Adalia

ZACK

"Hm, wonder what's taking her so long," I muttered as I stared into the house from the car.

The house remained pitch black from what I could see. Adalia had told me she wouldn't take long and that was beginning to worry me. I was seriously beginning to doubt she would be coming out any time soon. My impatience soon got the best of me and I found myself getting out of the car. I leaned against it and impatiently tapped my foot against the ground as I kept staring at the house. I couldn't see a single light from within. I knew I should have gone in with her and helped her pack. I suddenly felt a gradual urge build to go inside and see what it was that was taking her so long.

"Doesn't she want to get the Hell out of here? Why is she taking so long?"

The longer I stared, the more impatient I grew. I suddenly heard weird noises coming from within; banging.

"What, is she having a party, or something?" I muttered in annoyance.

A light suddenly flickered from the second floor. A silhouette soon appeared near the window. I smiled at seeing Adalia's shadow. She looked beautiful even when not fully visible. To my bewilderment, another silhouette appeared. Taller, a man. She was then harshly tugged down to the ground. His shadow soon began kicking her.

"Fuck," I hissed and ran to the entrance. There was no way I was going to let that abusive prick torture Adalia further. My chance to make that fucker pay had finally arrived.

"Ian, stop! Stop it!" I coughed out as I felt each kick twist my stomach into a tighter knot.

"You're killing me," I hoarsely whispered.

He suddenly stopped kicking and and rapidly turned the other way, taking quick, sharp gasps of air while nodding his head.

"Why, Adalia?" He suddenly said.

"Why, what?" I sighed, feeling massive pain throughout my whole torso.

"Why do you want to leave me? What have I done that makes you want to do such a thing?" He questioned as he trembled.

"You expect me to answer that?"

"I wouldn't ask a question and not expect an answer. Of course I expect you to answer!" He yelled, sending vibrations right through me.

"Ian, I can't even breathe right now from all your kicking. I know I have at least two broken ribs. Why don't you just take me to a fucking hospital?" I heaved in pain.

I felt shattered, not even trying to move the slightest bit.

"I know about him, Adalia," He sternly said, his blood-shot eyes looking into mine.

"Know about who?" I forced out a whisper.

"Your little relationship. The one you've been having pretty much since we got married! And then you always have the nerve to question my behavior towards you. Always complaining about the way I treat you. You've been unfaithful to me, Adalia! I had know all along, but never said anything. I just took my frustration out on you in a different way."

"Yeah, by beating me pretty much every chance you got. Worked wonders for your frustration, didn't it?" I sarcastically replied.

"Oh, you bitch," He muttered and acted as if he were going to kick me again.

I flinched and covered my face, cringing at the thought of another hit.

"I have news for you, doll. You are not leaving. If you think you can just get away with leaving and cheating the way you have since the start of our marriage, you're sorely mistaken. I'm not going to let you out so easily," He sighed and looked at me with hate-filled eyes.

"A little piece of information for you; I did not cheat on you. It wasn't until recently that I actually got involved with someone. I always maintained that ridiculous half-assed hope that you would some day treat me better. But you never did! You always went out and did as you pleased while I was stuck here, scared to death of when you would come back. Don't deny it," I said and attempted to stand up.

I instantly felt a burning sensation take over my entire abdomen. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't manage to stand straight.

"Well, it was your behavior that caused me to act that way. You always play victim and try to make others feel guilty over your actions. You're an unfaithful little bitch. Admit it," He said and sternly folded hims arms across his chest.

"I don't care what you think. Not anymore. And believe me, I'm leaving. If it's the last thing I do, I'm leaving," I said and stumbled my way past him.

His eyes and head followed me in astonishment as I attempted to make my way past him.

"You're damn right it'll be the last thing you do. Because if you leave, you're dead. I'm warning you, Adalia," He said as he stared at me, his head low.

"I don't care about your stupid threats anymore. Do what you want. After all, I've heard that same threat a million times."

"You really think this is a joke?" He said and grabbed the back of my neck, tightly pressing his fingers against it.

