"Alex...please don't do this… you're drunk...please I'm begging you not now"
"SHUT THE HELL UP BROGAN. YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T LISTEN TO ME…You brought this on yourself... You make me do this to you... You belong to me remember and I need to make you understand what happens when you don't do as your told"
"But...but James is probably still awake…just go and sleep it off…please Alex, the bruises from last time have still not faded. I'm begging you...you don't want to do this...please…please don't hurt me. I wont disobey you again I promise but don't hurt me"
"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME WHAT TO DO…? NEVER TELL ME WHAT TO DO..."
"PLEASE…PLEASE STOP…NOOOOO…"
"It doesn't look too bad does it? " 28 year old Brogan Markson thought to herself. She gazed solemnly at her reflection in her dressing table mirror and sighed at the pale broken figure looking back at her. Although she was only 28 this wasn't the face of someone that age looking back at her. Her eyes were swollen from her tears and she had so many bags underneath, that her face had indeed aged her so drastically beyond her youth. Staring deeper at her reflection she ran a trembling hand through the long wavy locks of her hair "its only small…bit of cover up and I can get away with it…as usual" she sighed reaching up at the small cut on her lip as it started to bleed again "it was my fault…I made him do it...just as always"
Fumbling through a nearby drawer by her bed, Brogan managed to dab some wet cotton wool onto her now painfully swollen lip. She winced as a shot of pain hit her hard and clenched her teeth, pressing the pad onto the open wound. As she lent forward on the dressing table, her gaze fell to the drops of her own blood staring back at her on the pad. Staring intently, the young mum began to sob even more harder now going over and over in her mind at how her life had turned out like this. Nothing could describe how much pain she was in right now. At the start of her relationship with Alex Harry, everything was perfect. He doted on her, treating her like a princess and making her feel so special. The pair had indeed been a couple for a long time now having met when they were members of the local theatre group in the small town in which they both lived. Alex was part of the backstage crew while Brogan was cast in several leading roles of many shows the group staged at the local theatre. Her beautiful and angelic soprano voice made her perfect for any role. Brogan was a key part of the theatre group for several years but it was during this time that a lot of her troubles started. Alex soon developed a dangerous alcohol problem and was promptly fired by the producers of the theatre company. He took this rejection bitterly and began taking it out on his young girlfriend, developing a vicious violent temper and blaming her fully for everything that had gone wrong in his own life. Tonight's row had been over the fact that Brogan had failed to pick up Alex's shirts from the dry cleaners that he needed for a prospective job interview the following day. When she broke the news to Alex over dinner, he was livid. Dragging her by the hair to the bedroom in a fit of rage, he slapped her with such a force that she came crashing down hard on a chair and ended up splitting her lip in the process. Cowering on the floor, she curled up in a ball as he stamped on her back and aimed several hard kicks in her ribs, leaving her gasping for air…
When he first attacked her, several years ago now, he was remorseful and constantly begged for Brogan's forgiveness as she cowered in fear. Yet now terrified of being alone, believing that she was no good for anyone else, Brogan found she just wasn't strong physically and mentally to stand up to her abusive boyfriend. Constantly, she believed he would change and things would be different but things never did. She soon found herself totally giving up on life altogether and just took every excuse possible for the intense beatings he inflicted on her, often believing it was her fault and all down to her that he beat her so viciously. Over the years Alex also became very controlling with Brogan. He took a great pride in making her feel isolated and having nobody to turn to, depending on him only for everything. He constantly put her down, taking pride in making her feel as if she was worthless and good for nobody else in the world but him…
The only glimmer of hope and salvation in her life at present were her precious 4 year old Son James, whom she doted on with all her heart. Her little boy was the only light in the current darkness of her life. Her mind cast back at how she cowered on the floor during tonight's assault, terrified and begging, pleading for her life against her violent abusive boyfriend as her beloved little boy slept soundly in the room next door. What Brogan didn't know was that young James had witnessed his father brutally attacking his mother tonight and it hadn't been for the first time either. The youngster had wept onto the doorframe, frozen in fear watching as his Father hit Brogan with a vicious slap across the face…again and again... The little boy stood terrified, scared watching his beloved mother being kicked hard in the ribs by the one man who had brought her into this world and given him life. Noticing that his son was watching, Alex with hate in his eyes, quickly glared at the boy. The youngster's eyes fell down to her mother curled up on the floor coughing hard and struggling to breathe as she tried desperately to get to her feet, pulling herself up on a small chair at the side of the room. Alex bellowed at the little boy and even more terrified now James quickly grabbed his teddy, raced back into his room. The little mite burst into tears, placing his hands tight over his ears in a desperate bid to block out Brogan's screams that echoed from along the hall…
Thanks to make up Brogan managed to conceal the black eyes and bruises. Yet Brogan, blinded by the manipulation of the father of her little boy took him back forgiving him again and again. Believing that he could change and knowing things would be different but things never did. And here she was once again dealing with the aftermath of yet another drunken rage from her abusive boyfriend. Wiping her eye with a sleeve, she caught sight of a photograph of her beloved Son at a few hours old on her dressing table. Brogan was beaming at the tiny little bundle wrapped in a blanket that had been placed on her chest. From the moment he was born, she never thought she could love something as much as she did her son. Her little one was her life but deep down she knew that this was no environment for any child to be bought up in. With a mother too terrified, too weak to fight back against an alcoholic wife beater for a father. Not exactly the perfect start to his young life. Little James deserved a real loving father, something the little boy longed and dreamed about everyday in the 4 years he had been alive. Summoning up all her courage Brogan took a deep breath and planted a soft kiss on the picture
"I can do this...I have to do this" she whispered, quickly stuffing some clothes in a bag. She crept back along the landing and peeked down through the banisters of the staircase, seeing that Alex had passed out on the sofa surrounded by beer cans "My baby needs me to do this…you cant put James through this anymore"
It was pretty much obvious that Alex was well out of it and Brogan knew that this was her one and only chance of making a break for it. Creeping back down the hall to James's room, she gently pushed open the door. Inside, she knelt beside the sleeping youngster and gently nudged at his shoulder. The youngster slowly began to stir before stretching his arms in the air
"James? James baby..." she whispered softly, "Baby…we need to go…come on sweetie"
"Where we going Mummy?" yawned a sleepy James, rubbing his eyes "is daddy coming...Can I take my bear with me Mummy?"
"Of course you can my Darling…No James, It's just you and me baby...we are going on an adventure...sounds awesome right?" she gently kissed the top of his head as the little boy nodded excitedly in agreement "and this is how it's going to be from now on...I promise you sweetie that you're the only one I need in my life right now…its me and you against the world…now lets go and don't wake Daddy ok"
Brogan quickly grabbed the overnight bag and slipped out into the night, bundling little James into awaiting car outside. From this moment on this was going to be the fresh start brogan craved and needed in her life. She had her baby boy by her side and it was going to be the pair of them against the world