Take Me Away
Chocolate
The floor boards creaked underneath my feet. I moved quickly and quietly trying to make as little sounds as possible. Andrew was sleeping in the room I was currently in. I shoved unfolded clothes into a duffel bag, my black backpack already full of clothes and supplies I’d need. A soft groan came from Andrew and I tensed, waiting for him to lash out and strike me while asking me what exactly I was doing. I glanced back at the bed; Max tossed and turned dragging the white cotton sheet that was sprawled across his naked torso. I turned back to my clothes and quickened my pace of shoving them in my bag. I didn’t have much time before his alarm clock would go off and I needed to be as far away from him as possible.
I grabbed a black sweatshirt and quickly pulled it over my head, next I pulled on dark, floral, vintage stockings. My light blue shorts slipped over my legs, and I picked up my black heels with my fingers carrying them out the door with my duffel bag and backpack. I jogged down the steps from Andrew’s house, my feet carrying me towards a coffee shop that I adored.
Not many people were out walking by; it had to be only around six in the morning. The sun was barely out, it was still quite dark. I had put on my heels as I was rushing out the door, they now clacked against the gray sidewalk. It was pretty cool outside, only around 65 degrees. I pushed open the doors to a cute coffee shop and walked towards my favorite booth that was always empty. The walls inside the coffee shop were a rich shade of brown; a red accent color adorned all decor along with a soft black. I tossed my backpack on the seat across me and pushed my duffel bag next to it. My purse sat next to me and a soft sigh left my mouth.
“Hi, is there anything I can get you?” A soft brunette girl around the age of 17 stood next to my booth. Her hair was up in a bun only a few loose curls framing her pale face.
“Yes, I would like black coffee and some scrambled eggs with hash browns on the side,” My voice was barely a whisper and it looked like she had a hard time hearing it all but she scribbled it all down on her note pad anyway.
“Okay, coming right up.”
“Thank you,” I smiled lightly then turned my attention back to my purse. I grabbed my phone and went through my contacts looking for Max. I quickly found it blocked the contact from my phone. I didn’t want any calls, any texts, any contact with him at all.
“Here you are, Miss,” The brunette girl handed me my black coffee, placing down creamer, sugar, and a spoon.
I grunted softly letting and took my coffee from her hands. I poured sugar into the coffee then stirred it around. I wasn’t paying attention to anything I was doing; I just stared out the window while drinking my coffee slowly. I watched as people walked by, only couple every few seconds since it was still early in the morning. A soft sigh escaped my lips and I lowered my coffee to the table and picked up the fork that rested on my plate covered with scrambled eggs and hash browns. I don’t remember it being set there or the pretty brunette telling me it was done, but I ate it none the less.
The eggs practically melted in my mouth, I loved this diner it had been my favorite ever since I was a little girl. My twin sister and I would always come here with our parents before they died. When we were put into foster care our adoptive parents moved us out of New York, they brought us all the way to the other side of the country to Huntington Beach, California. We lived with them for two years. Once we turned 18, both of us high tailed it out of there and booked it back to New York.
During the time me and my sister, Victoria, lived with our foster parents I had been diagnosed with clinical depression. I had started cutting myself. Once my sister found out about my habit she brought me to a therapist, I remember being so mad at her, it all seems so childish now. I was grateful not, the therapist had helped me deal with my depression.
“Ma’am, here is your check,” The brunette snapped me from my thoughts and handed me a pale white, short piece of paper, “whenever you’re ready, Miss.” I gave her a curt nod as she walked away.
I took the last bite of my hash browns and placed fifteen dollars on the card the check resided on. I finished my coffee, grabbed my bags from the other side of the booth and left the cute little cafe I loved. I didn’t know where I was going at the moment; I didn’t have a car and hardly any money. The sun had come out more now; it had to be around the time Andrew wakes up in the mornings, 7:30. I had to move quickly, the first Andrew would go would be the cafe, he knew I went there every morning.
“Raven,” I tensed, Max harshly grabbed my arm and swung me around to face him.
His brown hair was still messy from just waking up; his eyes had small bags underneath them telling me he was still tired and hardly awake. His fingers gripped my arm tightly surely leaving a bruise later in the day, “Where exactly do you think you’re going?”
I struggled against this grip making small noises of discomfort, “Let me go, Max.”
Passersby watched intently as if they knew I was in trouble but didn’t dare make a move to help me. I struggled against his hold, trying to break free from him so I could run.
“No,” he growled roughly at me, “you’re not going anywhere. You’re going to take your bags back to my place and you’re going to unpack everything, then you’re going to take a nice relaxing shower and make me my favorite dinner for when I get home tonight, got it?”
