New Start
254 Words
She had finally hit her limit. Over eight hours of straight driving, and she finally caved, it was time to pull over and get some sleep. She was at least far enough away in North Carolina that she should be out of Cal's reach, for now.
Lillington. Population under 4000.
Seemed like a good place to stay for a few days. Get a solid plan and put it into motion. Looked like a normal blue-collar town. Small family homes lined the streets. Lawns were well maintained, and flower beds led the paths. She crept down the streets in search of a bed and breakfast, or preferably a motel. Finally, finding an Econolodge should be cheap and, frankly, she wasn't going to be picky.
Settling in, she flopped onto the twin bed. She needed a hot shower and a greasy meal. Dragging herself to the bathroom, she stripped as the water warmed up. She peeked at the mirror. She looked horrible. A sob choked in her throat. Staring at her naked body, she was covered in bruises, yellow, green and purple. Eye swollen and black. She had a bite mark on her neck that was red and angry. Luckily, Cal was too hammered to try anything se*ually, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to leave his mark. She climbed under the scolding water. Maybe she could burn his memory away. Sliding down the tiled wall to the ground, she finally broke, sobs spilling out of her.
She would be OK. She would be OK.
- Writer
