Exposure - Part 1

Dear Diary

           Spring is transitioning into Summer. The days are growing longer, the beautiful blossoms on the trees have fallen, and the heart of the earth is burning brighter. Every day, I am closer to leaving everything behind me. I want to leave this town, this old downscale apartment, and Harry. Yesterday was another hard one. Harry accusing me of using his credit card when he went out the day before with his "buddies" to go drink. He squeezed my arms and yelled at me with the face of a raging bull. I saw the drunken anger in his face, and he saw the cowed tear falling from my face as his thumb accidentally caught it. I've lost my job - again because Harry would take the car and wouldn't come back for hours and I would arrive late to work. Which isn't a total loss since I was just a cashier at an old bakery and no one ever came into the shop. The real loss is that this was my third job within six months. And it's gone with the wind. Still, I had no luck searching for Ryan. Caroline showed me this website for background checks and ancestry, and after look for hours I only found my mother who lives in Tampa, Florida. (Like I didn't know that already). I spoke to my dear friend Caroline about leaving as well, and she agrees. Within the next month, I will be free from everything. But no one can ever know, especially Harry. 

                                                                              - Julie 

I closed my journal as Harry walked into the scenery. It was 10:00 p.m.

"Where have you been?" I asked gently

"Been out. What's it to you?" He replied

"I missed my interview because you had the car again. The bus didn't come either, and Caroline was visiting her mother in the hospital. Where have you been?" I noticed my voice getting stricter and backed off a little 

"I've been out stop hassling me, god damn!" He shouted with grief. His walk was muddled and uncertain. 

"Harry have you been drinking?" I ask.

"NO!" He shouted again chuckling in the end.

"Harry you can't drink and drive you could get hurt, or worse-"

"Julie" He came to a halt. "You better stop bitchin' in my face or I'll give you something to bitch about."

I stopped talking. He left the room sighing and scuffing his feet across the floor dropping his keys in the process. I waited for him to close the bedroom door and crawled to the floor to pick up the car keys. I struggle to remove only the car key and remote to try and leave the apartment for some time. Harry came back into the living room.

"What's that you're doing?" 

I picked my head up in fear. "Nothing deary." He walks over to me and picks me off the floor.

"You're not going anywhere you hear me?!" He screams and hurls me on the black leather couch. His fist began to ball up and I braced myself for the worst.

A moment passed. Everything was silent. Even the noisy never-sleeping city was silent, when his fist un-balled. His arms fell to his side and the rest of his body to the floor. He had passed out. Noticing what had happened to him, I grab the keys and dart out the door into the elevator. 

The elevator doors close and I sink to my feet and curl up in a fetal position. The motion of the shaft was soothing, and calmed my nerves. Suddenly the shaft stopped moving, and I was on the ground level. The doors slide open and I see this man. My eyes were drenched in tears and I couldn't see his face features. I pick myself up and trudge out the elevator to my car realizing I was in a pair of Spanx, one of Harry's suit shirts, and my brunette hair was damp from my shower. Placing the key into the ignition, I drive to Carolines House. My cell phone begins to ring as I'm driving. It's Harry. Knowing it was him created this hole in my stomach. I declined the call when he calls me again, and again, and again. I finally pick the phone up.

"Harry I can't talk-"

"Where did you go?! Ooh once I get my hands on you.." His voice is demonic. Tears run from my eyes again frustrated and confused. I try to reason with him and lie to him.

"Harry I'm sorry I really can't talk to you right now!"

"I bet you're at that girl Caroline's. I know where that is, and my bud Blake was coming tonight for a second hit. I'm going to find you." His breathing is heavy and gorilla like. My hands clasp over my mouth in shock, looking into on coming traffic, I handled the wheel quick. My life flashed before my eyes. I can remember 'dying'.