"Ian, please. No more," I whispered.

I couldn't even fight back. I felt so stupid and weak at this point. Like everything I had set out to do from the start had fallen apart. Pretty much like I had done everything in vain.

"If you could only see how much I love you, Adalia. See everything I'm capable of doing for you. Then you wouldn't be acting like a complete, selfish bitch. I love you," He grunted against the side of my swollen face.

"And I loved you, too. Loved you a lot, actually. But your limitless abuse killed it all," I breathlessly sighed.

"Loved? You don't love me anymore?"

"No, I don't. All I want, is for you to let me leave. To never see you again."

"Well that's too bad. Because you're going to have to deal with seeing me and being with me for the rest of your life!" He yelled and shoved me towards the stairs.

"Let go, Ian."

"No, we're going to talk some more. Maybe this can help for a reconciliation. Don't you think?" He sarcastically said as he basically dragged me down the stairs by the hair.

Once all the way to the bottom, he violently flung me aside, making me land against he wall, my hands spread to each side. He then began to slowly walk towards me. He wasn't finished yet. He would just keep hitting me; letting his rage out until I was dead.

"You kept me waiting the first night!" He said, gradually turning into a yell.

"Waiting?"

"Yeah, first time we met. Bet you were with that guy. Gosh, you're such a whore," He muttered.

"No, I was avoiding you because I didn't know you. I should have kept doing it, too. What the Hell is your problem?"

"Shut up!" He yelled and put his boots over my hands.

"Ian, you're stepping on my hands. Stop!" I shrieked in pain.

I soon heard cracking noises and impulsively rose my leg to kick Ian. He looked at me in astonishment and bent down, pulling me up by the hair.

"Hitting me now? I don't think so," He said and pinned me against the wall.

I didn't know what else to do at this point. I was cornered with no way out. I would never be liberated from this Hell. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the front door suddenly swing open; Zack.

"What the Hell is this?" Ian said and let go of me.

Without thinking, I gathered the strength out of nowhere and quickly limped towards the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it. Whatever happened next, I didn't want to think about.

ZACK

Adalia, where are you going?" I called out as I saw her take off.

"You? Aren't you that tattoo artist? You tattooed my wife's name on me."

"Yep, I'm that guy."

"You're also the guy my wife has been cheating on me with," He growled.

"Forgot something. I'm also Claudia's brother. You know, the girl you beat until she lost sanity. The one whose life you took away. Yeah, I'm her brother."

His eyes instantly widened. He looked down and squinted in frustration.

"So you're Claudia's brother."

"Yes. And I know I wasn't around last time, but this time I am. And I'm not going to let you have your way with that girl. Not this time," I grunted and charged towards him, tackling him down to the ground.

I soon found myself throwing repetitive punches at his face; everywhere I could get him. I got up and kicked him; kicked him until I was breathless. He lay on the ground, gasping for air.

"I'm taking her out of here," I muttered and walked away.

It was over, and all I wanted, was to have Adalia in my arms. To take her away from the Hell she'd been living in for so long. I walked over to a closed door. The light was on and I could see a shadow from the crack of the door.

**I sat on the cold, rigid bathroom floor, shuddering at the thought of what was about to come. It was quiet outside the bathroom door. This dead silence confused me. I knew it wouldn't last much longer. All I had been through had made me paranoid in every situation. I sat, endlessly shaking in a tiny corner of the bathroom, just waiting. I really had no other choice. The dead silence came to and abrupt end when booming pounding on the flimsy door came into play. With each pound, my shaking became more frantic. I nervously covered my ears with my bruised hands. I rocked back and forth on the floor, humming Adalia; the one song I found myself humming every time I was in panic; which was pretty much all the time. That song title was also my name. I felt like it was written for me. I hummed louder and louder to tune out the endless pounding on the door. It seemed to actually work until the door violently flung open. My fate was sealed.

"Adalia, why didn't you open? I thought something horrible had happened to you," Zack said once kicking the door open.

