The Window

Katie laid in her bed, her light purple comforter pulled all the way up over her head. All that could be seen of her was some blonde curls that rested on top of the lilac comforter. A phone glowed a soft blue aura from under the sheets - the only light in the dark room on that warm June night. An open window brought in hot, stifling south Georgia air but that little vortex also let in a soft breeze and the chirping of the crickets which made Katie feel not so alone.

Then she heard the noise Katie dreaded for the past few hours. The faint echoing of footsteps in the outside hallway. Katie snapped her flip phone shut as she rolled to her side and closed her eyes, holding her breath to not make any noise. 8:00 PM was early for a 16 year old to be asleep, she knew this. But while Katie lived in this house that had to be the norm. The alternative was too much to bear.

Katie's mom, Linda, worked long hours as a nurse at the hospital and those footsteps meant she was home. And while there was a small chance of her not being in "one of her moods" as Katie and her brother Theo called it, when she came off long day shifts her mom was tired, stressed, and almost certain to be set off merely by the sight of Katie. So being asleep was the best option. The only option. At least the only option she would dare to do.

Even if there was a way out of this hell Katie had too much to lose to risk anything besides compliance with her mom. She was on track to be Valedictorian and was talking to schools about a soccer scholarship. Even though it seemed other teenagers thrived off of social lives and were out having fun on summer Saturday nights instead of laying in bed pretending to sleep. Katie knew staying the course was her way out of this hell.

Her mom wasn't always in a mood after all. In fact there were times she was loving and pleasant to be around. But even the best of times meant nothing as soon as she snapped and all signs of the loving mom Katie wanted, no needed, left her eyes and some evil being she didn't know filled them instead. The moods always started with yelling. Linda would call Katie fat, worthless, a slob, any word she knew would slice through Katie's heart. There were accusations thrown of Katie sleeping around, doing drugs, plotting against her mother and planning her downfall. There was always the harsh conclusion stated that Katie had ruined her mom's life. Sometimes the words were the end of it but Linda could also turn things physical. Too often her moods lead to hitting, kicking, even pulling out a wooden spoon or breaking items Linda knew Katie cherished. Anything it took to force obedience and dull the spark in Katie's eyes.

Yet when Katie looked back on her childhood she had mostly warm, happy memories that even now could pull a smile to her lips. Her dad was never a part of her life so time spent with her mom and brother was all Katie knew as a child. There were trips to the beach, riding on her mom's shoulders with Theo by their side laughing. Big ice cream cones, dancing in the living room, falling over from laughing so hard as Katie and Theo put on little plays for their mom. But Linda hadn't just woken up one day with a mean streak. It had always been there, and Linda could never hide it from her kids; but it's funny how memories work. That wasn't part of the childhood Katie clung to in her mind. That was the hell she still lived in, not the happy place in her head she tried desperately to find on the darkest of nights.

The phone buzzed under the covers. Shit thought Katie. Shit shit shit. The footprints stopped in front of the room a few moments before and Katie hoped her mom walked on to her own room without Katie hearing the steps. But she knew it was more probable that her mom was right there on the other side of the door listening for signs Katie was awake. And then it came. A slight knock at the door followed by its opening. Katie knew that unassuming knock too well - not aggressive in force but a sign her mom would want a fight. Katie's mom had taken locks off the doors years ago to deprive Katie from any sort of reprieve from her fits of anger so there was nothing Katie could do except lay there, aware of what was about to come. Katie continued to fake sleep as her mom took steps towards the bed. Even with her own eyes closed Katie could feel her mother's glaring at her. And then her phone buzzed again.

"You little brat are you on your phone but not even saying hi to me? After I've been working all day to pay for everything for you? Who are you even texting at this time of night? I bet it's a boy you little whore. Get out of that bed right now and answer me!" The yelling started immediately as Linda flew to the side of Katie's bed in a fury and yanked the sheets off of her as Katie curled up in a ball and started to cry. Linda grabbed the phone off the bed and threw it across the room. The smash as it made contact with the wall mirrored how Katie's heart felt inside. Linda then went for physical force as she slapped Katie across the face. "You deserve this and more you brat."

Katie stayed curled up in a ball silent. She knew this game all too well. Her mom wanted a fight. She wanted to release anger from the day and needed someone to argue with and there was nobody here except Katie now that Theo was at school. So Katie stayed quietly rolled with warm tears streaking down her cheeks. She was saved by the home telephone line ringing and Linda sighing dramatically as she turned and stomped toward the living room to answer it.

Linda's voice carried down the hallway to Katie's room. She sounded so friendly and nice to whoever she was talking to, nothing like the presence that had just raged in Katie's room. She was probably talking to her best friend Betsy from church.. Probably telling her she will pray for her and maybe even giving her some Godly advice, the hypocrisy of which made Katie roll her eyes. The sing-songy tune in Katie's moms voice was such a stark contrast to the demonic one that was still hovering in Katie's ears.

Katie knew she had only a few minutes while her mom talked niceties to Betsy and she tip toed over to where her phone lay on the floor. She flipped it open and breathed a sigh of relief that it seemed to still work. The 2 texts were from Maggie, a friend of hers from school. Perhaps her only friend - the only girl who seemed willing to talk to Katie, who quickly into freshman year secured her spot as the weird girl who never went to anything outside of school and soccer.

hey grl, wyd?

at a party at Brian's house, down the street from u. come over!

The texts caused something in Katie's soul to rejoice. Someone wanted to talk with her. Someone wanted even to hangout with her. Katie was pretty sure she had never been to the type of party Betsy was referencing but she didn't care. She really had only been to church parties, and the birthday parties her mom approved of. Theo had followed all the rules of their mom and now was off at college with all the freedom Katie could ever dream of. So Katie told herself she just needed to stay in line and deal with her mom's moods until she too could be there. But it still felt so far away.

As Katie sat reading the text over again wishing she could go she heard her mom on the phone. She was starting to say goodbyes with her friend. Katie's heart pounded again thinking of those footsteps coming back down the hall. She couldn't take it. Katie acted quick, throwing on some flip flops from her closet, shoving the phone in her pocket, and throwing her charger in her purse, just in case. She was too scared to even try to open the window wider in fear of the noise it might make. The screen fell out easily and surprisingly without noise with one push. Then Katie quietly put one leg out the window, contorting her body in weird ways, and next thing she knew she was dashing quietly through her backyard and then through her neighbors, scared to go into the street where the light was. There was fear in her but more than anything there was an excitement from breaking away that gave her such a thrill. Katie knew where Brian's house was from riding the bus together Freshman year of high school, not that someone like him would ever talk to Katie.

Heart beating, soul bursting, Katie made it to Brian's house and knocked on the front door, scared even once there of how the porch light illuminated her figure, picturing her mom driving past at any moment looking for her and knowing she wouldn't spare any wrath. The door opened and Katie saw Betsy's smiling face, and she stepped inside.