It’d taken her two hours to write the letter: rough draft, corrections, a rewording here a cancellation there. She’d decided this time she was really through with him. She was tired of his rages. She’d decided that writing him she wouldn’t have to face a third degree … and worse his anger.
The door bell rang. She looked through the video on the house phone. It was him. Her eye strayed to the mirror by the doorway. Eye, because one was swollen shut where he’d hit her just the night before in one of his drunken fits.
She thought she’d just ignore him. Maybe he’d just leave. But no, he began to pound on her door.
“I know you’re in there, putana! Let me in!” he yelled drunkenly slurring his words.
Shaking, she took out her cell phone and dialed 113.
“Pronto, Carabinieri. Can I help you?” a smiling voice came over the phone.
“Yes please come quickly, there’s a man at my door, he wants to kill me.”
“Presto … give me your address.” He urged her in a calm precise voice.
Too late, the door caved in.
They found her following the phone’s gps … there laid the letter, unmailed, by her body.
Sunday Photo Fiction – June 22, 2014
It’s been awhile since I wrote for Sunday Photo Fiction … a great photo, why not give it a whirl!
Bastet and Sekhmet's Library 
Rather shocking.
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Great story. Unfortunately, it happens too often in real life.
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Yes it does, all throughtout the world. Unfortuantely.
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Tough story, well delivered. Great pacing.
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I’d only intended to write a story of a lady writing a letter breaking off a relationship, but it developed like this. It was a surprise for me. I remember all too often reading stories that speak about this sort of thing or it’s variation happening and it always makes me sad/mad. Thanks for the feedback.
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Yes, well-paced and the tone was just right. He calls her a whore – it’s what happens, because he blames her for his actions.
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Thats it Freya. Usually they’re projecting something rotten from their own insides and need someone outside themselves to “punish”.
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This is a very powerful and well written story
I was hoping they would get to her first. There is too much of this in reality, unfortunately, and the abuser is always “I’ll change”, “I’m sorry”, “I never meant for that to happen”, “I didn’t know what I was doing”. Physical, verbal, emotional abuse can all end this way.
Can I ask you a favour though. Can you stick some addresses on the bottom? Having been on the receiving end of emotional and mental abuse, I know these things escalate, and at the time, I would have loved to have had a number or something I could have contacted then. Thanks 🙂
http://www.thehotline.org/ – The National Domestic Violence Hotline
http://www.dahmw.org/ – Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men And Women
http://www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk/ – Refuge Domestic Abuse Helpline
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Thanks for you feedback. It was not intended to come out this way but it did and it seemed at the time, that that was how it should be written. 😦
Yes, it’s a sad story all too often repeated daily throughout the world.
The terrible part is as you say, after butalizing they’re always sorry and expect to be forgiven and usually are .. and then it all starts over again. The victim doesn’t know where to go how to defend herself and somehow sometimes even feels guilty about leaving him and forgives thinking that somehow she can “save” him. I know the feeling been there.
I didn’t put any addresses in because we write on an international level. Where are your addresses … Britain/U.S./Australia? Would be happy to put them at the bottom of my story.
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I suppose adding one for each country would take up a couple of pages in itself. When you click on that first link, it has a pop up stating that internet cache can’t be cleared completely and there is a free phone number to call instead.
Sometimes our stories want to be told differently to how we wanted them to be, so they come out on their own
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Yes that is a little hard to do. I wonder if there is an international association that coordinates national associations against abuse. Kind of like a directory … I’ll look to see if I can’t find something – maybe through a UN association.
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I’ve had a quick look, and most of them are national ones. A friend of mine, when she was a male and married, (he) suffered badly from abuse from (his) wife. (He) managed to get out in the end and started a helpline for men in domestic abuse, because the majority of men won’t say anything. They think it makes them less a man. She still does the helpline, and occasionally does radio shows about it.
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Yes, it’s not only women who are abused … humans sometmes have a bit of rot inside that pushes them to feel “strong” hurting those who have difficulty defending themselves. I’ve been out most of the day and haven’t had a chance to look around yet. I would think that the more practicle orgs would be national though. Thaanks for sharing this other aspect here.
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You’re welcome, and thank you for raising it to light, even in fiction.
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It’d be nice If it makes people more aware.
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It would.
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It breaks my heart — because it happens so much. So terribly sad — oh, dear. BUT so well-written Georgia.
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Thanks Jen. The mechanism that keep people (for tis not only women) in a hurtful damaging situtation are really so impelling. The person always believes that their partner will change and alas that usually dosen’t happen and the violence often escalates. It is very sad indeed that lives can be ruined like this.
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Eternal optimism, denial, superhero complexes — whatever the causes – it’s tragic. 😦
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Yes it is … sigh.
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Brilliantly written.
Very moving and powerful
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Thanks you, it’s one of those heard stories to write, so I appreciate your feedback.
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