Chapter 1

She stood in the small shower, the lukewarm water falling over her battered body. As she washed the clean water mixed with her blood, making a pinky colour as it went down the drain.

She looked down at her pale naked body, taking in the new bruises mixing with the old. She finally, silently let the tears fall down her face, running of the end of her chin and dropping onto the tiled floor.

The door of the small bathroom opened, and she tensed knowing who it was. She was shaking, she couldn't help it.

"I'm going out," Ella said, her voice was harsh, "Don't bother calling me, I'm gonna be late." She slammed the bathroom door close, making her jump out of her skin, she was terrified of the person she was supposed to be in love with.

She didn't answer her, she knew not too, she knew when she did that they would be in for round two and round one was enough for her.

She shut off the shower and listened, making sure that Ella left the apartment. She heard the front door close. She knew she would have to check, make sure she had gone. So many times before she had tricked her and then started round two. She listened. Listening to the front door of the apartment close.

She got out of the shower, wrapping her slim, broken body in a bath sheet, before slowly walking into the bedroom. She checked the apartment, making sure that Ella had in fact left. She had. She walked back into the master bedroom, looking at herself in the broken mirror. A mirror her head had been rammed into a few nights previously. She sat onto the bed, taking in her appearance. the black eye, the cut lip, the bruising to her cheekbone, neck and shoulder. There wasn't a part of her body that wasn't hurting. She couldn't do this anymore. Looking at the dullness in her hazel eyes she knew she had to get away. She had to leave.

Five years ago things had been so different. She had fallen in love with Ella and everything had seemed wonderful until they had moved in together. slowly she become controlling. Stopping her seeing her family and friends, making sure she worked from home. Putting her in position where she had to relay on Ella and Ella alone. She'd lost touch with her friends and she hadn't seen her family in four years. Her friends had given up on her and it appeared so did her family. she had nowhere eels to go, but staying she knew she would die. The beatings were getting worse and more regular.

When she looked in the mirror now she didn't see the woman she once was. she saw a broken version of herself. This wasn't who she was or who she wanted to be. She had to escape and she had to do it tonight. The woman looking back at her from the mirror was a broken defeated version and she didn't want to see that. She wanted to find herself again.

She took a deep breath.

"No More," She said to herself. this was her moment. she quickly got dressed in a baggy t-shirt and jeans. Throwing a few clothes into a bag. she looked at her laptop and phone and knew they could be traced. She decided to leave them. she opened the safe, a safe Ella didn't know she knew the code too and took out her money, the money in the envelope that Ella put in here but would spend on Ella, it was Stef's money, they money she earnt from the articles and publications she did. she checked the money before putting it into her pocket, leaving the safe open just so Ella knew she had taken it. There would be no turning back once she left.

She took one more look around the apartment before picking up the bag that had her clothes in it and she left, closing the door quietly. She didn't run, she walked. She didn't want people to pay attention to her. she wanted to fade into the back ground.

She walked out of the apartment building and looked at the car, Ella's car. she must have walked to where ever she was going. Stef looked around making sure that she wasn't around. She walked past the car, keep her head down. she had to keep walking. She needed to get out of this neighbourhood.

She kept her head down as she walked she didn't want or need attention bring to her, her long blonde hair was falling over her face.

As she walked her thoughts turned to wear she was going, if anyone would help her, Ella had made sure that everyone in her life was driven away. That no one would want her. She was alone in life. That was how she had felt for five years. She'd not known what to do with herself. Only now had she got the courage to leave. To run.

She found herself walking towards Mission Bay, a part of San Diego she rarely visited now but she had grown up there. Her mother still lived that. Ella would never come here. she thought it too upmarket. She would say that people who lived and worked there were acting better then they were.

She'd always loved it here, near the beach. But she hadn't been back in such a long time. She looked around, she had to find help. She couldn't do this alone. she noticed a public call box, she took a deep breath, taking out a couple of quarters. She walked over, dropping her bag to her feet she feed them into the phone before dialling a number that she hoped was still in use. A number she would always remember. The number that had always got her out of trouble.

"Hello," It was answered after four rings, she couldn't speak "Hello is anyone there?" the voice said again. "Hello, really is there anyone there? Anyone?"

"Mom," Her voice came out like the scared child that she was inside and not the adult she was.

"Stefanie," Sharon's voice came down the line shocked it was her daughter, at the same time relief flooded her. She didn't know where her daughter was. Ella had kept everyone in the dark and they had moved around so much.

"Mom I need you," Stef whispered, her voice breaking as tears ran down her face. "Please help me," She was whispering, she didn't want anyone to hear her. she was scared in case Ella would jump out at any moment and drag her back into the darkness she wanted to escape from.

"Where are you?" Sharon said without hesitation. She would do anything for her only daughter.

"Erm," Stef looked around, "Corner of fifth and Main in Mission Bay,"

"Stay where you are baby I'm coming to get you,"

"Please hurry,"

"I'm coming baby. I love you." Sharon said. Her voice full of motherly reassurance.

"I love you too Mom," Stef said as the line went dead. She turned, saw a bench. She went and saw down, watching the passing cars, she was doing her best not to draw attention to herself. she waited. It seemed like hours but it wasn't. it was only about fifteen minutes.

She smelt her before she saw her. Her mother's perfume was always the same. She looked up into Sharon's face and threw herself into her mother's arms.

Sharon wanted to ask but couldn't. not here and not now. She had to get her home. Get her safe. She hugged her daughter.

"I'm here now, I'm going to make it all okay." Sharon said as she gently rubbed her daughter's back.

"I'm sorry,"

"Hey, now is not the time or the place. C'mon let's get you home" Sharon said taking her daughter's bag and her hand. she led her to the car she had parked on a metre. Stef got in willingly. Watching as her mother got in and they drove towards her childhood home.

Sharon pulled the car into the garage and looked at her daughter.

"Let's get inside, I'll make you some coco and you can tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Okay" Stef said like a ten-year-old.

Sharon shook her head. The woman before her wasn't the daughter she had let loose on the world. It scared her. She could see her daughter was shaking. she really didn't know what had happened, but all she did know was she wanted it to stop and she was going to make it stop.

Blog name: Better_Version

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New Post – NEW START

I did it, I got out. I'm lucky. She beat me badly today but something in my mind clicked. I walked for hours and left the neighbourhood behind. I called my Mom. It was the best thing I did. I'm currently lay on her bed using her laptop to keep you all updated. My Mom is with me, keeping me safe. I'm a grown ass woman sleeping in my mother's bed but I can't tell you how lucky I feel right now. She's made me coco, asked me if I'm hungry a million times but I'm not. I'm going to tell her I've not eaten since yesterday. El wouldn't let me. she said I didn't deserve the food. Now I feel like I don't deserve my Mom's love. I've been apart from her for so long.

Yet I called, and she came running.

How is that possible?

How can she love me that much?

I'm scared for the future, but right now. I'm safe with my Mom. I will let my wounds heal.

Where do I go from here? that's the big question. Where do I go from here?