A step too far

Sorry for the delayed post — I’ve been having technical issues with my pen…

“Just back off Linda!” he walked away from her. He knew if they got space and she calmed down, everything would be okay.

“Back off, Linda!” she mimicked in a high, nasty voice, spit full of hatred flying from her mouth. “You’re pathetic, you are, you spineless –”

And then the blows started.

When this happened, Linda was a woman possessed. She wasn’t the sweet girl Craig had married seven years ago, but a vicious, vindictive, spiteful bitch. And Craig just put up with it until she calmed down, broke down and apologised over and over. And Craig would forgive her. Over and over.

Her first hit landed on Craig’s cheek, making him bite the inside and drew blood.

“Fuck!” he spat a mouthful of blood on the floor, hoping it would calm her, make her see she had hurt him. But it just enraged her.

She kept coming at him. All Craig could do was try and hold off the blows. He covered his face and backed away.

He had never retaliated, not once, he had never wanted to…

A kick in the groin followed a punch to the face and Craig heard his nose break. He screamed in agony, in rage and shoved her away. Hard.

She fell back, staggered, tried to grab Craig as she fell to the road with nothing to break her fall. Her head cracked open on the pavement and her bitter blood spat rapidly from her open scalp. Her eyes, so full of disgust and anger now looked confused and surprised.

Craig watched the blood fall away from her, watched the pulse in her neck throb slower.

He walked away.