Leaving My Life Behind

Leaving My Life Behind

By; Rhonda Norris

           Deep within the woods voices of children playing can be heard, and laughter fills the air. Suzy and Mike are having fun then suddenly a voice appears, “time to come in supper is done”. Both Suzy and Mike turn to each other making a screeching sound of despair not wanting to go in yet. However, they know if they don’t hurry in, they will face trouble, so they hurry in. Suzie knew she had to change what she was facing; she could not continue living the life she has lived for so many years, she vowed this was going to end very soon. She had not had the strength to make this decision the year before, but she had grown in strength and wanted change.

           Dinner was on the table but, neither Suzy nor Mike wanted what was before them, they argued with their mom that they hated lima beans. Their mom refused to let them leave the table until they had eaten everything on their plate, Suzie gagged with every bite of lima beans she ate. Her mom told her “if you throw up in that plate you will eat every bite anyway”. Suzie was furious, her mom knew that lima beans were not her favorite and they made her sick. Suzie’s uncle lived with them and looked at her mom with a gazed look of surprise. However, when Suzie looked at her Uncle she was scared, she knew what was coming later.

           When dinner was over Suzie’s mom looked at her and Mike and told them they were to clean the dishes before they could come to the living room. Both Suzie and Mike argued that they always must do the dishes. As soon as their mom left the kitchen, they started arguing over who would clean off the table, who would wash and who would dry. Their mom yelled in “stop your arguing or you will regret it!” The arguing continued, their mom and uncle came in with a look of “oh you are going to get it now”. To Suzie and Mike’s surprise their uncle pulled out a set of handcuffs and handcuffed them together. The arguing continued, when they finished their uncle removed the handcuffs and their mom told them to go straight to bed.

           Suzie changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed, fear ran over her and she listened for every noise coming from the house. She knew once everything got quiet and everyone was in bed her uncle would come into her room. The fear she had was correct as it was every time he came over, he snuck into her room and forced himself on her. Although Suzie would cry and beg him to stop, he would tell her to be quiet. Each time this happened when he finished, he would turn and look at Suzy and tell her no one would believe her if she told and she would get into trouble for lying. Suzie did tell her mom, but just as her uncle told her Suzie’s mom told her she was lying that he would never do that. Her mom would ground her to her room, Suzie knew this was not where she needed to be. Not her room this place is where it happened and continued to happen. Suzie knew she had to get away, she waited in her room just long enough for her mm and uncle to turn the TV up loud enough to drowned out all other noises in the house. Once she heard the TV she carefully opened the door, peaked out and slowly and quietly walked to the back door and left the home. She carried nothing with her as all she wanted was to get away.

           Suzie had no idea where she would go but she knew she couldn’t live there in that anymore. She walked and walked for hours knowing she couldn’t stop as once the TV was off and the house was quiet her uncle would walk in and see she was gone. Finally, Suzie sat down against a tree which had fallen, and she prayed for someone to help her. She dozed off and was woken with a voice, follow me and I will help you escape your life and start over. “Where was this voice coming from?” Suzie wandered, but she followed it anyway, anything was better than the life she had left. Suzie walked for what seemed like hours, noises in the woods had her on edge. She kept looking forward and behind, she wasn’t scared of what was ahead, but she feared what was behind. After what seemed like hours of walking, she looked ahead once more and a light came before her, “what could this be, was it where the voice was leading her to?”

           Suzie got closer to the light and found a small door in the woods; she knew this had to be where the voice was talking about. She opened the door and slowly walked in the door slammed behind her she jumped and turned back to look, and the door disappeared. Suzie walked farther in to the most beautiful, peaceful place she had ever seen. She heard the voice again, “welcome, you are safe her”. Suzie could feel the peace enter her body and knew her mom and uncle would never find her here, but where was here? Suzie didn’t want to ask the question as she feared if she did, she would wake, and she would be back in her room. She turned to look for the voice and finally a glimpse of the most beautiful women she had ever seen appeared. “Welcome follow me and we get you settled in to enjoy the life you deserve” the woman told her. Suzie did just that, she followed taking in all the beauty, there was everything she needed here, and the people were nice as she walked by each of them.

            Suzie settled in and began school living the life she had always wanted, she kept thinking to herself that just a year ago she would have never had the strength to leave the life she was living. Suzie continued her life going to school and over time grew into a strong-willed woman who knew she had a purpose she began working the job of her dreams and met the nicest man who would become her best friend and husband. They started a family and continued their life and she never thought about her past again. All she thought of was how beautiful her life was and how happy she had become. Where did her strength come from? She never knew all she knew was she had a wonderful life and never wanted it to end.