In Shadows of Night

J.S.T

Cora

"Was he always abusive?" He asked.

"No. He never even so much as yelled at me until after we were married." I responded.

"I see. And how many times did you try to leave?" He asked. This question usually made my blood boil. But, from him, I find it less judgmental and more inquisitive.

"I lost count. It's hard to leave when you have no money of your own. He kept tight grasp on our money. If I so much as spent a dollar unaccounted for he would lose his shit." I huffed.

"What happened when he found you?" He leaned forward to hide his discomfort. No one likes to talk about this kind of thing. It's not an easy conversation, by any means, but it always makes everyone else uncomfortable. We cloak our discomfort behind the pain of the victim. Trust me, we need to talk about it. We want to be heard.

"It varied. Some days, he seemed genuinely remorseful and would gravel for days. He showered me with praise and affection, just like the beginning of our relationship. Other times, he'd lock me in the bedroom or chain me up. Usually I'd just get my ass beat and then go on about our lives. He'd apologize and repeat the cycle a few days later." I stopped for a moment to collect myself. "When I finally left the last time, I made it to the police station. I actually got away. I tried to report everything and they told me they had no records on Jace, nothing. That's when I realized that he was never who I thought he was. I was genuinely scared of my own fucking husband, Theos." I wiped my tears and sighed. "They never found him. He ran off and didn't come back. I filed for divorce and the lawyer couldn't track him down. The judge damn near granted it on grounds of abandonment. I was so fucking close."

"You'll get that damn divorce, or you'll become a widow, mark my words." Theos' voice was booming and authoritative. He stood to pace again before gesturing for me to join him.

"Come with me, I'll show you to your room." I slowly began to follow behind, my head pointed down to my feet. "Look up. Carry yourself with pride, Cora. People won't take advantage of someone with confidence." He continued walking.

"Were you planning on taking advantage of me?" I snapped sarcastically. His shoulders shuddered from his deep laugh. It was a sound I could get used to.

"You wish." His footfall stopped in front of a large, oak door, painted dark red. As he opened it, the light from the hall flooded the quaint room. The floors were wood, matching the remainder of the corridor, but the walls were painted a faint gray, a stark contrast from the darkness in the rest of the home. The linens were thick, white cotton and the room was flooded with light. Outside of the windows, the daylight flooded into a bright, lush green meadow. I reached my hand out to touch the glass, but a soft, thick, latex like material interrupted my touch. It's not real.

"I painted it to match your more traditional human home. The windows are a simulation. There's no daylight, here, Cora, so, I hope you like it. Let this be your escape." As he turned to leave, I smiled a thank you before walking into the en suite bath. I ran my hand over thick, fluffy towels and white marble counters before turning toward the mirror. In it, I could see my reflection staring back. I looked tired, my hair a half-wet mess, and my eyes dark in contrast to my skin. My usually radiant complexion was sickly and dull.

As I turned on the water to run a bath, I felt the steam radiate into the room. Once the water was warm, I slipped into the tub and sank into a relaxing embrace of hot water and steam. I could feel myself nodding off, but, I rested my head on the back of the clawfoot tub and allowed myself to stop thinking, only for a moment.

When I woke, the water was cool and the air was thick and cold. An eerie feeling washed over me as I began to pull myself out of the tub and pour myself into the heavy towel I hung over the curtain. Stepping each foot onto the plush bath mat, I walked over to the mirror. There, written in the thickest, blackest substance I've ever seen, a message was sprawled over the glass.

Welcome home, little dove. I'll see you soon.

J.S.T