He pushed her hard against the wall in their living room. They have been having screaming fights for weeks and she felt trapped. Her body trembled in the harsh grasps of his rugged hands. He tossed her around like a piece of junk. Paul crushed every sense of self she had. His threats grew louder as the days went on and she could not break free. Sally spent nights awake with bloodshot eyes trying to shut the world around her. She came seconds to ending her own life and spent hours pondering if that would be the better choice. But in this moment in time she could not stand it. He begins yelling, "You dumb slut. You will not amount to anything". She hovered in the corner with tears crashing onto her cheeks that were swollen. He began to pace back and forth in front of her yelling threats with arms wailing at both sides. She looked up from her reddened eyes and immediately stood up. She took the lamp that stood on the nightstand that was next to the bed that she was near; Sally whacked him in the head when he got distracted. She ran out the door as he lay lifeless on the bedroom floor. Sally tripped running to the door as the tears on her face began to turn to sweat. She ran out of the house after she quickly composed herself. As she stepped outside she frantically turned her head in both directions as the street lights flicker and began to run down the street.
Domestic Violence
Sally finally stopped running after a long period of time and suddenly walked by a homeless shelter. Not knowing anywhere else to go and not wanting to return to the man who has been abusive towards her, she walked in. The place was far from glamorous. It was only made up of a few rooms. One room had rows of twin beds lined up in a row for people to come and go. The cafeteria was bleak and painted white walls filled the space. Rows of cafeteria benches stood sporadically in the room. Volunteers stood around and were walking in and out of the kitchen getting ready for the afternoon meal. The place made Sally feel like she hit rock bottom. She could not believe this is what had become of her. The pain succeeded on all accounts but she knew that she had to keep going or else hope will be lost. Then suddenly she catches a man staring at her and began to feel flushed. He had manly features and was quite handsome. He stood with broad shoulders and a chiseled jaw. His eyes were a sparkling light blue that reflected brightly under the fluorescent lights.
Homeless Shelter
Harry introduced himself as the director that runs the homeless shelter. He was smitten with her. He felt a deep connection with her and felt like he needed to protect her. She gave us this vulnerability that no other woman possessed. It revealed how feminine she is in nature and it intrigued him, likewise she felt the same about his features. There was an instant connection and within weeks they fell in love. You would never find them separated and even if they were separated by a short distance they could not keep their eye off each other. The happy ending does not end so quick because after it all Sally still was hiding from Paul and she knew he would not stop till he found her. She kept him and that past in the back of her mind. Sally could not bare Harry knowing or getting involved. She kept Harry at a distant as much as she could. She would tell him they can be together when she "gets her life together", but deep down that was far from the case.
Fight Club
Six months came and gone quickly and Sally found a job as a bartender to get by living in a cheap studio in Bronx of New York. She still was very close to Harry and spend many moments with him, and if she was not he was steady on her mind. Harry would surprise her at work but on this particular day he decided to show up to her studio and walk her to work. As he was rounding the corner he saw an estranged man handling her roughly. He was drunk and using her to keep himself up. Harry sprang into action and beat his face in as soon as his arm was within reach. Sally fell to the ground beneath her and eyes started swelling with tears. He finally was able to see what kept her from his love. He picked her up as if she was his bride and he was taking her in their new home. He whispered sweetly in her ear, " You are safe with me. I will never let another man touch you unjustly." As the police car lights in the background began approaching closer, they still did not lose their gaze. She began smiling and kissed him passionately and the world around them grew fuzzy. Their love blinded them from all the cruelty around them.
Man holding Woman
Author's Note:
I read through the first part of the book version of R.K Narayan's, "the Mahabharata" and created my story based from that. I decided to go with a more realistic approach and incorporate domestic violence. In the story Dhrtarashtras were a family known for demonic birth and were said to be incarnations of demons. They wanted nothing to do but destroy Pandavas family. The Dhartarashtras tricked one of the brothers and took the Pandavas and even the wife Draupadi. My story is based on the ridicule they brought to them and the abuse that Draupadi endured. Sally is resembles the wife and the two other men represent the Pandavas and Dhrtarashtras. I stook with three characters representing the story because I wanted to go more in depth so my readers can follow easier.
References:
Narayan's "the Mahabharata", Link to Reading Online
Background Information about the Mahabharata
Anna, this story was great! The imagery depicted in the first paragraph was very vivid and I could picture exactly what was happening. I liked how you told the story from the perspective of both Sally and Harry, especially the part when you describe how Harry felt about Sally. The pictures that you used throughout the story were also perfect for the narration. I really enjoyed your story and I'm excited to read more of them!
ReplyDeleteHi Anna! Awesome job on this story!! I think it's cool how you told the story from different perspectives, I think that makes it more relatable! You are just great at writing stories in general, they always flow and sound great. I love how you interpreted the original and made it into something people can imagine. (Unlike demon babies, I think bad relationships are a little more understandable, even if you've never experienced the severity of domestic violence).
ReplyDeleteYour stories are always very interesting. You get very creative in changing them from the original source, so your author’s note is really helpful to see where you were inspired! I really enjoyed reading this story! Make sure to proofread your work because there were a few sentences that didn’t make sense but it was a really good story and very creative!
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