Running From Hell

"Push Lila. Push your baby is almost here" those were the words I focused on to keep my mind clear. Not thinking about the bruises on my wrist or the throbbing pain in my scalp. My baby was finally coming into the world, and I was not going to let him live in a world of pain. As I bit down on my lip, letting out the hardest push I could. All the tension in my body let out in one and my baby's cries sounded out into the room. "Finally" I whispered to myself as I looked down my chest into my beautiful baby boy's eyes. " My son is finally here! Let me get a look at him," a deep and smooth voice said. Just like that, my baby was being whisked away by his father. The man who smiles so warmly while he beats me, who whispered sweet words of my death so that I would stay silent in front of others. Looking at him holding my baby, I decided I would run. For my son's future, that monster can't be part of it. Having decided I was leaving, I began to plan from my hospital bed. I gave birth on Friday. The doctor said I would be released on Monday. I looked at the time on my phone, 2:34 A.M. It was now early Saturday morning. I laid my head back on my pillow, shutting my eyes and thought, "Money? Car? A safe place? Do I even have anything like that?" I shook my head. " No, I can't let bad thoughts stop me. It's what I've always done because of him." I pulled my phone up to my face, unlocked it and went to the dial pad. Dialing the only number I could remember praying she still had the same number. On the third ring, my heart began to pound, my anxiety growing stronger. "Ugh he…hello?" she said in a groggy voice. Obviously she had been sleeping. I whispered back, "Ss..Sonia? It's me". On the other end of the phone, it had gone so silent I thought she hung up and then, "Lila? Is it really you?" she said loudly in disbelief. I chuckled lowly and nodded, as if she could see me. "Yes, it's me". " Oh my, how have you been? Where are you? Why are you whispering?" With just that first question, I began to quietly sob into the phone, thinking to myself, " How long has it been since anyone cared about me? How long since I've heard such caring words directed at me"? I took a breath, trying to steady my breathing as I said, "I'm in the hospital." Before I could say another word, she shouted through the phone, "What are you okay? Which hospital? Do you need me to come?" I physically relaxed into my bed, realizing my best friend was still the same even though I hadn't spoken to her in 4 years. " I had a baby. A boy ..... with HIM." I said, bringing her questions to a halt. She paused for a minute then asked what always weighs my heart. " Are you happy?" I sucked in a breath and smiled sadly as I said " You were right.... He.. He wasn't who he made me believe he was. He was so much worse than I could have ever imagined." My eyes grew teary again. I finally spat out " I... I need help.. I can't do this anymore. I'm scared I won't be around to see my son grow up." There was a long heavy silence again. Scared, I looked down at my phone to make sure the call was still going. " Where is he?" she asked. I looked at the door and said, "He went home to get the house ready for his parents" . " Good, Will you be able to call me again around this time tomorrow?" she asked in a serious tone. " I think so...he wouldn't be caught dead sleeping on the hospital couch." I said gripping the bedsheets. "Pfft figures he wouldn't" she said bitterly through the phone. I could tell she had rolled her eyes as she said that and couldn't help but chuckle. " Anyway, good, call me tomorrow night around the same time. I should have everything planned by then." She said so confidently, like if she had always been ready. Maybe she had. After all, she had noticed things about him. I had been blind do. Well, maybe not blind, maybe chose not to look wanting to live in my fairy tale. But that's all, it was a fairy tale and as soon as he had me in his grasp, unable to escape, my nightmare really began. " O..okay," I said barely a whisper. " Ssonia thank you ...for not....forgetting me". I could hear her laugh slightly before saying, " You're my best friend, my sister from another mister. How could I ever forget you? I'm just glad you finally called. Now get some rest you will need it". I let out a small smile and hung up. I finally let out a big sigh and said to myself, "Tomorrow.... Tomorrow I will have a way out".