Battered Broken and Bruised

He knows

It’s now seven at night. The sun has set and I stare out the car window into the black abyss and notice how many stars are actually in the night sky. Wow the dark night sky really is beautiful and I decided it’s time for a physical change for myself. I really want to stretch my legs. We’ve been driving for five hours.

“Can we find a*****e to use the bathroom and get some food?” I ask as my stomach groans with ferocity. “Welcome to herseville” I read aloud. We see a*****e sign that read WISHLOTS convenient store. We turn into the lot and find a spot to park. Claire turns the car off and removes the key

“You ready Carly?” she asks. “Make sure your hood is up. We don’t want to risk running into anybody that may notice you” she says.

I slide my hood up onto my head and open my door. We walk across the parking lot in tandem. I feel my heart begin racing and my palms sweat. I was never allowed to leave home and it’s as if I’m seeing the world for the first time.

“Mom, can you change my hair color so I can start anew?” I ask excitedly.

“Of course Car… Cass.” She corrects herself. “I was actually blonde myself before I left”

“Black” is all I can say.

As we head for the beauty section I hear a deep booming man’s voice. “You stupid fu***** wh***!” He yells. Next thing I know I’m sitting on the floor head between my knees shaking and sobbing.

“Shhh Cassidy it’s okay. Carly Mae it’s okay baby” my mom whispers in my ear as she wipes my tears with the back of her hand. I try taking five deep breaths as my mom coached me to do and got myself up off the floor. We pass aisle after aisle until we come to an aisle full of hair dyes and hair products. I grab two boxes of black a box of silvery gray and a high lighting kit. We grab shampoos and conditioners and head to the registers to pay for our items. We use a self checkout lane hoping not to be noticed. I swipe my card and grab the receipt and we head to this adorable little cafe at the front of the store.

We ordered our coffees and a sandwich for both of us. I use my card to pay and my mom stops and says “Carly no!”

“What did I do?”I ask sadly and I flinch at the tone in her voice.

“We need to go and need to go now” she says to me. We walk out of the store with sandwiches and coffees and she doesn’t talk. I see a a sign that says Motel5 in a bright light.

“Can we get a room here for tonight?” I ask.

“We can stay tonight, but we leave at first light,” she says. I feel my heart skip a beat at the thought of sleep. Mom gets us a room and has me wait in the car. We grab our bags and drinks and head for the room. I open the door and to my surprise there’s two beds. We set our belongings down and flip on the tv as we eat our food and enjoy our coffees.

The next thing I hear sends chills down my body. “Tragedy strikes Greecington police department earlier today. Woman thought to be the police chief's fiancé in a one car motor vehicle accident on her way to their wedding. More at eleven with news fifteen” the anchorman said. I feel a sense of relief and guilt wash over me.

As time passes with the dye on my head and highlights, setting images of today's events fill my head. Are they sad because they’ll miss me or is it the things they enjoy doing to me have to stop. I can’t help but wonder if I wasn’t good enough to be loved. They sure did put on a good show acting hurt over the loss of me I say and chuckle.

“Mom, do you think they’ll really miss me? Do you think they’ll try finding me? Oh my god, what if they test her DNA?” I ramble and I become erratically scared and tremble!

“I have everything figured out,” she responds. Tomorrow at first light we leave for Lyntucket” she says as she rinses my hair. Her touch feels as if I’m small and safe again. She begins talking of what’s happened to her since she left and where she went for years before coming back. She changed her name to Claire as well. I faintly remember my dad screaming Veronica Claire when he’d hit me. I corrected him once before and it led to not eating for several days.

“I’m sorry Carly” mom says. “I had no way of getting you out safely after I died!”

“I understand. If it weren’t for you coming back now I don’t know if I’d be alive” I say with tears in my eyes. She holds a mirror in front of my face after drying my hair and all I can do is stare at the girl in the mirror. “Hello Cassidy the survivor and goodbye Carly the victim” mom says smiling! I grab my makeup wipes and wash everything off revealing the fresh dark purple bruises all over my face and my neck. My mom has tears in her eyes.

“It’s okay mom. I’m safe now”. That’s when the same familiar voice of the earlier anchorman.

“Tragedy strikes Greecington police department. Investigators confirm Carly

Charleston police chief Mitchell’s fiancé was the woman found deceased in the vehicle. According to investigators she passed before the car was engulfed in flames. Now a few words from the chief himself.”

“My fiancé was a kind, caring , amazing woman. She will always be loved and missed greatly. Her father and mother wish to be excluded from interviews as of now to mourn their daughter.” As I go to power off the tv I hear Mikael say “I’ll see you again one day my love”. My blood runs cold as I look to my mom full of panic and regret.

“He knows!” Is all that leaves my lips.

“My dear I took care of everything there’s no way he knows…. The credit card at the store” She says.” It’s time to get some sleep. We leave at the break of dawn and we have a long way till we’re home!”

I triple check the lock on the door and the windows. I walk over to my bed, pull the covers back and snuggle into the bed in the fetal position. I pull the blankets up to my chin and nestle in as much as I can as I drift a way to a restless slumber.