He was dragging me behind him as he talked now, I struggled as well as I could but he was always stronger than me.
“Stop, Max!” I finally ripped my arm from his grip. My bags sprawled out across the sidewalk and my backside collided with another man. We both fell towards the ground, the guy underneath me making a loud grunt as he reached the ground with me on top of his stomach.
I frantically turned around my muttering apologies has I helped him up. I grabbed my bags quickly and turned away from Max running down the sidewalk.
As I ran I could him hear calling after me, “Fuck, Raven! Get your ass back over here.”
I ran as fast as my feet could carry me, I didn’t’ know what street I was on and I didn’t care. Max won’t stop looking for me, I know that. I’d ran away before, he found me at the cafe just like this time. I remember when we got home he nearly beat me to death, chained me to the bed and only let me leave to go to the bathroom and shower. That was a year ago. I had been with Max since I was 21, three years ago. He had proposed before, claiming he loved me. He doesn’t know what love is. I of course denied his offer, he threatened me with everything, even with my sister’s life, but I wouldn’t budge, I couldn’t.
I hadn’t realized I was crying until I bumped into another stranger, my bags fell away from my body and my face collided with the stranger’s chest. His hands found my shoulders as he pushed me away a little keeping me steady as tears still ran down my cheeks.
“Hey, are you okay?” His voice was like chocolate, sweet, rich, and smooth.
I nodded and wiped away my tears as I gazed upon the man I’d run in to. His eyes were a piercing bluish, gray color. They stood out compared to his dark, smooth hair that was tousled lightly. His cheeks lit up against his pale skin, his lips a light pink like his cheeks. He had a little scruff, like he had forgotten to shave that morning.
“Are you sure?” I nodded again and quickly picked up my bags.
“Sorry for running into you, but I have to get going,” I looked behind me searching to see if Max was tailing me.
I looked back at the man who still stood in front of me, “If I may ask where you are going with so many bags?”
His eyes were piercing mine, a faint blush crept on to my cheeks and I looked away from him, “I have no idea where I’m going."
He looked a taken back, like he hadn’t expected that to be my answer. I hooked the strap of my backpack onto my shoulder and wrapped me purse around my forearm.
“Do you need a place to stay tonight?”
My eyebrows scrunched together. I gave him a confused look and shook my head, my hair falling more out of my ponytail I had put in this morning, “No, I’m sorry but I really must be going.”
“Wait,” he lightly gripped my arm turning me back towards him, “My names Andrew, it was nice to meet you.”
He let go of my arm and held out his hand, I took it in mine and shook it, “Raven.”
I grabbed a black sweatshirt and quickly pulled it over my head, next I pulled on dark, floral, vintage stockings. My light blue shorts slipped over my legs, and I picked up my black heels with my fingers carrying them out the door with my duffel bag and backpack. I jogged down the steps from Andrew’s house, my feet carrying me towards a coffee shop that I adored.
Not many people were out walking by; it had to be only around six in the morning. The sun was barely out, it was still quite dark. I had put on my heels as I was rushing out the door, they now clacked against the gray sidewalk. It was pretty cool outside, only around 65 degrees. I pushed open the doors to a cute coffee shop and walked towards my favorite booth that was always empty. The walls inside the coffee shop were a rich shade of brown; a red accent color adorned all decor along with a soft black. I tossed my backpack on the seat across me and pushed my duffel bag next to it. My purse sat next to me and a soft sigh left my mouth.
“Hi, is there anything I can get you?” A soft brunette girl around the age of 17 stood next to my booth. Her hair was up in a bun only a few loose curls framing her pale face.
“Yes, I would like black coffee and some scrambled eggs with hash browns on the side,” My voice was barely a whisper and it looked like she had a hard time hearing it all but she scribbled it all down on her note pad anyway.
“Okay, coming right up.”
“Thank you,” I smiled lightly then turned my attention back to my purse. I grabbed my phone and went through my contacts looking for Max. I quickly found it blocked the contact from my phone. I didn’t want any calls, any texts, any contact with him at all.
“Here you are, Miss,” The brunette girl handed me my black coffee, placing down creamer, sugar, and a spoon.
I grunted softly letting and took my coffee from her hands. I poured sugar into the coffee then stirred it around. I wasn’t paying attention to anything I was doing; I just stared out the window while drinking my coffee slowly. I watched as people walked by, only couple every few seconds since it was still early in the morning. A soft sigh escaped my lips and I lowered my coffee to the table and picked up the fork that rested on my plate covered with scrambled eggs and hash browns. I don’t remember it being set there or the pretty brunette telling me it was done, but I ate it none the less.
