You Aren't From Around Here

Chapter 5 - Nightmares

I am in my storage unit, it is a much too big a unit for the few small items I have stowed inside it. A few more than last week, I glance around at the stuff I have managed to squirrel away here in this unit. I have most of the two boxes that hold all my memories from my parents. There is a broken suitcase filled with an odd assortment of my clothes. I check and recheck, I'm getting closer to being ready to leave. I count and recount the money that I have neatly folded in my worn backpack, almost $1900. It's taken me years to get this together. Looking at my watch I see it's time to get home, in time to cook dinner.

As I turn my car onto our street I look up at our house, which should be dark. Steve isn't set to get off work for another hour, I was sure I had time to get to my storage unit and back before he got off work. Every light in the house is on, I pull my aging Honda into a space down the street and just sit there. The tears fill my eyes, my brain is running a million miles per second. I must think of something. The phone in my bag starts buzzing. I reach for it and look at the display, it reads Steve. I know I have to answer it but first I must figure out what to say. I mean I would love to just pick it up and tell him it's over, that I am done, and I am leaving him, but I know if I say that I won't live to see tomorrow. So I answer the phone.

"Hello."

"Where in the fuck are you, I didn't tell you that you could go anywhere today. Why are you not home."

I haven't heard him this pissed in a long time, meekly I answer, "I did some cleaning in my closet today so I thought I would drop off some old clothes at Goodwill before you got home, I'm sorry it must have taken longer than expected, I'm almost home now. I really am sorry."

Through clenched teeth he replies "Katelyn  you don't even know what sorry is yet, but you will when you get home." The line goes dead and my stomach does a flip, I grip the steering wheel tighter, pull down the street into our driveway.

The front door flys open and out he comes, before I can even unbuckle my seatbelt he has ripped the car door open and is pulling me out of the car, by my hair. He is smacking me in the face repeatedly screaming at me "you won't be going anywhere for a good long time now bitch." He is still trying to get me out of the car, I am groping for the seatbelt release. Finally I'm free and he has me out of the car, I'm on the ground trying to crawl towards the house, all the while he is landing punches and kicks across my body.

He's still on top of me raining down blows on me. "How many times do I have to tell you that you go nowhere without MY permission. This time I am going to make sure you don't forget it." He screams at me, he is dragging me towards the house.

My heart is beating I'm trying to run, he is on me I just want to get inside. I know if one of the neighbors calls the cops my night will be even worse. Only because they will send one of his buddies and then it will inevitably end with me getting beaten by both men.

This is what my life has become, I pull away and run inside, I go towards the bathroom, hoping if I can just get the door shut, he will have time to cool off. I'm bleeding from my nose and lip. Just as I start to pull the bathroom door shut his foot stops the door, he rips open the door his dark eyes glinting with madness.

"Have you not learned, you go nowhere without asking bitch."

I look up to see his fist flying towards me again, and I throw my head back and just scream!

The door flys open, I swear the room is filled with armed men. The lights are on, there are people moving around, and I am sweating yet freezing all at once, something is tight around me, I am thrashing to get free.

When I hear the voice, it's Jax's voice "it's ok she's just having a bad dream, leave us, Katelyn , you are ok? It's was just a bad,bad dream, you are safe you are here with me." He says squeezing me tight in his arm.

I open my eyes and start to take in my surroundings. The walls are covered in posters of motorcycles many with leggy half dressed women on them, a thread bare chair where I see my jeans and clothes, also the leather vest. It's all coming back to me, the sign, the town, the bar, the bikers, then I see my past creeping up around me trying to drag me back down. But I take a few breathes and just let Jax hold me.

My instinct is to run, I sit up straining against the strong arms holding me, I'm crying now. Throwing my legs over the side of the bed I sit up, I'm still shaking and I hold my head in my hands. Jax is still laying in bed, "darling I can tell you I've seen some crazy shit but someone has really done something bad to you. I know you said it was nothing but damn you brought the Calvary running in here. Please I know we barely know each other but this is some next level shit."

I reach over onto the night table and grab Jax's cigarettes off the table and put one between my lips. Jax lights it for me, I inhale deeply. Then the tears are back again.

It makes me cry some more. I stand and walk into the bathroom, closing the door behind me, looking for a way out or at least to buy some time. As I just stare at myself in the mirror I realize I am not safe anywhere Steve's promise to find me will come true.

There is a knock on the door, "you ok in there, I kinda gotta piss, when you're done."

I open the door half expecting it to be Steve standing there the evil look in his eyes. When I open the door and see Jax my knees go weak and down I go spinning into unconsciousness.