“Anne Marie, what is it?” I answered. It was nearly nine o’clock at night on a Saturday. I knew something had to be wrong for her to be calling me.
“H-he’s been drinking again, threatening Noah and me.” The fear in her voice was palpable.
“Is he there with you?”
“N-no, he left, but I’m scared he’ll be back.”
“Okay, pack a bag I’ll be there in fifteen minutes to take you to the shelter.”
“Okay.”
****
My heartbeat became erratic as I climbed out of my car, which I’d parked a few houses down from Anne Marie’s. I’d double checked as I drove past to make sure her husband’s car wasn’t there. I didn’t know how much time we had before he returned, or where he’d gone in the first place. At that moment, my concern was getting Anne Marie and Noah out of that house and to someplace safe. I knocked lightly on the door, looking over my shoulder when I heard a car pass. I blew out a shuddering breath when I saw it was just a neighbor pulling into their driveway.
“Chanel?” I heard someone whisper on the other end of the door.
“Anne Marie? It’s me, open the door.” I watched as she peeked through the door curtain. When she verified it was me, she unlocked and opened the door. My stomach dropped when I saw what her husband had done to her face. Her right eye was swollen shut and the entire side of her face swollen and red, the beginning of an ugly bruise forming.
“Where’s Noah?” I asked, pushing through the door.
“I-in his room,” she stuttered, barely able to get the words out on account of her swollen jaw.
“Did you pack your bags?”
She nodded.
“Okay, go get Noah. I’ll get your bags. Where are they?”
“In my bedroom. Upstairs to the right.”
I started to take a step and paused. Everything in me was telling me not to go farther inside the house. My instincts were telling me to turn and run in the opposite direction, but I couldn’t leave Anne Marie or her son like this.
I shook off my reservations and followed Anne Marie up the steps, and took a right when she went left. I heard her getting Noah up and telling him we were leaving. I opened her bedroom door and quickly spotted her bags on the bed.Just grab them and go!Everything in me was shouting for us to get out of there as soon as possible. My body began to shake so bad, it took me two tries to even grab the straps of the bag and put them over my shoulder.
But by then, it was too late.
Before I could turn around, I heard the distinct sound of a gun cocking. I froze, fearing what I’d see before I turned around.
“You’re not taking my family anywhere, bitch!” a very angry Michael growled behind me.
I close my eyes, praying this wouldn’t be my last night on earth. Slowly, I turned to see Michael holding a .22 caliber gun to my face. I looked up to meet his eyes, and that was even scarier that the gun pointed at me. He looked deranged, a man taking his last stand at trying to hold onto the little bit of power he had.
“M-Michael, I’m not trying to take your family away from you,” I stated slowly and as calmly as I possibly could.
“Michael, no!” Anne Marie shouted as she entered the bedroom door, holding a terrified Noah.
I gasped when Michael swung around and pointed the gun at Anne Marie and his son.
“You think you’re going to leave me!?”
With his attention off me, I slowly wiggled my hand into the pocket of my jeans, pulling out my cell phone.
“Michael, please! Noah!” I heard Anne Marie trying to reason with her raging husband for the safety of their child.
I dialed nine-one-one.
“Michael, please put the gun down. You’re scaring your wife and three-year-old son,” I said, more for the benefit of the nine-one-one operator than actually thinking Michael would listen to me. I desperately hoped they heard.
