Just A Lifetime Away
Prologue: Justice
Ana watched Lucius walk away, she herself wedged between the armoire and wall. Her cheek throbbed and her eye was swollen almost shut, bruises covering her arms and legs and almost everywhere else. He walked outside, muttering about stupid bitches who didn't know their place. She stood slowly, licking her lips, licking the blood off. With glittering green eyes she watched him walk into the barn, his dark brown hair in a pony tail and axe resting over his shoulder. Limping, she walked out to the barn watching him. He had laid the axe down next to the door and was using a metal bar to pry two pieces of wood apart. She walked in quietly, reaching down and picking up the axe.
"Lucius," She said from the doorway, her body leaning to the right as she held the axe.
"What? Why didn't you stay in the house? Start dinner or something like that." He sneered at her and began approaching her, pulling the gloves from his hands. Ana watched him, some primitive part of her mind took over, recognising the action of removing his gloves and connecting it with another beating or worst. She lifted the axe as he approached and, without a moments hesitation, brings it down, burying it in the flesh of his right shoulder. Lucius roared, his hand going to the axe as blood rushed from the wound, covering him, her, and the ground. Eventually he quieted and sank to the ground. Ana turned and walked out, shutting the door behind herself and numbly walked into the house with a bucket of water.
Hours later she emerged dressed in clean clothing and clean herself. She walked to the barn and secured the doors shut, not looking in to see her husband. With a relieved expression she walked over to the lantern she had brought with her and picked it up. Using all the strength in her tall frame she hurtled the burning lantern on the roof of the barn; the wood glowed as it caught fire, soon a roaring orange fire licking the sky above.