The Alleyway
1/1
I press my face against the metal fence in front of me, my fingers curling around the light steel diamonds in frustration. I'm at a dead end.
I turn my head slightly to see what's behind me. Not what though, a who. I turn to see if he is still behind me. He slowly turns into the alley, taking his time to approach me. The smirk gracing his face tells me he knew all along that he had me cornered. He knew he would win this little cat and mouse game. It's game over for me.
I cower more into the cool fence. Normally, I would have tried to climb it, but I would never get to the other side. A dark gray concrete wall is the only thing behind, two huge brick buildings on each side. I feel like if I die then it should be dark, gloomy, and raining, not bright and sunny like it is now.
"I bet you thought you could've escaped me, huh?" He mocks, the words rolling out of his pale, thin lips. He changes his voice into a high falsetto one. "You don't scare me Denis. I'm not your puppet any longer."
I cringe as he knocks over a metal trash can in my direction.
"Who's in charge now, bitch?" He stalks closer, this stupid cocky grin on his five o'clock shadowed face. On anybody else, I would have slapped it off. I want to slap it off, but I won't. I know he will slap harder.
"That's all you are, you know?" Denis whispers, "You're just an ungrateful bitch. I go to work, I pay the bills, and I take care of you. And all I ask is someone to cook and clean the house. You couldn't even do that right!"
He grabs my face in his grime covered left hand. You can see the dirt encrusted in the skin from days of not washing them. He's probably neglected personal hygiene since I left five days ago.
"I took care of you. But that obviously wasn't good enough for you! You wanted a job! To go to school! To hang out with other men! And then you have to nerve to leave me, after everything I've done for you!" He screams, jamming my head into the fence.
Denis exhales through his nose, releasing my face and shoving my body away from him at the same time. I try to catch myself, but I end of landing on my skinny jean covered butt with my back to the fence - facing a seething Denis. He tosses metal trash can lids around the alley, kicks lose rocks and garbage around, and screams profanities as he "tries" to calm himself down.
The breathing trick is the one technique he actually uses from the consoling sessions he was forced to go to by his ex-girlfriend, the one before me. She went to court and sued him for domestic abuse. I was his new girlfriend at the time. She tried to warn me about him. I didn't believe that under the outer layer of my sweet, loving Denis, was a monster waiting to destroy me.
I watch Denis prowl around the alley, having his little temper tantrum. I'm glad it's the trashcans taking the hits this time. I don't know what to say to him, so I stare, wish he would forget I'm crawled up into a ball in the alley corner and walk away.
He suddenly stops dead in his tracks. He looks deep in thought when his eyes land on me. A small, sad smile is on his face as he calmly walks over towards my corner. I can't stop myself from shaking as his shadow falls over me, blocking most of the bright sunlight from my face. He leans down, and I try to cower away, but his hands still manage to gently cup my face and hold my right hand lightly.
"You know I'll always love you, Lizzie." He murmurs, staring into my eyes with his light brown ones as the pads of his thumbs rub circles into my skin, "You just make me so mad sometimes."
Denis's grip gets tighter on my face. The callused of his right hand move from my wrist to the hem of my white, lacey shirt. I start to struggle, but his grip on my face hardens. I hope he can't see the fear in my eyes while he pushes up the shirt to just under my bra. I tremble as the same hand gently trails over the deep purple bruises on my stomach.
"I never meant to hurt you, Lizzie," He whispers, his caramel orbs beginning to water, "I know I'm fucked up in the head. I know I need help. I just get so angry that I can't control myself. I'm so sorry. Please come home Lizzie."
I shake my head. His apartment is not my home, and it never will be. I don't want to go back and live with the person that I'm most afraid of. But I can't tell him that. Every time I open my mouth to reply, I see him hitting me with the hot frying pan, him pushing my into the bathroom mirror, or him throwing dishes all over the kitchen. I can't go back to that.
"Don't cry my sweet, Lizzie," He brushes the tears from my face, "Everything will be okay now. Let's go home."
Denis slowly stands up and pulls me to my feet. Before he can begin to drag me away, I mumble, "No."
He turns, disbelief written all over him, "What did you just say to me."
"I said no, Denis," I say, trying to keep my head held high, "I can't go back there. It's healthy for me to be there, with you. I'm sorry Denis, but I'm not coming back."
He stares at me long and hard, "Is that what you want?"
I nod. He lets my hand go, so I step a few strides back.
Denis isn't looking at me anymore, he's trained in the ground. His hand is deep in his jean pocket.
"I didn't want to do this," He says, "I was going to give you second chance, but obviously that's not going to happen."
Denis pulls out a tiny, black handgun and points it right at me as his gaze finds my eyes again.
