A push too far.

As her hair floated along behind her on the whisper of the breeze, she could almost have lost herself in time. Such a tranquil and yet exhilarating setting. She walked slowly on, taking in the beauty around her. The ocean stretching into the far reaching horizon, melting into beautiful blue sky as if nothing in between. She stood and leaned on the rocks that seemed to balance precariously on the cliff edge, and yet remained steadfast. The image she held broken by the sound of his voice. That voice that made her cringe like the sound of finger nails scratching their way slowly down a blackboard, and reality brought her sharply back from her momentary release.

He liked photography, and had stopped to capture a piece of this idyllic setting. She had often wondered how someone so cruel was capable of capturing something so beautiful! “Get me a drink!” he demanded. Reaching into the cool bag, she pulled out a cool can of lager. Snatching it out of her hand, he looked around. “No one about for miles” he stated, as his eyes came back to meet hers. “No one to hear you scream” he smirked at her. She felt the anxiety return within her, how she could have been so stupid as to think that maybe, just maybe for one day, he would give her some respite. She knew that look only too well! Six years of it were embedded so deep inside her, she would wear those scars forever! “What’s up? Cat got ya tongue bitch?” he spat at her. “ n n no” she stammered, trying to think of something to say. “I was just wondering if you might like some food?” trying to steer his train of thought away. “Yeh maybe, eventually” his reply with a supercilious grin on his face. Moving towards her, she stepped backwards to suddenly be jabbed in the back by the rock that moments before had played its part in enabling her to forget for just a few moments the torment of her life. “Please” she begged, “Please, not here, not now” “Pleeeeaaaaassssee” he taunted her. Reaching behind her and grabbing her hair, his face almost touching hers he said, “Now you wouldn’t want to disappoint me, would you?” as his free hand slid its way up between her legs. Her body rigid once more in her frightened state, and the smell of stale lager curling its way up her nostrils as his tongue, wet and slimy drooled its way up her left cheek. “Now be a good girl and do as ya told bitch!” he whispered into her ear, as forcefully he turned her to face the rock. “Please don’t” she begged, as the tears began to fall, making dark spots on the rock beneath her. “Shut up, God damn it” he roared as her head banged down, to be met by the cold hard surface of the rock. The shock of the impact dazed her for a few seconds, gradually becoming aware of the material of her knickers ripping as he yanked them, and forced himself inside of her once more. Disorientated, as the fiddler played a merry tune whilst dancing in her head. Trying to bring herself back from this daze, she shook her head, blinking, becoming more and more aware of this savage beast of a husband violating her once more, as he had done for the last six years of her life. Her fingers scraped at the rock beneath her, tearing at her skin, as she cried. Her head throbbing from the impact moments before she was almost blinded by her anguish and in that moment a piece of the rock came away in her hand. She made a fist around it as if trying to ease her pain, and then she heard him groan, as he collapsed against her. How she wished she were dead! She felt weightless as his body lifted away from hers, and she stayed just where she was, no movement, just horrified that he had done it again. She felt dirty, desperation. The grittiness of the dust from the rock mixed in with her tears. “Come on then bitch” he chided, “Get me some food, and put ya clothes straight” At that moment, she hated him more than she had ever hated, and as he spun her round to face him, her fist hit him right in the side of his head. The sound of the rock in her hand as it hit him, would stay in her mind for a life time, as he stumbled and disappeared over the edge of the cliff. She stood, stunned by what had happened. She hadn’t planned it, it just happened! As she slowly moved towards the edge, she could see his legs. He had landed on a ledge some 20 feet below. The realisation setting in, she was horrified. “Oh my god!” She gasped. “ What have I done? You can’t be dead, please don’t be dead.!” Scaling carefully down the rock face, she was at his side. Staring at him, she noticed a pool of blood seeping from the back of his head. He was so still. She knelt beside him, almost afraid to touch him, but she needed to know. With trembling hands, she tried to find a pulse. Frantic now and her mind racing, blind panic began to set in, but wait, yes, yes! Faint, but it was there! Phone, I need a phone! Searching his inside pocket, she felt the cold hard frame, and removing it she prayed it still worked. Her hands shaking so much, she could hardly press the buttons to make the call.

It was 15 minutes later that the air ambulance came into view. It took the rescue team a further 25 minutes before they were on their way to the nearest hospital.

Four months almost to the day, he came out of his coma. A 37 year old man, with the mind of a child. No longer the beast he had grown into, but the child he would always remain. An unfortunate accident the story be told, but scars she would carry for a lifetime.

She visited from time to time, well it was only what would be considered normal wasnt it? He was her husband after all, but no one ever saw the smile behind her eyes at knowing he would never put anyone through what she had endured at the hands of this beast. Justification she hoped for her actions, and freedom to live again.
As she watched him play with the action man toy whilst singing nursery rhymes, he turned to face her. Taking hold of the toys legs he tore it apart, and as the jagged leg punctured the hole into her throat she saw that smile wash over his face as her life slowly ebbed away, somewhere in the distance she heard him sing " the little dogs laughed to see such fun" as the darkness surrounded her and life existed no more.