Survivors

I open my eyes to the early morning light. I slowly sit up and rub my eyes. When I place my hands down at my sides, I feel warm skin. I look down and see my ex-boyfriend lying on the bed, naked. My breathing starts to quicken as my eyes slowly travel down to my own body, and I’m also naked. Then everything from last night comes flooding back. The kissing, him taking me home, and us having…..I start muttering every curse word known to man as I jump up from the bed. As I grab my clothes from the floor and dash out the door, I quickly realize something. I don’t know where I am. Shit. I tiptoe back into Darrell's room and snatch his cell phone off the floor. He can get a new one. I throw my dress from the night before on and run out the front door, leaving Darrell naked and hopefully completely clueless.

I run down the block, holding Darrell’s phone out in front of me. His apartment is only a good 3 miles from my house so I was in luck. I run through a patch of bushes, the sticks scratching my bare arms and legs as I pass. I run for another 20 minutes before my house comes into view. By the time I step through the door, my body is bloody, bruised, and dirty. As I emerge in the living room, I stop dead in my tracks when I see my cousin sitting there with my niece. Oh shit, I forgot they were coming today. “Olivia,” my cousin questions as she gets up and walks over to me, looking at me like I grew an extra head. “Hey Renee,” I greet her and give a small, embarrassed wave. “Should I even ask what happened,” she says as she places her hands on her hips. “Not if you don’t want to be stuck here for hours,” I say as I start backing up towards the bathroom. She just nods and presses her lips together. “I’m um, going to….” I trail off as Renee raises her eyebrows at me and finishes, “Shower?” I just nod really fast and dash into the bathroom. I turn the water on and strip out of my filthy dress. As I stand in the warming water, I think about last night. The last time I had sex with Darrell, it had not turned out well. Yes, I had left for college in the states and he had left for one in Paris, but our history went a lot farther back. When I was 17, I had fallen pregnant with his child. It was a little girl that we had agreed to naming, Allison Marie Nardene. I wasn’t totally with the idea about a child, but Darrell was totally thrilled so I went along with it. When I went to the hospital nine months later, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She had brown hair like her father and soft blue eyes like mine, but she was stillborn. I was upset, but I knew I wasn’t old enough to be a mother so I took it as a sign. But, Darrell blamed it on me. He cried for days. He wouldn’t talk to me for weeks. He finally called me and we talked it out and we were on ok terms with each other. We had a very fragile relationship though. So, when I left for college a few months later, I thought I could leave that chapter of my life behind. I did still love him, but our relationship was too fragile for me to bear so I left and tried to start over in life. But still to this day, I remember the beautiful blue eyed baby that looked up at me with dead, unmoving eyes. The image haunts me to this day and I still wonder if it was my fault that the baby was stillborn. I even remember where we buried her. It was in a small meadow behind an old schoolhouse. We had dug up the ground and placed her body in it. We had then put a small camellia plant in the hole to mark her grave. I remember staring at the place for hours and crying because I really did think it was my fault. But that was a year ago, and I was determined to forget it, at least most of it.

I walk out of the bathroom, feeling somewhat refreshed. I was dressed, hair was done, and I was clean. I walk out to see Renee with her head between her knees and she was shaking. I run out and say, “Renee, are you ok.” She just looks up at me with a tear streaked face and nods slightly. “Do you want to talk about it,” I say, still pestering her about the problem. “We can talk, but we can’t talk with Ella here,” she says, pointing to my niece. “Ok. Well we need a babysitter,” I say and Renee is about to answer when the doorbell rings. I sigh and rise from the couch. I fling open the door and stop in my tracks. There stands Darrell. Shit. “What do you want,” I shout. “I wanted you to forgive me,” he says nervously. “Well I don’t have time to forgive because I need a babysitter,” I spit. “Well, I can be a babysitter,” he says as his head shoots up. “I don’t trust you,” I reply. “I was about to be a father. This can be my time to get a little practice for when I am one,” he says. “Well then get the hell in here because I really need to go,” I say as I gesture with my hand for him to come in. He shuffles past me and walk into the living room where Renee and Ella are. “This is Ella,” I tell him, “and her mother Renee, my cousin.” He shakes Renee’s hand and waves to Ella. “Now me and Renee have to go, so good luck,” I say as I rush Renee out the door.

“So Parkers dead?” I question. She just nods and then bursts into tears. I sit back in my seat in disbelief. Parker was Renee’s older brother and her role model. He had died in a car crash two weeks prior. “Well how about we go walk around before we head home and see how your baby Ella and Darrell made out?” I ask as a Starbuck’s lady comes by with our drinks. “Excuse me,” the lady says. “Yes,” I reply as I shift in my seat to see her better. “Did you mention a guy named Darrell,” she asks as she squints at me. “Yes, why,” I ask. “What Darrell are you referring too,” she asks. “Darrell Nardene,” I say suspiciously. She gasps and puts her hands to her mouth. “You have to go home right now,” she says as she starts shaking. I give her a funny look. “He rapes and abuses children,” she replies. My eyebrows shoot up. “He raped my sister,” she says and then turns and runs back into the store. Renee and I jump up from our chairs and run to the car. We speed all the way home at a very illegal speed, and when we burst through the door, we see a sight we never thought we’d see.

Notes

So I really wanted to throw a twist in the story and I hope this isn't to much/too intense. I'm kind of brain dead today so I'm winging it! Please comment!
p.s. it was kind of rushed so some parts may be a little iffy.