The Quiet Exit by Phoenix Lane

With all his drunken strength Jeffrey threw the old television, the chords flailing around it. It crashed through the sliding glass door, just barely missing Alicia’s head. The glass shattered with a vengeance and scattered widely across the back porch and into the yard. Through the opening, the cold night air rushed through the living room, although Alicia was too frightened to feel it. The loud sound had made her ears ring and shook their little house. Their 6-month-old baby boy Daniel was in the bedroom and he started crying, awakened from his nap. Alicia’s hear pounded like it was about to pop out of her chest.

Jeffrey growled, with his broad shoulders suddenly taller and face red with anger. “Look what you made me do.” He pointed his stubby finger at the broken glass. “Clean that shit up now.” Alicia ran to get the broom and dustpan from the washroom. She moved as though she was being controlled by strings, like a puppet. She clumsily swept pieces of glass into the dustpan while Jeffrey stood menacingly over her, her hands trembling. Daniel’s cries got louder but she knew she couldn’t go comfort him until she was done cleaning up.

Eventually Jeffrey started to walk away, muttering, “You try me again, and I swear – ”

Before she could stop herself, she whispered, “You’ll kill me.”

He smiled crookedly, and responded, “Don’t tempt me, bitch.”

He sat down on the sofa covered in dirt and grime and popped open another of the cans of cheap beer he brought home from the convenience store. Every night he bought a twelve-pack and there were already seven empty cans on the coffee table. After she finished sweeping, he waved her away and told her, “Go shut that boy up before I throw him out the door.” Alicia went quickly into the bedroom. Daniel’s precious chubby cheeks were damp and his tiny fists were gripping the crib rails so tightly. Liftin him up gently, she held him against her chest until his cries ceased.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” she whispered in his ear. Her mind wandered for a few seconds, and she thought, this man will kill me one day. There was only one bedroom, a living room, a bathroom and kitchen in the house. The front door had a heavy deadbolt lock and Jeffrey kept the one available key in his pants pocket all the time when they were home. She knew she could not take it from him without waking him up. He was a light sleeper even with a ton of beer in him. After he drank his last can, he went to the shed outside and came back with several pieces of board to close up the space where there was no longer any glass.

Alicia, over the past couple years, had studied the house. She was aware of the weak areas. The kitchen window above the sink looked out into the side of the yard. An escape from that window was not impossible, but it would be narrow and tight. Around midnight, Jeffrey’s snores echoed through the living room. His boots were still on, along with his dirty, dingy work uniform. One arm was hanging over the side of the sofa, and the beer cans were all over the table and floor.

Alicia was stressed with every snore, but if she could make it out of here with the baby, and get to her father’s house, they would be safe. She thought of all the streets she would have to travel on foot but was more familiar with them than Jeffrey as she grew up in the area. She silently went over the route in her head.

Daniel’s head laid motionless on Alicia’s chest as she secured him into the baby carrier that wrapped snugly around her upper body. She could feel his steady breathing on her skin. She climbed onto the kitchen counter carefully and gingerly pushed open the window. It was in partial view of where Jeffrey was but she knew she had to be brave and risk it. The metal frame of the window squeaked. She stopped in her tracks, with her heart beating hard. Jeffrey shifted lazily, mumbled something incoherent, and then fell back into slumber. She pushed the frame upwards harder. Cold air rushed in as the window gave way. She started by slowly easing her upper body and Daniel’s head through. He let out a little whimper but it did not last long. It seemed like forever but soon she was able to jump into the flower bed below the window, after sliding out one leg at a time.

She barely noticed the old couple sitting on their porch enjoying the night air next door as she hurried towards the front gate. She was more concerned about the noise the chain made as she opened the gate. It seemed as though every sound intensified in the darkness, even her feet on the grass. She bent down behind the wall outside of the gate, keenly listening for Jeffrey’s footstep, but she heard nothing but a neighbor’s music playing nearby. She made her way to the end of the street, then stood up and ran off quietly, holding Daniel’s head gently but securely against her chest.

In the moonlight, the neighborhood looked familiar, yet unsettling. She knew every house’s broken fence and uneven, cracked sidewalk. However tonight, the streets felt unfriendly because no one was out and about. Every shadow made her scared and the street lights that actually worked were so bright she was worried she would be seen. Even then she kept moving quickly, sometimes running, sometimes walking briskly. She kept looking back, half expecting Jeffrey to pop up behind them. It wasn’t until she crossed over the bridge that connected her city with the one her father lived in, that she felt somewhat more relaxed.

The distance to her father’s house was almost two miles. Alicia’s arms hurt holding her baby close as she moved, but she never let go. She didn’t pause tot take a breath. She kept whispering to Daniel, “We’re almost there,” even though her legs were shaking and her lungs were on fire. She saw her father’s porch light in the distance, dim but steady. Heart beating immensely, she ran up the porch steps and banged hard on the door.

Alicia’s heart almost exploded with relief as her father opened the door. He didn’t even have a peep hole and she always scolded him about opening the door without knowing who was outside. This time was forgivable and his shocked expression was still welcoming. “We’re safe now,” she said as she rushed inside, speaking in a trembling but confident voice.

Back at the house, Jeffrey awoke to the feeling of the cold air coming from the kitchen window Alicia had left open. Confused, he sat up and immediately noticed the kitchen window. He jumped up, almost falling on the beer cans, and ran to the bedroom. Alicia was nowhere to be found and the baby’s crib was empty. Calling Alicia’s name, he staggered into the kitchen to close the window, rage growing inside him with each step. He looked in the closet, the bathroom, and even underneath the bed. There’s no way that Alicia was gone, he thought.

He whipped around in a panic. He figured she couldn’t have traveled very far without a car. Without me, she is nothing at all. She will be back. The house was extremely quiet with no answers but it seemed to mock him. His voice cracked as he whispered, “Where the hell did you go?”. Unbeknownst to him, Alicia was never coming back. She always knew once she got out, she would embrace her freedom and never be trapped again.

THE END