The eggs practically melted in my mouth, I loved this diner it had been my favorite ever since I was a little girl. My twin sister and I would always come here with our parents before they died. When we were put into foster care our adoptive parents moved us out of New York, they brought us all the way to the other side of the country to Huntington Beach, California. We lived with them for two years. Once we turned 18, both of us high tailed it out of there and booked it back to New York.
During the time me and my sister, Victoria, lived with our foster parents I had been diagnosed with clinical depression. I had started cutting myself. Once my sister found out about my habit she brought me to a therapist, I remember being so mad at her, it all seems so childish now. I was grateful not, the therapist had helped me deal with my depression.
“Ma’am, here is your check,” The brunette snapped me from my thoughts and handed me a pale white, short piece of paper, “whenever you’re ready, Miss.” I gave her a curt nod as she walked away.
I took the last bite of my hash browns and placed fifteen dollars on the card the check resided on. I finished my coffee, grabbed my bags from the other side of the booth and left the cute little cafe I loved. I didn’t know where I was going at the moment; I didn’t have a car and hardly any money. The sun had come out more now; it had to be around the time Andrew wakes up in the mornings, 7:30. I had to move quickly, the first Andrew would go would be the cafe, he knew I went there every morning.
“Raven,” I tensed, Max harshly grabbed my arm and swung me around to face him.
His brown hair was still messy from just waking up; his eyes had small bags underneath them telling me he was still tired and hardly awake. His fingers gripped my arm tightly surely leaving a bruise later in the day, “Where exactly do you think you’re going?”
I struggled against this grip making small noises of discomfort, “Let me go, Max.”
Passersby watched intently as if they knew I was in trouble but didn’t dare make a move to help me. I struggled against his hold, trying to break free from him so I could run.
“No,” he growled roughly at me, “you’re not going anywhere. You’re going to take your bags back to my place and you’re going to unpack everything, then you’re going to take a nice relaxing shower and make me my favorite dinner for when I get home tonight, got it?”
He was dragging me behind him as he talked now, I struggled as well as I could but he was always stronger than me.
“Stop, Max!” I finally ripped my arm from his grip. My bags sprawled out across the sidewalk and my backside collided with another man. We both fell towards the ground, the guy underneath me making a loud grunt as he reached the ground with me on top of his stomach.
I frantically turned around my muttering apologies has I helped him up. I grabbed my bags quickly and turned away from Max running down the sidewalk.
As I ran I could him hear calling after me, “Fuck, Raven! Get your ass back over here.”
I ran as fast as my feet could carry me, I didn’t’ know what street I was on and I didn’t care. Max won’t stop looking for me, I know that. I’d ran away before, he found me at the cafe just like this time. I remember when we got home he nearly beat me to death, chained me to the bed and only let me leave to go to the bathroom and shower. That was a year ago. I had been with Max since I was 21, three years ago. He had proposed before, claiming he loved me. He doesn’t know what love is. I of course denied his offer, he threatened me with everything, even with my sister’s life, but I wouldn’t budge, I couldn’t.
I hadn’t realized I was crying until I bumped into another stranger, my bags fell away from my body and my face collided with the stranger’s chest. His hands found my shoulders as he pushed me away a little keeping me steady as tears still ran down my cheeks.
“Hey, are you okay?” His voice was like chocolate, sweet, rich, and smooth.
I nodded and wiped away my tears as I gazed upon the man I’d run in to. His eyes were a piercing bluish, gray color. They stood out compared to his dark, smooth hair that was tousled lightly. His cheeks lit up against his pale skin, his lips a light pink like his cheeks. He had a little scruff, like he had forgotten to shave that morning.
“Are you sure?” I nodded again and quickly picked up my bags.
“Sorry for running into you, but I have to get going,” I looked behind me searching to see if Max was tailing me.
I looked back at the man who still stood in front of me, “If I may ask where you are going with so many bags?”
His eyes were piercing mine, a faint blush crept on to my cheeks and I looked away from him, “I have no idea where I’m going."
He looked a taken back, like he hadn’t expected that to be my answer. I hooked the strap of my backpack onto my shoulder and wrapped me purse around my forearm.
“Do you need a place to stay tonight?”
My eyebrows scrunched together. I gave him a confused look and shook my head, my hair falling more out of my ponytail I had put in this morning, “No, I’m sorry but I really must be going.”
“Wait,” he lightly gripped my arm turning me back towards him, “My names Andrew, it was nice to meet you.”
He let go of my arm and held out his hand, I took it in mine and shook it, “Raven.”