Runnig free part 1
Julie sat in her room alone, waiting. The yelling and screaming
down the hall was the usual. Dad with his booming voice echoing down spotless
walls, mom whining, screaming, almost cracking shiny windows. It was night
time, Julie was watching tv, but was only watching. She was listening to them
arguing. Again.
"I'm not gonna let you do this, Rebecca! I won't allow this varmin in
here!"
"Walter, she needs someone. He isn't that bad of a guy, really."
Silence. "Would you put that damned bottle down, Walter??? You're gonna hurt
yourself again!"
It was true. The last time they had fought, Julie had heard a
sickening crash, and her dad yelling at her mother to get the glass out of his
arm. He didn't realize until later that he had a piece in his eye too. Now he
could only see from the left side of his face.
Julie hated looking into her step father's face. The other eye was
growing lazy, always half closed these days. He almost never shaved, unless
someone from mom's church was coming over. He was always keeping up
that outside image for everyone. That's what all drunk father's did, to keep
rumors of abuse lost in the wind.
"I'm the one who runs things here, Rebecca! You don't tell me what
to do, dammit!"
"Oh Walter, you're so worthless!! I should have never married you! I'd
be better off a widow."
Julie started shaking now, though she was too angry to notice. She
knew that later on she would hear different sounds, and her mother saying
that she loved him, she was sorry, while Julie knew He was hurting her in a
different way. She heard it all from the other side of the thin wall, every time
they had a fight.
"Let go of me, you bastard! I'll call the cops if you don't let me go!"
Silence.
"Now, don't get too rash Becky."
Julie knew he was trying to coax her in, to calm her down. HEaring
his slick, slimy voice made her stomach nauseous. Julie quietly got off the bed
and went to pick up her back pack. She started taking books out of it, one by
one.
"Why shouldn't I? You deserve this and you know it!" Julie could
picture her mother, hair askew, draped in a summer dress, holding the landline
like a lifesaver.
"They won't do anything anyway. They know me. Nothing will work
Rebecca."
Julie held a yearbook in her hand. Her senior year was kept in this
binding. She placed it carefully back in the backpack.
""I'll tell them, somehow! I'll show them all the Daniel's you've been
drinking this week! The unpaid bills! You're not safe anymore Walter. I'm getting
rid of you!"
Her mother's strong voice gave Julie a slight stirring of hope
amongst her swimming stomach, but she shouldn't have held onto it. The next
sound were a slap, her mother hitting the floorboards, and the phone
smacking the wall. Tears were coming down Julie's face as she quickly grabbed
clothes. She knew what was going to come to her door, What would happen
inside these walls of her bedroom. She couldn't let it happen again.
"That'll teach you, Rebecca. You've stepped out of line."
"No, you have!" Julie knew she was trying to stand up.
"You've gone too far, refusing me like this." Now his voice was low
and growling.
Julie grabbed her cell phone and turned it off, her ipod and her
laptop. She put on her shoes and slung the backpack over her shoulder,
silently opening the window.
"You can't do this Walter. Please, please don't."
Julie knew it was going to end soon. Her mother was reduced to
pleading again. He would hit her a few times, then come to Julie's room to get
the rest of his anger out. Julie needed to end this wretched cycle. She slipped
out of the window and onto the cool grass, underneath a blanket of stars.
She silently closed the window again.
Then she ran for a new life.
down the hall was the usual. Dad with his booming voice echoing down spotless
walls, mom whining, screaming, almost cracking shiny windows. It was night
time, Julie was watching tv, but was only watching. She was listening to them
arguing. Again.
"I'm not gonna let you do this, Rebecca! I won't allow this varmin in
here!"
"Walter, she needs someone. He isn't that bad of a guy, really."
Silence. "Would you put that damned bottle down, Walter??? You're gonna hurt
yourself again!"
It was true. The last time they had fought, Julie had heard a
sickening crash, and her dad yelling at her mother to get the glass out of his
arm. He didn't realize until later that he had a piece in his eye too. Now he
could only see from the left side of his face.
Julie hated looking into her step father's face. The other eye was
growing lazy, always half closed these days. He almost never shaved, unless
someone from mom's church was coming over. He was always keeping up
that outside image for everyone. That's what all drunk father's did, to keep
rumors of abuse lost in the wind.
"I'm the one who runs things here, Rebecca! You don't tell me what
to do, dammit!"
"Oh Walter, you're so worthless!! I should have never married you! I'd
be better off a widow."
Julie started shaking now, though she was too angry to notice. She
knew that later on she would hear different sounds, and her mother saying
that she loved him, she was sorry, while Julie knew He was hurting her in a
different way. She heard it all from the other side of the thin wall, every time
they had a fight.
"Let go of me, you bastard! I'll call the cops if you don't let me go!"
Silence.
"Now, don't get too rash Becky."
Julie knew he was trying to coax her in, to calm her down. HEaring
his slick, slimy voice made her stomach nauseous. Julie quietly got off the bed
and went to pick up her back pack. She started taking books out of it, one by
one.
"Why shouldn't I? You deserve this and you know it!" Julie could
picture her mother, hair askew, draped in a summer dress, holding the landline
like a lifesaver.
"They won't do anything anyway. They know me. Nothing will work
Rebecca."
Julie held a yearbook in her hand. Her senior year was kept in this
binding. She placed it carefully back in the backpack.
""I'll tell them, somehow! I'll show them all the Daniel's you've been
drinking this week! The unpaid bills! You're not safe anymore Walter. I'm getting
rid of you!"
Her mother's strong voice gave Julie a slight stirring of hope
amongst her swimming stomach, but she shouldn't have held onto it. The next
sound were a slap, her mother hitting the floorboards, and the phone
smacking the wall. Tears were coming down Julie's face as she quickly grabbed
clothes. She knew what was going to come to her door, What would happen
inside these walls of her bedroom. She couldn't let it happen again.
"That'll teach you, Rebecca. You've stepped out of line."
"No, you have!" Julie knew she was trying to stand up.
"You've gone too far, refusing me like this." Now his voice was low
and growling.
Julie grabbed her cell phone and turned it off, her ipod and her
laptop. She put on her shoes and slung the backpack over her shoulder,
silently opening the window.
"You can't do this Walter. Please, please don't."
Julie knew it was going to end soon. Her mother was reduced to
pleading again. He would hit her a few times, then come to Julie's room to get
the rest of his anger out. Julie needed to end this wretched cycle. She slipped
out of the window and onto the cool grass, underneath a blanket of stars.
She silently closed the window again.
Then she ran for a new life.