“Escaped”
I met a man six months ago, who dressed like it was Halloween every day. He always had on skeleton masks and skeleton gloves. This man is my husband, he is tall with dark skin complexion with black curly hair and brown eyes.
The relationship started out great in the beginning. I thought I was different, I thought I was special.
I felt safe with him, until one horrible, dreadful night. I never felt so afraid for my life!! Me, my husband, and a very kind family were enjoying a cool, crisp night on a small, but quaint patio. The patio was equipped with comfy chairs and a grill that was occasionally used.
Him and his friend were drinking for quite a while that evening. I was having conversations with some girlfriends and we were enjoying the evening. My husband came towards me and I thought he was going to be loving to me but instead, he pulled my hair while no one was looking. I knew at that moment; the night was going to end terrible.
You see, I accepted his abuse when he pulled my hair and hit me in the past, I was shocked that he did that to me, I looked past that, and I forgave him because he promised he would never lay another hand on me, but the abuse didn’t stop.
When the social gathering came to an end, we both went into our bedroom. As I closed the door, he asked me, “You do know why I am about to do what I am about to do to you right?”
I replied in a shaky, fearful voice, “No I don’t know.”
He came up to me in my face, responding, “You were disrespectful towards me because you did not go with me for a walk earlier.”
At that moment and that night, I experienced a violent rage of a Demon.
I was violently, physically abused from the top of my head all the way to the bottom of my feet, by this human being that was full of anger.
The first blow was him pulling my hair, then he punched my face three times, as I used my wrists to cover my face, he picked me up from my hair again and threw me on the bed. He started punching my arms, stomach, and my face. He grabbed my neck and started choking me until I couldn’t breathe.
I couldn’t think, I couldn’t move. He continued grabbing my neck and my jawbone and at the same time he was scrapping my head against the hard, cold, wooden floor.
During that moment, he spoke these words to me in an evil, demonic voice, “If you do not escape this bedroom tonight, I will kill you because no one is going to save you.”
I miraculously fought out of his grip. I thought he was done, but the beatings continued, stronger and harder.
He started kicking me all over my body, my arms, my stomach, finally my legs. My body felt numb, my brain felt numb, from enduring all the pain.
On the last blow, he grabbed my hair and kicked my stomach. I flew across the bed and landed right on the edge of the bed.
As he was struggling to focus on continuing to beat me, my survival instinct kicked in at the perfect moment. I stood up on my fractured ankle and ran to the bedroom door. I ran so fast down the hallway and I did not look back. I did not care to see his expression; I was focused on saving my life.
I opened the door and ran straight down the hallway to his friend’s room. I barged in very panicky and jumped on his friend’s bed. My husband came in at least two minutes after and was yelling at me saying, “Get over here, get over here NOW!”
I yelled back in a shaky but firm voice, “No, I am done with you, I am NOT taking any more beatings from you!!”
My husband’s friend’s girlfriend exclaimed to his friend in a very firm tone, “Go and take him outside and talk to him!”
So, they both went outside and then it was just me and my husband’s friend’s girlfriend on the bed in their room.
She asked me, “Did you want to stay the night in our room? You can sleep on the floor.”
I responded, “No I want to get away from my husband.”
She responded, “Okay let’s go.” So, we rushed over in their hallway and opened the door that led to another nice family’s apartment.
I ran down the short, cold, dark hallway leading to the apartment with her by my side. I was praying so hard that my husband did not come back to the house!
I knocked repeatedly until someone opened the door. I was safe, I was comforted. The family cared for me and took me in to sleep over night.
I immediately called my mom, and my mom and I were crying over the phone together as I were explaining to her what I just endured. My mom told me to stay safe and she will be there the very next morning to rescue me.
All during the night, I could not sleep. The whole entire scene kept playing over and over in my head, like a song that was on repeat. I questioned myself, “Why? What did I do to deserve this?”
As the next morning arrived, and I finally woke up, I remember seeing the sun so bright and beautiful peeping through the long, brown, sheer curtains. My mom called me and said she was outside waiting for me.
The whole family was shocked at how quickly she did come to rescue me! For my safety, the family took me out the back and around the apartments, so my husband wouldn’t see me.
As I was saying goodbye and thank you to everyone, his friend’s girlfriend gave me a hug and whispered in my ear,” He is waking up, please try to hurry to your mom.”
I was helped down a long muddy slope and finally, my eyes met my mom. My mom was standing outside the car, ready to rescue me with open arms. She had tears flooding down her cheeks and thanking the family for keeping me safe.
I got in the back seat and we drove off, and I did not look back. I knew I was safe, and this chapter of my life is over.
To this day, my husband is incarcerated.
My name is Tanya, and I am a survivor of domestic violent abuse.
