Tag: abuse

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Short Stories Blog Thriller

“Killer instinct” Hide in the shadows

Julie was working in a clothing store at the mall and ringing up Mrs. Johnson on the front register. “How are you today, Mrs. Johnson?”, Julie asked (with that fake smile she had become accustomed to using). “Oh, I guess things could be worse, I just can’t keep up with the fashions these days,” the old lady responded. “Of course not, when you’re in your eighties and trying to look sixteen again,” Julie thought to herself. Julie bit down what she was thinking and replied, “I couldn’t agree with you more, ma’am.” Mrs. Johnson gathered her bags and headed to the door. About this time, Julie caught a glimpse of her new boyfriend, Rick, coming across the mall to meet her for their afternoon lunch. She hoped so much that this boyfriend would be better than the last. So far things had been going along really well.

Her last boyfriend was very controlling and treated her more like a dog, than a girlfriend. Jim never allowed her to have a thought of her own. Every time she tried to voice her opinion about anything, he would tell her how wrong she was, and she would be better off letting him do the thinking. This went on for about six months, and she started feeling lower and lower every time she seen him. She finally had enough of the verbal abuse and broke it off with Jim, last month. Jim didn’t seem to take it well, but Julie just stayed clear of him, and it seemed to have blown over. Julie had met Rick about two weeks after the breakup, while getting a soda at the restaurant that Rick worked in, across the mall. Jim had made Julie nervous about boys, but Rick seemed to be a gentleman and besides, he was so darn cute! She had decided to throw her heart out there one more time, with hopes that it wouldn’t be stomped on again. So far it has been great with Rick. He treats her like a princess, unlike the dog, Jim had tried to create. It is so different to have someone hold a door for you instead of letting it swing back in your face, she thought. When Julie has something to say, Rick clams up and allows her to speak her mind.

Julie held down a little squeal of joy as she turned to her co-worker. “Beth, I’m going to take my lunch break now.” Beth glanced back over her shoulder and saw Rick heading into the store. “Of course, you are! I see your knight in shining armor heading this way,” Beth said with a chuckle. Rick came in with a big smile on his face, carrying a box with burgers, fries and two large sodas. “Are you ready for our mall picnic, my queen?” Rick asked Julie. “Oh, I guess so,” she responded, without looking up from her cash register. Rick’s heart sank a little, “is this how she thinks of me?” he wondered. Beth spoke up with a laugh, “stop torturing the boy, Julie!” As Julie looked up, the young man saw in her eyes, how excited she really was to see him. She ran to him and planted a kiss on his cheek, grabbed his hand and led him to the break room in the back. Beth yelled after them, “Don’t worry about me, my prince will show up some day.”

The young couple went into the break room, Rick held the door for Julie, showing the gentleman he was. She thanked him, and they sat down at the table. Rick sat the box of food and sodas down, offering Julie hers first. They talked about what their plans were for the weekend while enjoying their lunch. “How about we go to the movies?” Julie asked. “I’m sure you’d like that new thriller that just came out. It’s about a guy going after a girl that dumped him!” She spoke. Rick laughed and answered, “So you like thrillers then?” Julia thought for a moment. “I like to be surprised and not know, what’s going to happen next,” she said. Little did they both know how they would be part of a thriller, and not just watch it on the big screen.

Halfway through lunch, while talking about their weekend plans, a loud popping noise rang out and the couple looked at each other with amazement. “What the hell? That sounded like a gunshot,” Rick gasped, as he jumped to his feet. Julie answered, with a shaking voice, “I’m scared Rick, what’s going on?” Rick went to peer out of the break room door. He saw a person wearing black clothing, holding a shotgun. Rick slowly closed the door, but before he could latch it, Julie pushed the door open a little to look for herself. A small gulp came from Julie as she saw what was going on in the store. Another shot rang out, and Julie stifled a scream by quickly putting her hands over her mouth. There were people being killed, and blood was splattered everywhere. “Oh, my God!” Julie cried with alarm, as another person was shot and dropped to the floor.

Beth, the cashier at the register, had been hit at point-blank range. Her stomach exploded when the blast found her midsection. As she fell to the floor, Beth was sure she would not live to see the end of her shift. Two elderly patrons clothes shopping for their granddaughter were the next to fall. The man’s head disappeared from his shoulders in front of his wife. The wife didn’t have time to think of her husband, as her chest cavity imploded within seconds. Both would not make it home from this shopping trip. Mall security heard the shots and called the local police station, before checking on the scene. This short time-lapse was probably the only thing that saved the security guard, who was first to arrive, as he looked around the corner into the shop. The blast rocked the door frame beside his head and shattered glass, which showered down on his face. If he had been five seconds earlier, the gunman would’ve been in direct line with the guard, a center shot lined up. As the SWAT team showed up, the gunman was making his way down the aisles of the store. He was looking for Julie. Julie didn’t know it, but if the gunman’s plan was successful, today, she would die, and he would kill himself, so they would always be together. “I will have her, and anyone who gets in the way shall also follow us to the great beyond!”, he spoke out loud to himself. The man in the dark clothing was searching for his next victim in the clothing store. He loaded more shells into his pump shotgun with the ease of someone who knew how to use this particular weapon. The reason behind his rage, was still a mystery to everyone unfortunate enough to be in the store.

