Brighter
Brighter.
She watched from atop the long spiraling staircase as he grabbed his car keys and left, slamming the door behind him and probably cracking the door jam. The girl sighed and sank to the floor, wondering if this was the last time. If he would be gone for good this time. She didn't think it would, after all, what goods a man with out his wallet she thought with a grin as she pulled his wallet out of her jean pocket. She giggled and then frowned and running her fingertips over the soft, well worn leather. It brought back so many memories.
"What'd ya get me for my birthday Kels?" He teased, pulling on the pink ribbon in her hair, using it to pull her to him so he could plant a small kiss on her mouth. She laughed and spun away from him. He jumped up and chased her but she was quicker, her chocolate curls blowing out behind her, the ribbon flying out of her hair and landing in the pristine sand. When she finally let him catch up she reached into a hidden pocket in her soft yellow dress and produced the wallet. It was made from the softest leather, the exact same color as the coffee he loved so much. She knew he had been wanting one for a while, after he had lost the last one on a trip to Mexico.
She forced this memory away, knowing that was one of the last times he had told her he loved her. The last time that memories of him weren't laced with pain. She grimaced and tugged on her sleeve, trying to make it cover the five fingers bruised into her skin. She grabbed the bars of the staircase and used them to pull herself up. She limped to her room and took off her clothes gingerly, replacing them with nothing put an over sized shirt, sporting the logo "Sal's Fish Shack" on it. She gently slid herself into bed and let sleep consume her like a tidal wave.
He spun her around, laughing while she screamed in fear and joy. "Brendan put me down!" She squealed, holding back giggles. He pouted, but nevertheless gently placed her on the ground and taking her small hand in his large one. "You're no fun Kels" He said, still pouting. She laughed and stood on the tips of my toes, reaching to tuck a stray piece of his warm blond hair behind his ear. "Sorry Bren."
The alarm clock shrieked in her ear. She grumbled and slammed on it until it finally shut up. She sat up and gasped as her body protested even such a simple motion. She lied back down and lifted up her shirt, counting the new bruises and tracing the old ones. Her creamy white skin was mottled with purple and the ugly yellow color a healing bruise turns. She ran her hands lightly over then and sighed. He loved her, she knew he did. He just had lost his way after his mother had died and he started drinking. She was sure it would all turn out okay.
When she got home from work his Mustang was in the driveway and he was leaning on it, waiting for her. When she got out of her car he grabbed her and pulled her into a bear hug, setting her bruises on fire all over again. "Ow, Bren." She said softly, not sure whether he was in a drunk or not. He frowned and let go. "Sorry Babes." He said. She sighed in relief, he wasn't. He was the old Brendan today, or at least he was for this moment. He lifted up her shirt and saw the bruises, his bruises and sucked in a sharp breath. "I did this?" She nodded, not sure if this was a question or statement. His eyes clouded over in an emotion she couldn't read. "Kels...I..." His voice faltered and he ran a hand through that golden mane of his. "I'm so sorry Kels...I know I shouldn't drink but I....I just don't know Kelsey. It isn't me who does that to you. It's the other Brendan, the angry one." She nodded, not quite sure what to believe anymore. She had begun to think it was awfully convenient, the way he forgot things when he was drunk. "Just forget about it" She mumbled and he nodded slowly. His eyes brightened suddenly. "I got us reservations at Renee's!" The girl gasped in surprise. "Yup. Now go upstairs and put something nice on the pretty little figure of yours." He said, winking at her.
She stood in from of the mirror looking at the the pale yellow dress she had picked out. It was the same one from that day on the beach, the day she gave him that wallet. She smiled and slipped on black ballet flats, twirling around. Renee's was the place where they met, it was a small but fancy fish restaurant on the beach. She had been a waitress there during collage.
He waited until her break just to talk to her, picking at his fries. She wouldn't give him her number, after all he was probably some perv looking to score. Another conquest to brag about to his buddies. She ignored him during her break but he didn't leave, insisting to walk her to her car. She finally sighed and gave him her number just to send him away. The next night he showed up at Renee's again, this time asking her to dinner after her shift...
"Kelsey!" He yelled up the stairs. "Ready?" "Yeah, just a sec." She hollered back, slipping on a pearl necklace. She hurried downstairs and into his car.
She sipped her wine delicately, while he ordered his fifth drink of the night. She sighed and nibbled on one of his fried clam strips. To nervous about what he would do later to eat anything else. When the bill came he slipped the waiter, who's name was Danny, his credit card and flashed a dazzling smile. His million dollar smile. Danny walked away in a daze returning a short while later to have the man signed his name and stood up, offering a hand to the girl. She ignored it, standing up and walking to the car. She slid into the seat, closed the door and stared out the window at the passing lights of the beach and houses.
He shoved her, sending her tumbling down the stairs into a heap at the bottom. She curled into a ball around what she knew would be more bruises in the morning. He thundered down the stairs and kicked her in the side screaming at her to get up. When she stood, legs shaking, he slapped her so hard it cut the inside of her cheek. "B-b-ren Ple-please." She whimpered. He sneered at her, laughing at how weak she was. This was it for her. She couldn't take this anymore. "Brendan Randolph!" She said. He looked at her. "I'm done Brendan. I'm done with you and your beatings!" She was yelling now, and she knew he was afraid people would hear. This sobered him up really quick. "Wh-what?" He said? "Done Bren. I'm done with you." She grabbed his keys and stumbled out the door. Terrified he would follow and drag her back inside. He didn't. He let her walk away, staring at her blankly. She peeled out of the drive way and never looked back.
