If you are in an abusive relationship,
physical,etc.get out now. You can do better! |
He had to be there. Light was still washing the garden, where he said he's meet her. Surely he would wait, he just had to. She picked up the pace as she walked along the dusty trail. Of all the places he had to pick. She fell over a amber colored bottle that someone had left in the path. Pretty odd, she thought. This wasn't exactly a place to be drinking. "Are you okay ma'am?" SHe turned around to find a very authentically dressed cowboy looking at her curiously. "I'm fine, thank you," she replied, brushing the dust off her legs. "What happened to your dress?" he asked. "What?" She looked down at the denim shorts she had on, except for the dust they were the same as they had been when she put them on. "I don't know how they dress where you're from, but 'round here you better cover up them legs. Women don't wear britches." "Excuse me," she said, backing away. What was with that guy? The street was empty except for a storekeeper,an apron covered his seemingly oldfashioned outfit, he was sweeping the dusty boardwalk in front of his establishment. Funny how she hadn't noticed him before. Maybe they were trying to bring this town back to life, although it didn't really make sense. No one had lived there since the depression came in and forced everyone down into the valley. However there was paint that looked new in the window that read Carlilse Mercantile. Funny how that was her last name. As she headed toward where the garden would be, she thought about how the last few months had been. Noisy, chaotic, stressful, they never seemed able to end a conversation in any way other than a fight. She would work it out, she knew she could. Maybe she did wear too much makeup. That could be her starting point, and she could bite her tounge more when he said things that she didn't like. She could change, they could make it work.... SHe heard a noise that sounded like someone crying behind one of the stores. She cautiosly crept around to the back of where she had heard it, and found a young woman who appeared to be about her age, curled up against it as though trying to hide. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I'm just fine, thank you," she replied. "You seem pretty upset to me." "No offense ma'am, I just feel weird talking to someone whos dressed so funny." "I have to ask, what on earth is wrong with what I'm wearing? You people act like you've never seen a pair of shorts in your life." "No offense ma'am," she said with a sniff. "Women 'round these parts don't show there legs. Not even the saloon girls my beau Jake is keepin, has a hemline that high." "What year is this?" "1845." "No seriously." "1845." "You're serious?" SHe wanted to freak out, yet she could tell this woman was in pain by the way she flinched when she mentioned her beau. "Is he the one that hurt you?" "Who Jake?" "He's your beau right?" "He didn't hurt me. The shove was an accident." "The shove?" "Yes m'm, he shoved me into the wall, but it was an accident. I shouldn'tve made him so mad.He's done worse, but he's been better lately." "Can I ask what you did to make him mad?" "I just mentioned I didn't like him sleeping with the saloon girls, and he just got mad . I shouldn'tve said anything." "Why do you put up with it?" "Cuz he's my promised one. That's why." "Surely he's not the only gentleman in town. Why don't you dump him?" "Dump?" "Ugh, not marry him?" "We have our fights, it's true. I just need to change, so he'll like me better." Like her better....where had she heard that familiar phrase? "Listen to me," she said. "You don't deserve a life with a man who is going to hurt you. Don't choose someone who will sleep around with saloon girls and shove you. Marry someone that isn't going to make you afraid" she said helping the girl to her feet. They walked around to the main boardwalk area . SHe wanted to get back to where she had tripped. Maybe the clue would be there." She noticed a young man peeking shyly at them out of the mercantile window. "Who is that?" "That'd be John. I can't let'm see I've been cryin'. He don't like it none that I'm marryin Jake. We've always been real close though." "Don't marry Jake. I'll come help you break things off if you want me to!!!" "Nah, I'll do it. I just need to do it on my own." "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you for moral support?" "No. I'll be fine. Thanks." And with that she was gone SHe made her way back to the spot. The fear starting to creep in . How on earth was she going to get back? Once again she tripped over the amber colored container. "Drat!" she cried as she hit the dusty path. She looked back through the settling dust to shoot a nasty glare at the innocent object. She looked around in confusion. There reamined no trace of the town that had exsisted only moments before. It had been there, it wasn't a figment of her imagination. Her imagination wasn't that good. Had she really..?? SHe shook her head to clear it. THe fall had probably knocked her out. Maybe it was a dream. "it's over," she told him, her voice low and even. "No it's not. If you think you can do better then me, you're wrong. No one will love you like I do," he said sweetly, grabbing her arm. "Now I know this isn't about me. It's about your issues. The biggest one you have is how you dress, right? You know how I don't like shorts." He reminded her of a cobra, just biding it's time lazily, until it came after you with it;s long deadly body, and quick sharp teeth. "Let me go," she hissed. He dropped her arm, confused. This wasn't his girlfriend. He didn't understand it, that made him angry. "I'm not going to let you go, do you understand," he yelled, his grip getting tighter. She pushed him away with a fierce push, and pulled out her cell phone. "Don't think I won't call the police," she said challenging him. "Not it you're dead," he said. "Nope, you're not worth the minutes<" she said walking away. He jumped up, and ran after her. "Well. I'm willing to forget what you said, if you'll come with me. I won't teach you a lesson this tme, if you don't pull this again." "What part of "It's over don't you get?" she asked him, looking into his eyes. THey were eyes of steel, tiger eyes they had once been called. SHe got into her car, and drove off. "Mom, did we have any ancestors who lived in a place called Rosenbird?" SHe asked. Her mother thought for a moment. "We did. Your great great grandparents, John and Guineveree. SHe was who we named you after. The story has it that she was originally going to marry someone else, but I guess your grandpa just came in and swept her off her feet. He owned a mercantile, his inheritance from his father." |