has grown to know. Fear is a hell that she desperately tries to claw her way out of the endless, bottomless pit. Only to end up being swallowed by sweet misery.

It seems as though fear is her destined challenge with her many demons to slay. The funny thing about it though is, every single time she confronts it, she shuts down. Her brain tells her to run, kick, scream anything, but her body tells her to stay put-defenseless, and vulnerable. Fear, is a bitch.

Her hands trembled, not with anticipation, but anxiety. Aarons fist came towards her in slow motion. She felt the familiar feelings of a panic attack slowly enveloping her. "Hannah..." he slowly brings his hand back, "look at me and listen to my voice. Breathe..."

Forcing herself to look at him,  she felt the burn of tears formulating. She was extremely frustrated, that she had to bite her lip to keep it from trembling.

"Breathe Hannah." He says again. Letting out a sigh, she closes her eyes. Inhaling and exhaling a few times, her body began to calm down. "Good," he says while engulfing her in a hug, "very good." His broad and six foot three form helped make her feel secure and safe. Slowing releasing a breath she did not realize she was holding she said, "I am never going to get the hang of this."

"Self defense takes time Hannah. Especially for someone who has gone through what you've gone through." He says while pulling away. His warm brown eyes held understanding. Pushing his brown hair back slightly caused the muscles in his arm to bulge with every move. She looked away.

"And as your self defense teacher I will take as long as you need." Nodding her head she looks back up at him and he smiled. His smile is sweet, genuine and absolutely beautiful. He is a beautiful man, with a beautiful soul. "Thank you Aaron. Thank you for... everything, these past couple of months."

He looked at her with an unreadable expression. Clearing his throat and looking away he muttered a quiet "you're welcome."

Looking down at her feet she muttered, "can we try again?"

He smiled again. "Alright, that's my girl!" He says while he clapped his hands together. Getting into a fighting stance, he raises an eyebrow at her expectantly.

Putting her left leg back, right leg forward she distributed her weight evenly. She then put one of her tight fist over her right temple the other over her left. Shrugging her shoulders up slightly, she made damn sure she protected her jaw and carotid artery. Next she tucked in her elbows to protect the floating ribs.

"Good, you ready?"

Nodding her head in hesitation, he looked at her with uncertainty. He swung his fist once more and she screamed.

"Why do you always insist on disobeying me?" he said to her in a low voice. Pushing a stray hair away he kisses her jaw. "Hmm?"

She swallowed nervously, "I-I..."

He gripped her hair in painful grip. She cried out in pain and automatically her hands went to her head to get some sort of relief.

"You're mine baby, and if I have to punish you, to get it through your thick skull," his smile was mischievous and horrifying, "then I will."

The last thing she saw was his fist coming towards her face before darkness took her.

She fell to the floor as she screamed. She screamed for her anger, she screamed for her fear, her exhaustion, her childhood innocence, her family. She screamed for the life that she lost. She gripped her hair and sobbed. All of her emotions came crushing into her at once. It drained through her, through every cell in her body, every nerve, every bone, every muscle until it finally reached her heart.