She Smiled

  The first slap was the only one she felt. She withdrew from reality,1

and went to seek her handsome prince. She could always find him2

at the same place. Along side a babbling brook, upon a quilted blanket3

waiting for her.4

Immediately he brought a smile to her face. She was so happy to be5

back in his tender arms. His caresses soothed her bruised body. No longer could she feel the pain they caused6

Birds warbled out in harmony with the crickets. The scent of honeysuckle lingered in the moist air. The trees were full and green,7

while the flowers burst with colors of the rainbow. Paradise was hers,8

if only in her mind.9

The rolling thunder brought her back to her dark life. The one she so10

desperately wanted to escape. Only it wasn't thunder at all. It was11

the man she married, Julian. He was raging with madness brought on 12

by the whiskey he so loved to drink. It only intensified because he 13

knew she had gone to the place in her mind he could not go. 14

When he realized she was back with him, a look of contempt and 15

satisfaction appeared on his face. He loved to torture her. She was16

so beautiful and fragile. Any mans dream, and she belonged to him.17

He treated her as property, not a wife. He once loved her with all18

of his heart; but now he only had feelings of disgust. 19

In his mind she had betrayed him with another. Not caring at all that20

she suffered a brutal rape. She had been defiled by another man, that was the only thing he could see. 21

It was six months earlier. They were so in love with each other. Life together was all they hoped, and so much more. Julian was at work finishing up before their weekend getaway.22

They had planned to go to a cozy bed and breakfast to celebrate their23

first anniversary. All their time was spent with each other when Julian wasn't at work. Miriam was the perfect wife, and more beautiful than24

any woman Julian had ever seen. He was on cloud nine as he thought about his beautiful young bride at home readying herself for only him.25

Miriam, in all her beauty, was out in the yard picking flowers when a26

car slowly drove up their long driveway. She was singing to herself as she approached the man that got out of the car. Not thinking anything27

was wrong, she smiled and was about to ask what she could do for him when he grabbed her and using his fist, hit her in the face knocking her to the ground. She screamed, but they lived miles away from anyone. The man was an animal. He hit her over and over again, all the time laughing a low evil laugh. She tried with all her might to fight him off, but she was so petite and by this time broken and bruised.28

Then her biggest fear became a reality. He ripped off her clothes while he kept on hitting her. He was rough and inflicted pain every chance he could. When he started to spread her legs she went crazy and fought harder. Scratching and biting him, but no way could she stop him. He began to force his way into her hard, and doing everything in his power to cause her pain. He made the loudest animal sounds as he grunted and finished what he started. Slapping her one more time, before spitting on her and leaving her on the ground bare and bruised.29

She lay there for what seemed like hours. It took all the energy and will power she had left to lift herself up, and go into the house. She was crying from the depth of her soul. Not from the pain this maniac had caused her, but because she felt dirty and ashamed. She thought somehow this was her fault alone.30

She made it to the bathroom and into the shower. She turned the water on as hot as she could stand it. The room quickly filled with steam as she fell to the shower floor in sobbing tears, while the water cascaded over her.31

Julian pulled up in the driveway. The sun was setting, but still light enough for him to see the ground. It was covered with Miriam's clothes. Dirty and shredded, they were strewed from the driveway to the front door. His mind went blind with fury. It was like something had triggered the madman in him and he was out of control.32

He stormed his way into the house yelling for Miriam. When he found her in the shower, he just stood staring down at her. She was black from the bruises, and her blood had spilled into the water. Julian didn't see the broken beauty that was before him. He saw a harlot that had betrayed him. He looked at her with the same disgust she saw her self. He didn't speak for the longest time. The water had turned cold by now, and the steam cleared from the room. Then it happened. He lost control of his senses and all sanity. He yelled and cussed calling her every name he could think of. He didn't care that she was in pain, and suffering from a horrific act. All he knew for sure was that another man had touched his bride. Jealousy took over and he saw nothing else. She had betrayed him.33

He kicked her and walked away. She was glad that it was over for now. Every time he drank whiskey he did this. The night was spent with him first beating her, and then taking her with force. The only thing he hated, was that she had found a way to escape him. He wanted to control her every move and thought. She had made a mistake by starting a diary. She wrote about everything that happened, and continue to happen. She also wrote about how she escaped his wrath in her paradise with her handsome prince.34

He was snoring, she was safe for now. She went into the bathroom and showered off the hate and disgust that covered her still voluptuous body. While she was brushing her hair, she heard a knock at the door. She glanced at the clock and decided that it was the paper boy collecting for the month. She went to get her purse and opened the door. 35

Her purse fell to the floor. It was him. The animal that had brought her fairy tale marriage to an end. She was frozen. She couldn't move nor blink. A tear slid down his cheek. He tried handing her a blue bag, but she couldn't see it. She just stood there it terror staring at him. He put the bag on the floor by her feet and walked away. 36

When she came to her senses she shut the door as fast as she could. She shook uncontrollably with fear. She leaned her back against the closed locked door, and slid down to the floor. The blue bag caught the corner of her eye. At first she couldn't bring herself to touch it, but curiosity got the best of her. She opened the bag and was amazed at what was there.37

Hundreds of thousands of dollars filled the blue bag. With an envelope containing a letter. She opened the letter and began to read it.38

Dear Beautiful Lady:39

I am not who you think I am. The animal that violated you a few months ago was my twin brother. He came home one night all scratched up and bloodied. When I asked him where he had been, he wouldn't tell me. I knew what kind of man my brother was. He became the same man our father was. Our father did to our mother what my brother did to you. 40

She lived in the house that you are living in now. Our father watched her from afar every day. He fell in love with her; and when he saw her kiss a man one day, he went into a jealous rage.  He went to her house the same night, and beat her before raping her. He killed himself after he had done it. It turned out the rape resulted in our mother becoming pregnant with me and my brother. She told us this story before she died, seven months ago. My brother was really distraught over our mothers death and the news of how we came to be. That triggered his attack on you.41

Last month my brother finally told me what he did to you. Later that night he killed himself. I have suffered over my losses, but more over what has happened to you. I tried coming to you on several occasions, and saw through the window what your own husband is doing to you. 42

Enclosed in this bag is money from my mother and brothers life insurance policies. Please, take it and leave that house. It is full of rage and hate. I'm afraid of what will happen if you stay there. I have plenty of money to get me through this life.  Please leave as soon as you can. I wish there was someting I could have done to save you from the pain my brother caused you. All I can do now, is help you escape from your husbands brutality. 43

Go, find your handsome prince and leave the hell that you live in.44

Sincere regrets,45

Bard46

Miriam slowly put the letter in the envelope. Staring out at nothing, she smiled.47

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