Once Upon a Nightmare

A fastidious castle sits in the center of a sea of emerald trees. A tower stretches higher than any other room of the exquisite building, scraping the cotton candy clouds. Inside is a maiden. Soft brown curls frame her face. The lady wears tattered clothing, much like the kind you’d see on Cinderella. Her hazel eyes stare out of barred windows as if she expected something to come to her. By now, the girl knew that she should stop waiting, for she was trapped forever between the walls of concrete. No doors; no way out. Still, a tinge of hope rippled through her, for an ounce of her faith remained. 1

Finally, the day the maiden lost her hope dawned and she felt her soul shatter, along with her heart. It seemed that her tears would never cease. Then out of what seemed like thin air, a fairy emerged from the darkness. With a swipe of her wand, the rags the distressed mistress wore disappeared and were soon replaced with an elegant gown, the color of eggplant. An ivory mask covered a small portion of her face and a white ribbon adorned her hair.2

“What is all of this for?” the girl asked with a dazed expression spread across her face.3

“You my friend,” the elderly fairy replied, “Have been invited to the annual Masquerade Ball.” The lady didn’t have time to register the shock she’d been attacked with or even ask a few simple questions, as it turned out. The fairy took her by the arm and rushed her to the ballroom. 4

In the middle of the dance floor stood a man. He wore a white uniform embellished with delicate buttons of gold. He smiled and a sparkle appeared in his turquoise eyes when he noticed the woman in a purple sequin dress walking towards him. The handsome fellow asked her for a dance. That evening, the two people never let go of each other. Their feet moved to the beats of a slow waltz, their bodies swayed and as they drowned in the other’s eyes, the night waned. 5

♥6

The typical fairytale. In the early days of my childhood, I used to dream that I was the mistress in the story and a handsome prince would find his way to me. At the age of twenty-four, I thought I found him in a masculine man named Ryan. Little did I know that after only three months of citing our wedding vows, the prince in shining armor would take off his mask, put an abrupt stop to the masquerade, and reveal that his perfect characteristics were nothing but a façade. 7

Monday made its rounds once again. Since I already hit the snooze button twice that morning, by the third time the alarm sounded, I reluctantly forced myself to drag my lazy butt out of bed. My eyes peered at the numbers displayed on the clock. 6:01, it read. One minute too late, I couldn’t help but think. I’ll be lucky if I make it out of the house this morning. As I stood in the shower, I let the water wash away my fatigue and let it travel down the drain. 8

A half an hour later, I studied myself in the bathroom mirror. Dark sunglasses. Check. Long sleeve shirt. Check. It’s ironic, isn’t it? These are the regular steps women take to cover up the fact that they have to live though some sort of physical abuse. Yet, these are the signs that just SCREAM I have a dictator of a husband at home and I haven’t learned my lesson so the blackened eyes I’m trying to hide mean that he had to tell me TWICE. Ugh…Why did I choose to marry Ryan?9

I sat at the kitchen counter with a bowl of oatmeal in front of me. I was in the middle of reading a newspaper article about how Washington had raised its minimum wage fourteen cents when I heard faint footsteps getting closer. My eyes instinctively looked up. There Ryan stood, his arms crossed. 10

“Morning,” I greeted. His eyes jumped around the room. 11

“Where’s breakfast?” he questioned.12

“I didn’t know you wanted any,” I responded, “I thought since you had to leave early today, you could grab something on the way to work.” Silence. “Look, I could make you some toast if you want.” By now, his expressionless face was accompanied by a pair of piercing green eyes.13

“All I wanted was a little breakfast,” the man began. He took a couple steps so that he stood behind my chair. He bent down. I could feel his breath warm the back of my neck. Whispering, he asked, “Is that too much to ask for?” Ryan’s rough hands held a light grasp on my arms. 14

“No,” I replied, the word was barely audible. The grip hardened. 15

“Then why didn’t you cook for me?”16

“I told you, I didn’t know-”17

“I don’t want you excuses!” His voice thundered. Before I knew it, the hands grasping my flesh yanked me out of the chair so fast that I almost collapsed. The grip tightened even more. It felt like my bones could snap at any moment. I made the mistake of wincing. “Does that hurt?” He wore a malicious smile on his face. 18

“No,” I wheezed. Of course, that was a COMPLETE lie. The man released my arm, but not before he threw me onto the floor, forcing me to face the harsh surface of the hardwood. 19

“Next time I expect to see breakfast on the table, alright?” He turned to leave but then added, “Don’t ever do this again.” This is when I cursed my husband’s defined muscles.20

A while later, I pulled into the parking lot of Joe’s Hub. I rested my head on the steering wheel, seeking a couple moments of peace. When I raised my head, I prayed to God for strength to survive yet, another worthless day of my life. The moment I walked into the door, I had to face a scolding from Jeremy, my boss. 21

“You’re late,” he stated. 22

“I’m also a miserable housewife,” I snapped. “What’s your point?” 23

I started heading for a customer’s table. Maybe I could escape him before anything else happened. 24

“Hey Jennifer, wait a second.” Maybe not. 25

“You know, as much as I’d love to stay and chat, I have a job to do.” I attempted to walk away again. My feet failed me. 26

“Forget about that,” Jeremy said. His hand caressed my arm. Since the wounds from the fight with Ryan were still fresh, I couldn’t control the grimace that danced across my face. I hoped he didn’t notice. “Tell me what happened.” 27

