Lycan Rising

Escape

Trigger Warning mentions of domestic abuse

Kyrie stood in the bathroom mirror, attempting to wash the blood off of her face. Declan had been particularly brutal today.

“I just want you to remember who you belong to,” Declan whispered in her ear as he walked up behind her.

“As if I could forget with all the scars you’ve left on me,” she replied without looking at him.

He reached around in front of her and grabbed her roughly by the chin, “Why do you always antagonize me?”

“Perhaps the problem is that you are antagonized by me daring to breathe,” Kyrie told him.

Declan shoved her face before releasing her chin. He adjusted his suit as he walked away from her. “I expect you to have a better attitude when I return.”

Kyrie rolled her eyes but didn’t reply as she gingerly dabbed her busted lip. She had no intention of being here when he returned. Kyrie had money that Declan didn’t know about. Her adopted parents had given her the information when she turned 18, apparently her birth parents had left her a substantial sum that she could have when she became an adult. Not needing the money at the time, she had left it in the bank. When she met Declan at 20,he had seemed so charming at first. However, as soon as she agreed to move in with him, he showed his true colors. Because of this, she kept the money a secret as she soon realized that he wasn’t going to let her leave. But now she had her chance. Declan was going to be out of town for a week across the country, and Kyrie was planning on running to a place where he would never find her.

“Bye, Kyrie. I do love you in spite of what you think,” Declan said as he prepared to walk out the door.

“Last time I checked, you aren’t supposed to hurt the ones you love,” she replied.

With a growl of annoyance, he turned and walked out the door. She watched out the window and waited until she saw him drive away, immediately springing into action.

Running into their bedroom, she grabbed a duffel bag that held a few changes of clothes, a new unopened phone, and enough cash for a plane ticket and rental car. She left the phone that he had given her (that she was well aware of him using to track her movements) and all the cards he had given her, since he thought she was completely dependent on the money he provided.

Peeking out the window to make sure that he hadn’t returned, she ran out the door with her bag and hurried down the street. Praying that her plan would work, she made her way to the bus stop just in time to catch the bus that would bring her to the airport.

Kyrie breathed a sigh of relief as the bus pulled away from the stop. Reaching in her duffel bag she pulled out the box that contained her new phone and began to set it up. It suddenly really clicked in her mind that she was free, and a few tears of relief spilled out of her eyes. Finally out of his grasp and free to live her life as she chose. She made up her mind never to make a mistake like this again, never would she allow herself to be abused again. Grateful she escaped before he completely broke her spirit and dreaming of her future, she felt a strange stirring in her mind and heard a faint voice saying, “As if that mutt could.”

Shaking her head, Kyrie wondered if she was losing her mind, but the strange voice was gone. Deciding it was probably stress from the situation, she placed the new phone in her bag, and prepared to exit the bus as it pulled up at the main entrance to the airport.

Inside she followed the signs and found her way to a ticket booth and joined the line to buy her ticket. As she approached the desk , the middle aged woman selling tickets got her information and asked where she was headed.

“I need a one way ticket to New Orleans please,” Kyrie told her.

The lady printed her ticket and handed it to her. Kyrie handed her enough cash to pay for the ticket.

“Have a nice flight ma’am,” the woman told her.

“Thank you,” Kyrie said as she gathered her bag and headed away from the desk. Following the signs, she made her way to the terminal and sat down to wait on her flight to be called. It was still hard to believe that she did it, that she escaped and would be a free woman in less than an hour. And she hoped that Declan wouldn’t realize that she was gone for several more hours. By then she would be long gone and safe for the first time in 5 years.

Her flight number was finally called and she made her way to the boarding line. Putting her duffel bag up above her head, she sat down next to the window and smiled. Kyrie was ready to start the rest of her life.