Etched in skin

Chapters are gonna be short and i should probably mention that the italic part of the story are flash backs...



She stared out into nothing, merely occupying her time with thoughts of what could and should have been. There wasn’t much to do but wait until he called her late at night to his bed. What seemed like years ago was a time when hope had been a frequent visitor, but he had even managed to take that from her. Take it away with sharp edged words and purple and blue bruises that decorated her body, evidence of painful nights before. Days unfortunately turned into years, years of staring outside the foggy window on the third floor. Oh but what sweet dreams of the inflicted and used were, nether-world notions of freedom, and release from the constant pain buried deep within her body. Dreams like that were the worst, nostalgic little reminders of the way she used to be, they way things were. Footsteps broke her reverie as they paused outside her door, what used to bring dread now simply caused a dull ache in her heart. Silently listening to the echo of footsteps down the hall, she decided to get ready for the day.

In the years of her youth companion to the sweltering days of summer, and to the sweat that would gather at her brow and pool on the small of her back, things were simple then. Then the days always seemed short and rushed, compared to the now long drawn out days that always seemed to end in blood and tears. Back when, held in place where her heart should of been, she felt a flutter when she saw him. Out in the field escaping from the worries and obligations of the village, she bathed in the scent of flowers she had just finished picking. The day had a pleasant cool breeze passing, tangling her mass of curls. Downcast and cloudy the day should have been taken as an omen, but was thoroughly welcomed in the absence of the torrid weather. Beyond the field he stood nonchalantly leaning against the cool bark of a tree at the edge of the woods. Making no acknowledging gestures to her presence she stood still,, fixated on his lithe form. Coming out of her trance, she carefully made her way out of the field only breathing when she finally made it to the outskirts of the village. Only a mere child of ten she had already begun to envision this beautiful stranger as the one to save her from the horrid mundanity of a life that at such a tender age knew she could never escape on her own. Back to the humdrum pace of the village, the years passed. Passing as they were she always found her way back to the field to watch him from a distance, and like clock work he’d be there leaning against the same tree seemingly apathetic to his surroundings. Six years had passed from her first sighting, and while growing up her thoughts had matured from infantile adventures of salvation, to raw passionate longings deeply rooted in anguished notions of escaping . Desperation finally creeped in when it had been decided amongst the village to finally marry her off to one of the neighboring village boys. Despite her complaints things had been going underway for sometime now, and with the impending date crawling closer her hopes had begun to run thin. Finding solace in the only placed that it was ever offered he finally looked her way. Tearful and angry she scowled at him from a distance earning her a curious smile in return. Utterly confused and angry at the fact that her would be savior had been anything but that over the years she stood to leave.