the lost stories

"Vengeful Ex"

The loud banging on the front door jolted me awake. My eyes drifted to the alarm clock on my bedside table. It was barely three in the morning.

I turned over and slammed a pillow over my head, hoping to drown out the noise. It was probably just someone who got drunk at a party, they would leave soon enough.

The banging only grew louder with my lack of response. I was also starting to hear muffled shouts. I groaned into my pillow as I realised that the noise probably wouldn't stop unless I answered the door.

I dragged myself out of my bed and went to open the front door, prepared to give the annoying drunk person a piece of my mind for interrupting my sleep.

I couldn't say anything as a pair of hands reached out and grabbed my shirt by the collar. I was pushed against the wall and the figure kicked the front door close. My head throbbed from the impact of crashing against the wall as I looked up, only to be met with eyes I wish I could forget.

The eyes of my toxic ex-boyfriend.

"Why are you here, Brett?" My voice came out barely a whisper as I averted my gaze away from his dark eyes which were burning with rage and hatred. I could feel his gaze upon me. If looks could kill, I probably wouldn't see the light of day tomorrow.

He jerked a hand under my neck, forcing me to meet his gaze. My breathing turned rapid, his touch all too familiar for comfort, flooding my mind with memories I wish to never recall. The memories from when we were okay, the memories from a time when we were actually happy. It seemed like forever ago, but it had only been a few months. I took in a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves, only to be filled with his scent. He reeked of alcohol with no trace of his usual pinewood cologne.

"Why did you have to leave me? Why did you have to ruin everything?" His words were slurred and his breath made me sick to my stomach. How much did he drink to become this intoxicated? I shook my head and pushed his arm away, my eyes dropping to the floor to avoid the burn of his gaze.

"Get out, Brett. You aren't welcome here," I tried my best to hide my quivering voice and kept it firm. He made no attempts to move, his gaze locked on me, jaw clenched and lips pressed into a thin line. I was starting to get fed up, patience wearing thin. I walked away, not caring that he was still standing there.

I had just walked past him when I felt his hand grab my hair, pulling it so hard that I let out an ear-piercing scream. His lips curved to a smirk seeing me in pain and he gave my hair another tug before slamming me against the wall. His hands gripped both my wrists, pinning them at my side. His grip so tight I squirmed in pain, trying to break free of his grasp.

"We were happy together, why did you leave? Why did you ruin everything?" He barked. I almost wanted to scoff at his words. I stared back at him, flaming with anger.

"I ruined everything? You were the one who always came home drunk! You would always come back and treat me like trash! Even when sober, you were possessive. I lost my friends, I lost my family, I had enough! I'm surprised I didn't break up sooner!" I could feel the tears pricking my eyes as I relieved the horrid memories of our broken relationship.

He let out a crude laugh before taking a step closer to me, trapping me. I barely had any room to move. It made me feel incredibly claustrophobic. I struggled to think straight.

Just keep breathing.

"You had me, Sarah," his voice was low, words laced with bitterness. His grip on my hand became tighter, veins bulging from his arms. I stopped myself from wincing upon the pressure, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing me in pain.

I looked up at Brett. The eyes which used to shine under the light,  that used to captivate me and make me get lost in them, now made me want to look away, not being able to stand the darkness that lurks within his cold gaze. His touch which used to provide me comfort and security, which gave me warmth, was now cold and sent chills down my spine.

He was no longer the Brett I used to love.

"But you changed," my words caused him to falter and I saw my chance. I broke free of his grasp and tried to get out of the house.

If he didn't want to leave then I would.

His hand gripped my arm before I could get out, pulling me back and causing me to fall. He grabbed me before I could even recover and shoved me against the kitchen counter.

My head was spinning and throbbed with pain, my back aching from the impact against the counter. Fear gripped my heart as Brett started approaching me again, jaw and fists clenched in anger. Things weren't looking good. Brett didn't make many good decisions when drunk. And he was angry on top of all that. Alarm bells were going off in my head, telling me to make a run for it. Trying to escape through the door would mean having to go past him. I had to call for help.

My hands reached out desperately, trying to reach the telephone on the counter, but he caught my wrist while he used the other hand to push the telephone to the ground, breaking apart upon crashing to the floor.

He drove the hand on my wrist into my throat, pushing me further up against the counter. The pressure of his hands was crushing my airway. I tried to let out a scream but it came out as a raspy hoarse sound.

"Why did you have to ruin what we have?" His voice was demanding as he tightened his grip, long fingers squeezing the air out of my lungs.

Blood was starting to drain from my head, I was pretty sure I was going to die soon if he didn't let go. My hands clawed at his desperately while I pleaded with my eyes, but his gaze was dark, clouded with desire for revenge, for payback. He was too far gone. He wouldn't let go.

My hand blindly moved about the counter, trying to find something that could stop him. My hands wrapped around a spray bottle. Not caring what it was, I sprayed it at his eyes.

He fell back, letting out a wretched scream while clawing his eyes from the burn. Judging from the floral scent, it was probably my perfume. I fell onto the ground, desperately trying to breathe and get air back into my system. I struggled to get up, making my way to the door when a hand swung by and caused me to trip. I yelped in pain. My heart was thumping so hard it was about to escape my chest.

He suddenly moved on top of me tugging my hair, causing me to let out another desperate cry for help. I could see splotches of red in his eyes that were barely open.

Someone must have heard us. Please.

Despite his eyes burning, his free hand was raised to give me a jab to the stomach. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact, but it never came.

Instead, I heard a strangled cry escape from Brett's lips. He was tackled to the ground by a figure I could not make out under the dim lights. I could barely make out the figure falling to the ground and Brett rushing to the door, stumbling in the process, but I heard his last words clearly.

"This is not settled, Sarah."

Hot tears pricked my eyes as I desperately tried to sit up. I never thought Brett would do something like this to me. Managing to pull myself up, I leaned against the sofa, eyes closed, hoping to ease the ache in my body and head.

He already ruined my life while we were still together. He just won't ever leave me alone, will he?

"Hey, are you okay?" I cracked open my eyes ever so slightly. The unknown figure came up to me, concern written on his face. I tried to get a better look at who the person was, only to see the world spinning. Black spots were dancing in front of my eyes, obscuring my vision.

I felt myself slowly lose consciousness and I clutched to the person's wrist tightly. And just like that, the world went black and I fell forward into the person's arms.