"I thought you were Ian, and--"

"Oh, don't worry about him anymore. I took care of him. Come on, let's get the Hell outta here already," He said and knelt down.

"W-what did you do to him?"

"Don't worry about it. We're leaving. You won't have to deal with his abuse anymore. Now we can finally be happy without any worries," He said while carrying me in his arms.

Out of what seemed like nowhere, Ian charged from behind Zack, knocking us both down to the ground. I lay weak while Ian and Zack were tearing each other apart without stopping. I tried to say something, but found it too difficult to do so. I had no air left. I soon heard a sharp thud and then complete silence.

"Zack, what happened?" I nervously called out.

I still heard no response from anyone. I soon started heavily panting as I waited. My hands started shaking uncontrollably. I didn't want to see what had happened. I just knew things would take a turn for the worse. If that were even possible. I finally got up on my feeble feet and dragged myself out to see what had happened. Zack was on the ground with Ian staring at him as he stood above him.

"Ian, what the Hell did you do?!"

"Only hit him with a vase. He's still alive, doll. For now, that is," He chuckled.

"I can't believe this. Why do you insist on making me miserable?" I said in disbelief.

"Just come here!" He yelled and came after me.

I ran to the kitchen, not even thinking of what I was doing. He pulled my leg back, causing me to fall face-down on the ground.

Now it really felt as if I had gotten hit by a car. I managed to kick my feet up in the air, in no particular direction, hoping to nail Ian somewhere; anywhere. He grabbed my legs and pinned them down on the ground with his body weight and soon pulled me up by the hair yet again. A pool of warm blood flooded the corners of my mouth. As soon as Ian's face came near mine, I spit it out all over him. He instantly let go of me and wiped his face off. I knew he would only continue. I couldn't stand around, waiting like an idiot and let him have his way. Mixed thoughts then came to me; all of the beatings, the insults, the fact I lost my baby because of him. It only served to enrage me and make me want to hurt him in the worst way possible. He soon came up to me, cornering me against the counter with his body.

"You whore. Look at what you did; spitting your mess all over me," He said and put his hands around my neck.

I instinctively reached my hand behind me, towards the counter; in search of any object I could use to get him off of me. I soon came across a wooden handle. At least that's what it felt like to me. In between sharp gasps for air, I tightly gripped the handle and impulsively stuck the other end through Ian's chest. His hands unwound themselves from my neck and he looked down in agony.

"What did you--"

I cut him off and stabbed again. And again. And again. And again.

I kept stabbing and pulling the blade out without thinking. Ian soon fell down after I pulled the blade out for the last time. He lay on the ground, a large pool of blood spreading around him, near my feet. I stepped back and dropped the knife as I stared in horror at what I had done.

"Love you," He whispered and closed his eyes.

"And I hate you," I answered and stumbled out of the kitchen.

I looked down and my blood-stained hands and let out a sigh of relief. After everything, I felt I couldn't regret what I'd just done. I had liberated myself from Ian.

What would happen next from here on out; that just didn't concern me.

She wraps her tragic moments tightly around her neck
And she hangs herself with them as I try to disconnect
She wants to choke on her life again
Breathing it in like a deadly poison.

She cries 'cause she's lost and she doesn't even know what she wants
And Her eyes grow cold and she begs the world to just let her go

(But I won't let her go)

She lives and breathes in a world that brought her to her knees
And now I'm addicted to her 'cause that girl is just like me
And I'm gonna choke on her life again
breathing it in like a deadly poison.
I just wanna get through to her,
Before her last breath.

She cries cause she's lost and she doesn't even know what she wants
And Her eyes grow cold and she begs the world to just let her go

She cries 'cause she's lost and she doesn't even know what she wants
And she hides all alone inside the pain that she wont let go
Watching her life pass her by, watching it all through her watering eyes
But I'll be chasing dragonflies from her darkest skies until the day she dies.

^These are the lyrics to Adalia, by the way.^
It's a Madina Lake song that inspired this story.
My favourite ML song, actually.

(: