Molly Hooper lay in bed, listening to the heavy rain assaulting her windows, anxiously anticipating the next strike of lightning, the loud boom of thunder to follow. She'd been frightened of storms since she was a small child, when she'd jump in bed with Mummy and Daddy and hide between them underneath the blankets. She would lie snugly in their warmth waiting restlessly for the storm to end. She was even more fearful now, the chaos and violence of the elements austerely echoing her truculent life.
Her heart raced faster as she heard the car pull into the driveway, the tires screeching on the wet pavement. She hoped to God that he'd be uninterested or too drunk to notice, but that was almost never the case. Hard footsteps sounded on the front porch and lightning flashed fleetingly, casting the room in an eerie luminescence and she swore her heart would beat right through her chest.
The front door slammed shut and she began to tremble, mentally going over the list making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. The house was clean, dishes washed, dinner was made and kept warm in the oven, just as he liked it, although most nights it mattered not because he didn't eat it anyway. What else? She thought about dear, sweet Toby, but there was no need, his life snuffed out by an angry man. Tears welled in her eyes as her heart ached for her sweet kitty, which never harmed anyone or anything, brutally taken from her in a savage fit of rage. She could never forgive him for that. Of all the bruises and scars he'd given her, that was the one thing that she would forever hate him for.
Molly listened as he drunkenly bumped into every piece of furniture, cursing along the way as his steps led to the closed bedroom door.
Tears welled in her eyes at the thought of what would come next. Dread assailed her every fiber. She had to find some way to escape. But over and over in her mind she'd calculated the consequences of any action that went against him and knew that there was no escape. Well...there was one. But she knew she could never go through with it. Even to save herself from the pain and humiliation to come, she just knew she couldn't bring herself to do it.
Suddenly the door burst open and he was there, a shadow in the darkness, a menacing creature come to snuff out her life. He stood in the doorway for a moment and she surmised that he was contemplating his next actions. That wasn't good.
"You ready for me, bitch?"
Oh no. God no. Please, no!
But her silent prayer went unanswered. He crossed the room and stood at the side of the bed, began to undress.
"Please, not tonight. I'm unwell, darling. Please."
"Well then, if you're unwell, all you've to do is lie still."
The room dropped from beneath her, bed and all, and as he kicked his discarded clothes to the side and crawled underneath the covers, Molly forced her mind elsewhere. A sunny place where the air smelled like flowers and sea, and the beach sand was warm and welcoming to her feet. Toby was there and she was petting him, listening to his purring as he nuzzled her hand. She stayed there as he ravished her. Used her body to satisfy his own need, uncaring of her feelings, or her disgust. She lay limply, not making a sound, her head turned, tears streaming down her face.
At some point, he'd loved her, and she'd loved him. She missed that incredibly. Wished she could get it back, but knew that would never happen. Not now, as he held her down and pumped into her unwilling flesh. No way would she ever have it back. She had to escape somehow. Regardless of the risk or consequence, she simply couldn't live like this anymore, and a new plan took form in her mind.
