Shattered- Niall Horan

1 - The Escape

Ashely Winters

Today was the day. The day I decided to make a change. I stood in the kitchen looking at purple bruises all over my arms and legs. I could barely breathe when my boyfriend Seth opened the door with a loud slam. He went out drinking with his friends again even though I begged him not to. Seth was the type of guy who became violent when he drank. Worse than usual.

I gave out a small shriek when we stomped over to me with clenched teeth. I was standing in the kitchen with my back against the sink. Trying to get as far away as possible. It seemed like I only blinked and he was face to face with me. His eyebrows furrowed, he had the face of a monster.

"Where's my dinner?!" Seth screamed at me. I could smell the alcohol between his clenched teeth. I swallowed hard with tears already pooling under my eyes. "I.. I
t.. thought you ate w.. with your friends.. It's almost 10:00."
A tear slid down my cheek as I said that. I heard my voice crack and I'm sure he could too.
"You ignorant bitch!" He screamed at me. He flung his hand upward and made contact with my cheek. I winced in pain and fell to the floor holding my stinging cheek.

"I can make you something if you want." I practically whispered still holding my cheek. "Just please don't hurt me Seth." I tried to keep as calm as possible so I wouldn't get hit again. But the tears kept pouring out.

Seth pulled me up off the floor by my hair. I screamed and cried in pain as his rough hands pinned my arms at my sides. "Please.." I cried. Somehow I managed to wiggle out of his grip and crawl out from the corner of kitchen under his legs. I ran to the back door as fast as I could. Seth caught up to me and grabbed my from the hem of my shirt hitting me again.
"Aw how cute. You think you can just leave me." Seth laughed at me. I stood their emotionless. But the tears wouldn't stop running down my cheeks. "Well you know what sweetie? You'll never leave me!" He said with a wicked smirk on his face.
Soon I found myself being pinned up to the wall behind me. Seth violently pressed with filthy lips against mine while holding both my arms in one hand. I cried out in pain.

"Shut up! You should be enjoying this!" He whispered in my ear. I began to kiss him back not wanting to get hit again. Tears still falling staining my cheeks. I absolutely despised when he made me do things like this.
He tried to force his tongue in my mouth but I denied access. I refused to be treated like a rag doll. But that didn't stop him. His hand that wasn't holding my arms down quickly rubbed up and down my chest all the way to the hem of my shorts. I just stood there and cried. The last time he came home like this he forced me to sleep with him. I absolutely hated it. He touched my body all over and i felt so violated.

Still standing here pinned against a wall I decided I can't live like this. I've tried to get away many times but failed. Tonight was the night id escape. "Stop! I don't love you!" I screamed.
I squeezed out of Seth's hard grip and opened the back door and bolted down the grass in the dark night. I felt something hit the back of my head. Seth threw a glass lamp at me. I wanted to turn around to see if he was following me. Do I dare? I dared. I turned around and surely enough Seth was chasing me like a mad man.

I ran until I reached the cliff by our apartment. At the end of the cliff was water. Water everywhere. I reached the very edge of the cliff. It had to be at least a 50 foot drop. And I couldn't even swim. How stupid I am to think that I could get away from Seth. He was much faster and stronger than I was.
Seth caught up to me. I was gonna try to run the other way but I was trapped. He slowly walked up to me with tightened fists and clenched teeth. I was terrified. He walked up to me and grabbed me by the shirt.

"You stupid girl. You thought that you could leave me!?" I backed up again. I was at the very edge of the cliff. He grabbed me by the hem of my tank top. Instead of hitting me he violently swung me over his shoulder. "Let me go!" I screamed kicking him at hard as possible.

"If you insist." I heard him say. Wait what?

I felt his arms let go of me and I found myself falling. I felt like raindrop falling from the sky. Until I felt my back harshly hit something wet with a big slap. Seth threw me off the cliff and into the lake.
My head began to pound at the impact of the water. I just fell 50 feet. Even in the dark of night I'm pretty sure I saw a pool of blood surrounding me. My blood. I began to violently kicking my arms and legs trying to stay above the harsh tide. But it was no use. I didn't know how to swim.

My whole body was under water. I was kicking and choking on water. Luckily I floated back up and caught my breath. For the few seconds that I was above water I spotted a bright light flying across the lake. A boat? I began screaming for help and waving my arms crazily. But the boat was going the opposite way.

I managed to get one last big breath before my entire body sunk down and got lost under the violent waves.