#unicornchallenge – June 28, 2024
She’d had enough.
Enough pain. Enough emotional turmoil. Enough violence. Just enough. This wasn’t the way her life was supposed to go.
She was only 24, but she’d been with the old man for four years. Back then, she was searching for a way out of her family situation. Now, she was searching for a solution to her ill-advised solution back then.
She knew he would eventually kill her if she didn’t escape him. He had seemed so kind and gentle at first. As time passed, there were still moments of that, but most of the moments he saved for abuse.
It started with verbal abuse. He would say terrible things to her about her appearance and temperament. He ramped it up with emotional abuse. He would withhold any affection for weeks at a time. He would do horrible things just to make her cry. As he got older, he couldn’t stand that she was still young and jealousy sprung up.
He insisted on a sparkling clean house no matter how she felt. She hated the sight of that mop in the corner. She wanted to chop it up and throw it away. He had started hitting her in the head with it along with his fists. She swore to herself never again.
When he came home that night, and hit her again, she was ready for him.
The mop had one more use. She had to mop up the blood before the police came.
Thanks to C. E. Ayr and Jenne Gray for hosting the #unicornchallenge.
The Write Scribe 
That mop sure came in handy in the end. Great story!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Tessa.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Clean up in Aisle Six! Bring plenty of sawdust!”
Happy Endings are, especially in modern times. more subject to circumstance and context, no?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish we could all have happy endings, but it just isn’t logical to think that we could. One might have more than one ending in one’s life. I suppose circumstance and context are quite important. In the case of romance (but not one like in the story), seldom does one person fulfill every single need another has.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bastard. I would have killed him in his sleep after the first time.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ditto
LikeLiked by 1 person
No good way for this to end, I guess.
Horrible story, but well told.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Neil. You’re right, of course. There was no good way for this to end and the situation was horrible. When you live in/near an area of extreme poverty like I do (Appalachia in the U.S.), a story like this springs to life because people are dissatisfied, sad and frustrated. They take it out on other people. The hate that fills the U.S. now doesn’t help.
LikeLike
We’re a really messed up race, us humans, taking our anger and inadequacy out on others – particularly on those
perceived to be vulnerable.
LikeLike
We’re a really messed up race, us humans, taking our anger and inadequacy out on others – particularly on those
perceived to be vulnerable.
LikeLike
(Oops, made a bit of a mess of this comment, haven’t I? I know I hit a button prematurely, but twice??)
You show so well the build up of fear and resentment, and the ultimate tipping point.
It’s a really good story.
LikeLike
Thanks a lot, Jenne. Don’t worry about it – I reply to replies instead of to the original post all the time. lol
LikeLike
A tragic ending to a tragic story. All too common, sadly.
LikeLike
Sometimes such actions are justified even if the law doesn’t agree.
LikeLike