The glass hit the wall with a loud crash where it shattered into a million pieces. It's contents staining the grey patterned wallpaper of Peter's flat. It had narrowly missed Carla's head and she stood shaking, her back pressed firmly against the wall. She had never seen Peter so drunk and angry and what made it worse was she had no idea what had set him off.
She had come home from a long, stressful and sober day at the factory to find him slumped over a bottle of whisky at the table, only a glassful or two left in it. The sight of him had upset her instantly and she'd walked casually by snatching the bottle to tip the remainder down the sink. But Peter's hand was quick to snatch it back and that is where it had all begun to go so wrong.
It was obvious to Carla that this was one of Simon's days with Leanne and that was perhaps part of the reason Peter was seeking comfort in the bottle. Both of them had a locked grip on the bottle that was turning both their knuckles white and so the rowing and fighting began.
"Peter, give me the bottle baby you don't need it" Carla asked nicely.
"No, don't tell me what to do Carla" he snapped managing to snatch the glass bottle from her grip.
Now he was standing before her worked up from their row and had just thrown a glass at her. Peter couldn't deny that his aim had been to hit Carla. How dare she march in from work and tell him he shouldn't drink, how dare she lecture him and try to take it away when all this time since they returned from LA she'd been secretly drinking. He'd only worked it out today, he'd been in desperate need of a drink when Leanne had come to collect Simon and take him home and had searched the cupboards pointlessly until he found a stash of bottles under the sink.
This was all her fault, she knew better than to surround Peter with his demons. They'd both done the support sessions in LA and she knew better than this. He now looked at her trembling against the wall and felt a built up rage towards her, why had she done this to him. He suddenly advanced towards her and then lost all control.
Peter had a determination and strength like a man possessed and she was powerless to stop him as his fists pummelled against her. He knocked about on her arms and chest, leaving her feeling in pain. It was bearable and so she took it knowing that the alcohol in his system was partly to blame. Soon she found his tight fists had moved to her face and he cracked her on the cheek, it was definitely going to bruise. She started to cry as he hit away at her like she was some sort of punching bag.
Still angry Peter stopped suddenly and grabbed her by the throat. She was struggling to breathe as he pulled her forward and then slammed her back into the wall. Tightening his grip he held her still as his wide, angry eyes bore into her frightened ones and felt immense pleasure as he watched her struggle against him. Her face was draining of all its colour and Peter's grip remained so strong that his fingers were digging into her delicate flesh.
It wasn't until she began to choke that he let go. Promptly she slid down the wall and sat at the bottom on the floor gasping desperately for breath. Peter looked down on her in her pathetic state and still felt angry.
He began to shout repeatedly, "It's your fault, all this is your fault" in an aggressive tone. Carla obviously wasn't sorry, she hadn't even tried to apologise and she didn't seem at all remorseful. All Peter saw slumped against the wall was a pathetic, lying drunk who didn't support him and didn't understand, she was selfish. He found himself starting to kick her, she would pay for her mistakes one way or another.
His foot was rock solid as it came into contact with Carla's torso and hit her with so much force it left her winded. She lifted her hand to shelter her face as Peter's foot swung back and then in that direction. Then he went back to kicking her stomach, his foot hammered away at her pain riddled body. Carla heard a crack as he made contact with ribs for the third time and cried out in pain. It was an ear-piercing scream that stopped Peter in his tracks and snapped him so suddenly back to reality.
Carla's mouth was open but no sound came out as she lay against the skirting board in agony. She was afraid to move and so lay still waiting for further abuse from Peter. He looked down on her as his erratic heart rate and built up rage began to calm. What had he done? She looked so fragile and hurt, it was sobering to see but just made Peter feel worse, leaning down he went to take her hand but she flinched at his touch.
"Please don't touch me" she simply wimpered in a broken and weak voice.
Peter could feel himself getting angry again but this time at himself for lashing out at Carla. He was hurt that she didn't want his help either. Stumbling in his intoxicated state back to the sofa he fell down onto its soft upholstery and swiped the bottle from the coffee table. Placing the opening to his lips he downed the remaining contents in one go and then threw the empty bottle forward in frustration. It hit the television screen shattering it and itself in one ugly mess.
The crashing and shattering of glass worried Carla and so she winced in pain as she lifted her heavy head from the floor to try and see what had happened. She couldn't see much, only Peter with his hands scooped in his hair, she watched him quietly for a few seconds until she could support herself no longer and then fell back to the floor.
Peter removed himself from the couch and grabbed his coat from the back of the dining chair with so much vigour that he knocked it over and it clattered noisily against the floor. From the table he grabbed his packet of cigarettes and pulled one out. Placing it between his lips and held it there as he patted down his pockets in search of a lighter. Finding it he lit it and held it to the end of the fag, breathing in deeply and taking his first drag. He took one last look over at Carla as he released the smoke collected in his mouth and then abruptly turned to leave, he'd drunk Carla's stash dry and was now very much in need of another drink.