A week later she got a voice mail from him, it said "Kels...I'm sorry. I can't deal with what I did to you. I'm so sorry.You lit up my dark. You were the brightest star." The line went dead. When she raced home she found him in a puddle of his own blood. In his hand was a note that read, "Kels, I'm so sorry. Remember you shine brighter then anyone."
"What'd ya get me for my birthday Kels?" He teased, pulling on the pink ribbon in her hair, using it to pull her to him so he could plant a small kiss on her mouth. She laughed and spun away from him. He jumped up and chased her but she was quicker, her chocolate curls blowing out behind her, the ribbon flying out of her hair and landing in the pristine sand. When she finally let him catch up she reached into a hidden pocket in her soft yellow dress and produced the wallet. It was made from the softest leather, the exact same color as the coffee he loved so much. She knew he had been wanting one for a while, after he had lost the last one on a trip to Mexico.
She forced this memory away, knowing that was one of the last times he had told her he loved her. The last time that memories of him weren't laced with pain. She grimaced and tugged on her sleeve, trying to make it cover the five fingers bruised into her skin. She grabbed the bars of the staircase and used them to pull herself up. She limped to her room and took off her clothes gingerly, replacing them with nothing put an over sized shirt, sporting the logo "Sal's Fish Shack" on it. She gently slid herself into bed and let sleep consume her like a tidal wave.
He spun her around, laughing while she screamed in fear and joy. "Brendan put me down!" She squealed, holding back giggles. He pouted, but nevertheless gently placed her on the ground and taking her small hand in his large one. "You're no fun Kels" He said, still pouting. She laughed and stood on the tips of my toes, reaching to tuck a stray piece of his warm blond hair behind his ear. "Sorry Bren."
The alarm clock shrieked in her ear. She grumbled and slammed on it until it finally shut up. She sat up and gasped as her body protested even such a simple motion. She lied back down and lifted up her shirt, counting the new bruises and tracing the old ones. Her creamy white skin was mottled with purple and the ugly yellow color a healing bruise turns. She ran her hands lightly over then and sighed. He loved her, she knew he did. He just had lost his way after his mother had died and he started drinking. She was sure it would all turn out okay.
When she got home from work his Mustang was in the driveway and he was leaning on it, waiting for her. When she got out of her car he grabbed her and pulled her into a bear hug, setting her bruises on fire all over again. "Ow, Bren." She said softly, not sure whether he was in a drunk or not. He frowned and let go. "Sorry Babes." He said. She sighed in relief, he wasn't. He was the old Brendan today, or at least he was for this moment. He lifted up her shirt and saw the bruises, his bruises and sucked in a sharp breath. "I did this?" She nodded, not sure if this was a question or statement. His eyes clouded over in an emotion she couldn't read. "Kels...I..." His voice faltered and he ran a hand through that golden mane of his. "I'm so sorry Kels...I know I shouldn't drink but I....I just don't know Kelsey. It isn't me who does that to you. It's the other Brendan, the angry one." She nodded, not quite sure what to believe anymore. She had begun to think it was awfully convenient, the way he forgot things when he was drunk. "Just forget about it" She mumbled and he nodded slowly. His eyes brightened suddenly. "I got us reservations at Renee's!" The girl gasped in surprise. "Yup. Now go upstairs and put something nice on the pretty little figure of yours." He said, winking at her.
She stood in from of the mirror looking at the the pale yellow dress she had picked out. It was the same one from that day on the beach, the day she gave him that wallet. She smiled and slipped on black ballet flats, twirling around. Renee's was the place where they met, it was a small but fancy fish restaurant on the beach. She had been a waitress there during collage.
He waited until her break just to talk to her, picking at his fries. She wouldn't give him her number, after all he was probably some perv looking to score. Another conquest to brag about to his buddies. She ignored him during her break but he didn't leave, insisting to walk her to her car. She finally sighed and gave him her number just to send him away. The next night he showed up at Renee's again, this time asking her to dinner after her shift...
"Kelsey!" He yelled up the stairs. "Ready?" "Yeah, just a sec." She hollered back, slipping on a pearl necklace. She hurried downstairs and into his car.
She sipped her wine delicately, while he ordered his fifth drink of the night. She sighed and nibbled on one of his fried clam strips. To nervous about what he would do later to eat anything else. When the bill came he slipped the waiter, who's name was Danny, his credit card and flashed a dazzling smile. His million dollar smile. Danny walked away in a daze returning a short while later to have the man signed his name and stood up, offering a hand to the girl. She ignored it, standing up and walking to the car. She slid into the seat, closed the door and stared out the window at the passing lights of the beach and houses.
He shoved her, sending her tumbling down the stairs into a heap at the bottom. She curled into a ball around what she knew would be more bruises in the morning. He thundered down the stairs and kicked her in the side screaming at her to get up. When she stood, legs shaking, he slapped her so hard it cut the inside of her cheek. "B-b-ren Ple-please." She whimpered. He sneered at her, laughing at how weak she was. This was it for her. She couldn't take this anymore. "Brendan Randolph!" She said. He looked at her. "I'm done Brendan. I'm done with you and your beatings!" She was yelling now, and she knew he was afraid people would hear. This sobered him up really quick. "Wh-what?" He said? "Done Bren. I'm done with you." She grabbed his keys and stumbled out the door. Terrified he would follow and drag her back inside. He didn't. He let her walk away, staring at her blankly. She peeled out of the drive way and never looked back.
A week later she got a voice mail from him, it said "Kels...I'm sorry. I can't deal with what I did to you. I'm so sorry.You lit up my dark. You were the brightest star." The line went dead. When she raced home she found him in a puddle of his own blood. In his hand was a note that read, "Kels, I'm so sorry. Remember you shine brighter then anyone."
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My first contest.