“It was just a tough morning, okay?”28

Noon had come and Jeremy and I sat at a table, chatting. 29

“So, what happened this morning?” he asked, for the fifth time. I groaned in frustration. 30

“Are you ever going to let it go?” I questioned.31

“Not until I get the truth.”32

“You don’t want the truth.”33

“Jen, look, I’m your best friend. You know that. You can tell me what is going on with you today.” I sighed. My hands removed the sunglasses and pulled up a sleeve to reveal red, tender, flesh. His eyes stared at the wounds. It took a couple minutes for him to be able to tear his eyes away and face me again. His eyes were filled with concern. “Did Ryan do this to you?”34

“Yes,” I heard myself say. Tears brimmed my eyes. 35

“Come here,” Jeremy whispered. His arms pulled me into a loving embrace.
I had forgotten what that felt like, having to live though what seemed like hell for the past few years. 36

“What’s wrong with me?” I wondered.37

“Nothing,” was the reply, “You have a demented husband, but nothing is wrong with you.” 38

There he sat, on the porch steps. I pulled into the driveway, only to find an unpleasant surprise; Ryan had come home early. He looked like one desperate man with those roses in his hand. Guilt shone in his eyes. Fake, I told myself. He’s just one great actor. Just wait until the scene is done, and the director yells ‘cut!’ I’d like to see his sincerity then. I stepped out of the car. 39

“I’m sorry we quarreled this morning, sweetheart.” His first words: I’m sorry we ‘quarreled’. 40

“It was a lot more than that,” I mumbled under my breath. 41

“Will you forgive me?” he asked. He outstretched his hand to offer the flowers. I refused to show any reaction to his remorse. Again, this whole is an act in the long run. 42

“I’ll start dinner,” I replied coldly as I swept past him.43

I stood at the stove, tending to a pot of chili. I felt arms wrap around my waist. I closed my eyes, hoping it wasn’t my husband. Unfortunately, it always is. 44

“You know I love you, right?” You sure have a weird way of showing it. 45

“Sure,” I gritted though my teeth. 46

“And you know I don’t mean to hurt you.” Yeah, right. 47

“Uh-huh,” I muttered an emotionless reply. I felt Ryan’s lips brush my temple. They nibbled on my earlobe. Then left a moist trail down my neck. The next thing I knew, his hand was leading me to the bedroom. 48

“Ah, Ryan, that hurts!” I stated in exasperated breaths. “Stop.” 49

“You’re killing the mood,” he grunted.50

“And you’re hurting me,” I repeated. “Let go.” I struggled to move my arms but they refused to budge under the devil’s crushing grip, 51

“Just lay there and take it!” he ordered. I realized I lost the battle. My eyes stared at the ceiling and I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of God, if there was a God, would do this to his own creations.52

“My god, Jennifer, you look like hell,” Jeremy greeted the next day. 53

“Good morning to you too Mr. Sunshine,” I mumbled. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.” There was no point in waiting for the question; I might as well just give the answer. 54

“Have you decided to leave him yet?” my boss questioned. 55

“I would if I could. I don’t know where I would go.”56

“Well, you could room with me, or Mrs. Jennings over there although I hear she just got a little Chihuahua that will bite your arm off if you try to get within five feet of him. I’m telling you, that little dog is eight pounds of pure terror.” I couldn’t help but laugh. 57

“Thanks, thanks for making my day.”58

It wasn’t long until I decided to take Jeremy up on his offer. The following Thursday, I pulled out a suitcase and started packing. Standing in the doorway was the man with piercing green eyes. I continued to fold clothes.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Ryan asked. 59

“I’m leaving,” I stated.60

“But I need you here,” he argued. “I would die without you.” 61

“Go ahead,” I challenged, “I’m done here.” Click. I froze. Worried about the fact that the gun might be aimed at me, I spun around. The tip pressed against his head. Did he really plan of killing himself?62

Amazingly, I escaped. My body shivered when I heard a single gunshot ring through the house, but that didn’t matter now. Freedom had found me. 63

♥64

The mistress heard the grandfather clock strike midnight. The ball had ended. The masks disappeared one by one. When she saw the prince, she didn’t bother to hide the shock that played across her face. What lay behind the mask, she found out, was the face of a devil. Feet sprinting, she ran with all of her might, but she couldn’t help but notice that the prince was chasing her; gaining on her. He had the eyes of a dictator, she decided, for those were not the emerald ones she fell in love with. The maiden kept running, hoping to escape. It was no use. The man grasped her arms and dragged her away. Away from her happiness. Away from her hopes and dreams. Away from her freedom. 65

Once again, the girl stares out of barred windows, awaiting her prince in shining armor. When the hope she had dissolved, an elderly fairy emerged from a gray puff of smoke.66

“I’m not going to any more balls,” the mistress warned. 67

“Don’t worry,” the fairy assured. “I don’t have an invitation. I have a man.”68

“A man?” The maiden’s eyes contained a hint of curiosity.69

“Yes, he is here to rescue you and take you to his home.” 70

“Great. Just great. Another knight in shining armor.” A man came into view. A cowboy hat rested on his blonde hair. His clothes and dusty cowboy boots would make anyone think he was a Texas native. He smiled and a sparkle twinkled in his eye when he beheld the sight of the woman in rags. The face seemed familiar, as if the man was from another lifetime. A smile soon spread across her face because the gentleman introduced himself as Jeremy. He helped her onto his stallion before the couple rode off into the sunset and lived happily ever after. 71