"I love you Lizzie, but if I can't have you, then no one can."
I turn my head slightly to see what's behind me. Not what though, a who. I turn to see if he is still behind me. He slowly turns into the alley, taking his time to approach me. The smirk gracing his face tells me he knew all along that he had me cornered. He knew he would win this little cat and mouse game. It's game over for me.
I cower more into the cool fence. Normally, I would have tried to climb it, but I would never get to the other side. A dark gray concrete wall is the only thing behind, two huge brick buildings on each side. I feel like if I die then it should be dark, gloomy, and raining, not bright and sunny like it is now.
"I bet you thought you could've escaped me, huh?" He mocks, the words rolling out of his pale, thin lips. He changes his voice into a high falsetto one. "You don't scare me Denis. I'm not your puppet any longer."
I cringe as he knocks over a metal trash can in my direction.
"Who's in charge now, bitch?" He stalks closer, this stupid cocky grin on his five o'clock shadowed face. On anybody else, I would have slapped it off. I want to slap it off, but I won't. I know he will slap harder.
"That's all you are, you know?" Denis whispers, "You're just an ungrateful bitch. I go to work, I pay the bills, and I take care of you. And all I ask is someone to cook and clean the house. You couldn't even do that right!"
He grabs my face in his grime covered left hand. You can see the dirt encrusted in the skin from days of not washing them. He's probably neglected personal hygiene since I left five days ago.
"I took care of you. But that obviously wasn't good enough for you! You wanted a job! To go to school! To hang out with other men! And then you have to nerve to leave me, after everything I've done for you!" He screams, jamming my head into the fence.
Denis exhales through his nose, releasing my face and shoving my body away from him at the same time. I try to catch myself, but I end of landing on my skinny jean covered butt with my back to the fence - facing a seething Denis. He tosses metal trash can lids around the alley, kicks lose rocks and garbage around, and screams profanities as he "tries" to calm himself down.
The breathing trick is the one technique he actually uses from the consoling sessions he was forced to go to by his ex-girlfriend, the one before me. She went to court and sued him for domestic abuse. I was his new girlfriend at the time. She tried to warn me about him. I didn't believe that under the outer layer of my sweet, loving Denis, was a monster waiting to destroy me.
I watch Denis prowl around the alley, having his little temper tantrum. I'm glad it's the trashcans taking the hits this time. I don't know what to say to him, so I stare, wish he would forget I'm crawled up into a ball in the alley corner and walk away.
He suddenly stops dead in his tracks. He looks deep in thought when his eyes land on me. A small, sad smile is on his face as he calmly walks over towards my corner. I can't stop myself from shaking as his shadow falls over me, blocking most of the bright sunlight from my face. He leans down, and I try to cower away, but his hands still manage to gently cup my face and hold my right hand lightly.
"You know I'll always love you, Lizzie." He murmurs, staring into my eyes with his light brown ones as the pads of his thumbs rub circles into my skin, "You just make me so mad sometimes."
Denis's grip gets tighter on my face. The callused of his right hand move from my wrist to the hem of my white, lacey shirt. I start to struggle, but his grip on my face hardens. I hope he can't see the fear in my eyes while he pushes up the shirt to just under my bra. I tremble as the same hand gently trails over the deep purple bruises on my stomach.
"I never meant to hurt you, Lizzie," He whispers, his caramel orbs beginning to water, "I know I'm fucked up in the head. I know I need help. I just get so angry that I can't control myself. I'm so sorry. Please come home Lizzie."
I shake my head. His apartment is not my home, and it never will be. I don't want to go back and live with the person that I'm most afraid of. But I can't tell him that. Every time I open my mouth to reply, I see him hitting me with the hot frying pan, him pushing my into the bathroom mirror, or him throwing dishes all over the kitchen. I can't go back to that.
"Don't cry my sweet, Lizzie," He brushes the tears from my face, "Everything will be okay now. Let's go home."
Denis slowly stands up and pulls me to my feet. Before he can begin to drag me away, I mumble, "No."
He turns, disbelief written all over him, "What did you just say to me."
"I said no, Denis," I say, trying to keep my head held high, "I can't go back there. It's healthy for me to be there, with you. I'm sorry Denis, but I'm not coming back."
He stares at me long and hard, "Is that what you want?"
I nod. He lets my hand go, so I step a few strides back.
Denis isn't looking at me anymore, he's trained in the ground. His hand is deep in his jean pocket.
"I didn't want to do this," He says, "I was going to give you second chance, but obviously that's not going to happen."
Denis pulls out a tiny, black handgun and points it right at me as his gaze finds my eyes again.
"I love you Lizzie, but if I can't have you, then no one can."