Chapter 1: Perspectives

From the Coronation Street episode that aired on 9 February 2012:

Carla and Peter walked arm in arm down Coronation Street. After Carla's confrontation with Frank the night before, Peter was concerned that she was taking on too much by continuing to work with her rapist.

"You know, you don't have to do this," Peter wanted Carla to know she had options. "You just say the word and you and me and Si will be out of here by the end of the week."

"I'm not having Frank chase me out," Carla was defiant. "He's already taken everything else. The factory's all I've got left."

"Hey," Peter would beg to differ. "It's not all you've got left, is it?"

"Oh no, no, I don't mean that, sorry," Carla realised her mistake. "I don't know what I would've done without you."

Gripping onto the lapels of his denim jacket, Carla kissed Peter softly.

"Hiya," Michelle tentatively approached the couple, fearful of any decisions that had been made overnight in her absence. "So, are you, umm, you coming to work? Or are you running for the hills?"

"Look, I had a wobble, that's all," Carla explained, ashamed of her weakness in even considering running away. "Now, it's business as usual. I'm not going to let that pig run me out of me own factory."

"Good," Michelle was proud of her best friend's resolve. "Let's give 'em hell, ey?"

"Yep," Carla turned to follow Michelle into the factory when Peter grabbed onto her arm; he wasn't finished trying to convince her just yet.

"Hey. Just remember, you don't have to do this."

"Oh, yeah, I do."

Again, Carla turned and walked towards the factory doors.

Peter sighed; on the outside, Carla looked formidable, as if nothing could touch her. But he knew how much she had struggled in recent months and questioned whether she was strong enough to face the man that had raped her, all day every day. He also questioned whether they were strong enough as a couple, fledgling as their union was, to survive whatever Frank planned to throw at them. He desperately wished she would reconsider.

One week later:

Simon stared sullenly out to sea; he didn't want to be here. He hated what his life had become; hated Carla, hated his dad for loving Carla, for choosing Carla. All he wanted was for things to go back to how they had been; him, his dad, and Leanne. A happy family. Until Carla.

A million thoughts swirled through his head amidst the pain and confusion of his life having been turned upside down. It wasn't his fault. It was Carla's. He inwardly seethed at the injustice of it all. One thing was for sure; he would make her pay for ruining his life.

Plans ran through his head of how he could best exact his revenge; how he could get rid of Carla once and for all and regain his happiness.

He pointedly avoided looking at the pier, stretching far out to sea from the pebbled beach, its boardwalk supported by countless wooden and iron supports, rising out of the water, the waves lapping gently against their barnacle-encrusted lengths.

He refused to allow himself to gaze upon the multitude of fast food outlets and candy shops, game arcades, and fairground attractions. Most of all, he avoided looking at the rollercoaster that stood proudly at the far end of the pier and beckoned to him from a distance. He didn't want to be distracted by any kind of fun from the misery he was determined to wallow in until he got his own way.

He would make her regret ever trying to destroy his family.

Peter sighed with relief; he closed his eyes as he breathed in the unmistakable scent of the sea. The salt spray entered his nostrils, bringing with it a thousand happy memories.

He'd always been drawn to the sea; the adventure, the danger, the freedom.

They were free now. Free from Frank, the court case, their so-called family, friends and neighbours who stared at them, disgusted at the pain and destruction they'd inflicted on Leanne, simply by falling in love. As if most of them hadn't done far worse.

But she was safe now. That was all that mattered, that Carla was safe. Still, he knew that her physical safety, won at such an exorbitant price and financial loss, would count for nothing if she continued to be haunted by the memories of what had happened; those memories that kept her awake at night, that brought tears to her eyes at the slightest reminder of her ordeal.

He hoped that this change of scene, this fresh start for all three of them, would soon erase those horrific memories from her mind as they created new, happy memories together as a family.

But even Peter wasn't so delusional as to ignore the new and ever-present threat to their future happiness. Simon. He couldn't deny that Simon hated Carla. Hated her with a passion that both shocked and saddened him. Especially since that hatred was now affecting their father-son relationship, a relationship that Peter cherished.

He was confident, though, that Simon would be won round; eventually. That he would get used to his new life, and his new mother. Leanne had once been nothing to Simon, and he had grown to love her. Peter was sure that the same thing would happen with Carla.

All in all, Peter was satisfied with the way things had turned out. He had the woman he adored, a son who, as soon as things had settled down, would return to the loving, cheeky lad he once was, and a new life full of possibilities by the seaside.

Yes, Peter was more than satisfied with his lot.

Carla gazed forlornly out over the water being tossed about by the wind, the foamy white peaks crashing angrily onto the shore. She knew she should be happy at this chance of a new life that she had been given; she was grateful to Peter for making it happen.

She almost laughed out loud at the word grateful; the word was so grossly inadequate to explain how she felt about Peter and everything he'd done for her. He'd given up everything for her; his marriage, his family, his business. Everything.

She wished she could feel more positive for his sake; to share his optimism for the future. But she couldn't help but feel ashamed for giving up, for running away, for being weak.

The mere thought of it rankled her soul; she'd never before backed down from a fight. But, for the first time, she was tired of fighting. Tired of losing. Tired of the looks people would give her as she walked down the street. People gossiping about her; the homewrecker, the woman who cried rape, the liar.

Because, according to the law, Carla was a liar; someone who'd invented a rape to get rid of a man she was tired of; out of her bed and out of her business.

She wanted to scream at the injustice of it; to smash every window in the street, bang her fists against the walls until they all understood. Until they all knew the truth and threw Frank out of society and into the darkness where he belonged. But instead, it was her that they'd thrown out into the darkness.

Carla loved Peter with all her heart and wanted to make their life together work, to make him happy, to make Simon happy, even though the lad would never believe it. But she couldn't shake the feeling that their ordeal wasn't over, that Frank hadn't finished with them, with her.

"Right," Peter attempted to bring his family together. "Welcome home."

Turning to face their new hometown, this unlikely family buried their private misgivings and clung to each other, their only remaining cornerstone now that the foundations of their lives had been swept away and abandoned hundreds of miles to the north.

I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction, these three "perspectives" from the runaways on their new life. Please leave a comment if you would like to see the story of Carla, Peter and Simon's adventures in Brighton continued…