Status: Active.
Shiver.
another party, another mistake
I watched in delight as snowflakes began to fall around me. I couldn't believe it was already December. My parents had been home for a little over a month and my life had been going well. I'd gotten my driver's license and mended fences with Liz and Liam. Our friendships were still strained but we were at least speaking again. I hadn't told them the full truth about Hunter. Liam knew that he'd hit me but not the extent of the damage or about the rape. Liz knew nothing at all.
Hunter had shown up at my house several times but my parents changed the locks. My dad threatened him but he continued to show up. I hadn't seen him in nearly a week though so I was hoping that maybe he was starting to move on.
"Gracie," Liz's voice drew my attention to her. I sighed and followed her up the walkway to the house. She had convinced me to go to a party with her. She'd even guilted me into letting her do my hair and make-up, although I'd drawn the line at my outfit. I was wearing skinny jeans tucked into knee high boots with no heel, a black sweater over a tank top and over it all my leather jacket.
The house was full of teenagers and I wasn't even sure whose party it was. I looked around, recognizing only a few of the faces around me. After a couple minutes I spotted Liam talking to some of his college friends. I shuddered at the sight of them. It occurred to me that they should probably be at a college party, not this one. Liam saw me staring at him and said something to his friends before making his way over to me.
"Hey," he greeted me softly. "How are things?" I shrugged. This scene felt all too familiar. Liam had promised me at my own party that he would keep me safe. I felt sick to my stomach suddenly.
"Excuse me," I said quickly before running outside. I fell to my knees in the damp slush on the ground - it wasn't cold enough for the snow to stick. I could only barely hear the party from out here but I could see the living room through the front window. The snow was still falling and I felt more than a little bit alone. I knew that I could go inside and pretend that I belonged there but the truth was that I didn't. Maybe I never had.
"Grace." I froze at the sound of his voice. I heard footsteps behind me but I closed my eyes, praying that this was just another one of the many nightmares I'd had about him. I felt his grip at the back of my neck and knew I wasn't dreaming.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to sound braver than I felt. How could I be so stupid to just assume he would leave me alone after all that. Suddenly I was yanked around to face him. I knew the instant that I saw him that he was going to kill me. I choked back my tears, not wanting to give him that satisfaction. His grin told me he meant to break me first. I glanced over my shoulder at the party going on inside. No one had noticed what was happening and I doubted they would hear my screams but I had to try. He clamped his hand over my mouth as soon as I opened it.
"None of that now," he ordered. He started to drag me away from the house but I knew if I went with him that was it. My life would be over. I kicked and punched at him, trying to get away but he was too strong. I fell limp in his arms as I realized there was no point. I was dead already and soon enough he'd make sure to follow through with that. He dragged me to the empty park across the street and for an instant I felt hope. Maybe I could get away and outrun him. It was such a short distance. Then he hit me so hard that I stumbled and fell to the ground. He climbed on top of me and kept hitting me.
"Hunter, please stop," I begged, as I had so many times before this. He ignored me for a moment before spitting beside my face.
"You had me arrested. I thought you loved me," he snapped before hitting me across the face again. I screamed and cried out as he hit me over and over again. I wanted nothing more than for him to stop beating me until he did. Instead he focused on the zipper of my jeans and I screamed. My screams echoed through the park and I hoped someone would hear them. As he tore my jeans down and violated me one last time everything came into sharp focus. As much as I wanted to escape this moment, I couldn't. I tried to find a happy memory from my childhood, to lose myself in it. Instead I was stuck feeling everything he did to me.
When it was over he stood up and looked me over. Then he knelt beside me and lifted my head onto his lap. He kissed my lips at the same time he slid the knife into my chest. I gasped and coughed. To make matters worse, he pulled the knife out and I could feel blood seeping through my clothes. I lay in the snow dying as he ran off into the night. I tried to move but this time my body was done. There was no strength to muster. I felt my eyes grow too heavy to open and knew that the end was near. At last I was at peace.
Hunter had shown up at my house several times but my parents changed the locks. My dad threatened him but he continued to show up. I hadn't seen him in nearly a week though so I was hoping that maybe he was starting to move on.
"Gracie," Liz's voice drew my attention to her. I sighed and followed her up the walkway to the house. She had convinced me to go to a party with her. She'd even guilted me into letting her do my hair and make-up, although I'd drawn the line at my outfit. I was wearing skinny jeans tucked into knee high boots with no heel, a black sweater over a tank top and over it all my leather jacket.
The house was full of teenagers and I wasn't even sure whose party it was. I looked around, recognizing only a few of the faces around me. After a couple minutes I spotted Liam talking to some of his college friends. I shuddered at the sight of them. It occurred to me that they should probably be at a college party, not this one. Liam saw me staring at him and said something to his friends before making his way over to me.
"Hey," he greeted me softly. "How are things?" I shrugged. This scene felt all too familiar. Liam had promised me at my own party that he would keep me safe. I felt sick to my stomach suddenly.
"Excuse me," I said quickly before running outside. I fell to my knees in the damp slush on the ground - it wasn't cold enough for the snow to stick. I could only barely hear the party from out here but I could see the living room through the front window. The snow was still falling and I felt more than a little bit alone. I knew that I could go inside and pretend that I belonged there but the truth was that I didn't. Maybe I never had.
"Grace." I froze at the sound of his voice. I heard footsteps behind me but I closed my eyes, praying that this was just another one of the many nightmares I'd had about him. I felt his grip at the back of my neck and knew I wasn't dreaming.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to sound braver than I felt. How could I be so stupid to just assume he would leave me alone after all that. Suddenly I was yanked around to face him. I knew the instant that I saw him that he was going to kill me. I choked back my tears, not wanting to give him that satisfaction. His grin told me he meant to break me first. I glanced over my shoulder at the party going on inside. No one had noticed what was happening and I doubted they would hear my screams but I had to try. He clamped his hand over my mouth as soon as I opened it.
"None of that now," he ordered. He started to drag me away from the house but I knew if I went with him that was it. My life would be over. I kicked and punched at him, trying to get away but he was too strong. I fell limp in his arms as I realized there was no point. I was dead already and soon enough he'd make sure to follow through with that. He dragged me to the empty park across the street and for an instant I felt hope. Maybe I could get away and outrun him. It was such a short distance. Then he hit me so hard that I stumbled and fell to the ground. He climbed on top of me and kept hitting me.
"Hunter, please stop," I begged, as I had so many times before this. He ignored me for a moment before spitting beside my face.
"You had me arrested. I thought you loved me," he snapped before hitting me across the face again. I screamed and cried out as he hit me over and over again. I wanted nothing more than for him to stop beating me until he did. Instead he focused on the zipper of my jeans and I screamed. My screams echoed through the park and I hoped someone would hear them. As he tore my jeans down and violated me one last time everything came into sharp focus. As much as I wanted to escape this moment, I couldn't. I tried to find a happy memory from my childhood, to lose myself in it. Instead I was stuck feeling everything he did to me.
When it was over he stood up and looked me over. Then he knelt beside me and lifted my head onto his lap. He kissed my lips at the same time he slid the knife into my chest. I gasped and coughed. To make matters worse, he pulled the knife out and I could feel blood seeping through my clothes. I lay in the snow dying as he ran off into the night. I tried to move but this time my body was done. There was no strength to muster. I felt my eyes grow too heavy to open and knew that the end was near. At last I was at peace.