“What are we going to do?” Julie asked. “We can’t stay here, there’s no way out except that door, and he will be here soon!” Rick replied. Once again, Rick cracked the door open and peered out. Looking from one side of the store to the other. Rick observed, just to the right of the break room door, a big display with all kinds of long dresses on it. Underneath and to the left would be the only place to hide. The darkness, created by the long dresses, would give them their best chance.

“You must be quiet, Julie,” Rick whispered. “I’m so scared! He just killed them! I don’t see Beth!”, she said sobbing and in near panic. Rick put an arm around her and touched her lips with the other hand. “I will protect you, but you must be quiet, do you understand?” Rick whispered in her ear. Julie nodded her head in agreement. “Good. We are hidden and the cops are coming. I hear them yelling at this psycho case,” He whispered, “That nutcase seems to be slightly distracted. This is our chance. Do you see the display of dresses to the right?” Julie nodded, as she seen where he was pointing. “When I say go,” Rick said, “we are going to stay low and get there as fast as we can. “Ready….GO!!”

Woman hiding in a shadow
Just be quiet

Rick and Julie made their way quickly out of the break room, over to the display, and slid to a stop under the dresses. They were hiding and waiting as the gunman worked his way to the back of the store, shooting anything that moved. They could hear the captain of the swat team yelling for the man to stop and asking what he wanted. The gunman finally responded, “She broke my heart and I have nothing left to live for! She must pay!” Julie recognized the voice and couldn’t stop herself from yelling out, “Jim, is that you?” The gunman swung to the left towards the voice. He fired his weapon in the area the voice came from. The shot clipped off the top half of the big display, they were hiding under. He was only a few feet from them. As he got closer, ready to shoot, again Rick’s own killer instinct kicked in! He grabbed a pole, used for hanging clothes, and thrust it into the stomach of the attacker, dropping him to his knees. A shot fired into the ceiling and debris showered down as the attacker jerked the gun up in pain. The gunman, Jim, fell to the side, dropping the weapon and grasping for the pole, protruding from his gut. Rick and Julie leaped from their hiding space. Rick kicked the gun away, out of the reach of the attacker. Julie knelt beside Jim. “Why, Jim, why?” She screamed and sobbed at the same time. “You were in my dreams, tormenting me, Julie!” Jim gasped, “I can’t live without you! You broke my heart.” As the officers surround him, with a deep guttural, blood bubbling gurgle, he breathed his last.

“Are you alright, miss?” an officer asked Julie. “I may never be alright again.” Julie responded. Rick rushed to her, and they embraced. He noticed she flinched. Rick wondered if she could ever hold him again, or if this tragedy would destroy their relationship as well. Will she wonder if I might have a killer instinct towards her someday? After all, I was the one who killed Jim, Rick thought. Just then, Julie looked into Rick’s eyes and said, “I don’t think I want to go to that thriller movie anymore. Is it okay if we have a picnic instead?” Rick saw in her eyes the love she had for him had just grown stronger. “I think I’m done with thrillers myself; I’ve had all the shooting I can stand for a lifetime,” Rick answered, “Let’s get out of here, I believe I’m getting off work early today, besides my lunch break was over half an hour ago.” Rick smirked. Julie hugged him tight, knowing this man would always take care of her.

The couple walked out of the store, hand in hand. As they passed the restaurant, that Rick worked at, he yelled inside, “Send me my check, I quit!”

Two weeks later, a reporter saw the young couple crossing the road. He stopped them on the other side and asked Rick and Julie if they would tell their story about the incident at the mall. They both looked at one another, then back to the man and answered in unison, “What story?” and walked away. Rick and Julie were married six months after the incident, and never went into or talked about the mall again. They made a pact to never watch any kind of thriller movie again, besides, they had lived the real-life version of one and had no interest in reliving it. Hollywood could never come up with ideas that would out do what they had lived through already.

Categories
short stories

What is Abuse and how do I get away from it?

First off, before I even get into the subject the title shows, I must say a few things. I am not a physician, psychologist or a psychiatrist. I am going to simply put out some information, from my years of knowing people on both sides of this issue. If you are in an abusive situation, I urge you to seek help now! I believe that I can put a spin on things that may help you see what I have found to be a problem and a possible solution to that problem. Please do not take my word as gospel of what you are going through. Keep in mind, I am just a writer, giving my opinion. If you are in danger, get help immediately!

A woman sitting on the floor with her hands up in a defensive matter, protecting herself

Let’s first look at what is considered abuse. Most people believe abuse as a physical hurting of another, usually a husband hitting his wife. This is abuse, but there is another form of abuse that most people never think about. Verbal abuse can destroy a person as fast as physical abuse, and in many ways become the worst case scenario. Verbal abuse can lead into physical abuse.

I want to first talk about physical abuse. If you are a man and are hitting your wife or children, you have a problem that needs to be taken care of immediately! You should never hit your wife, period! As far as your children, if you are spanking them, make sure you never do so out of anger. Any other type of hitting your children is an absolute wrong. I will not lean one way or the other on this issue. You are responsible for the discipline of your children. To further your education on spanking, let’s take a look at what the definition of spanking is.

noun

  1. an act of slapping, especially on the buttocks as a punishment for children.”you deserve a good spanking”

The key factor about spanking, is never do so when you are angry. You have to remember how much strength you have and how easily you can hurt your child. By the way, this goes for you too, ladies, never spank your child while you are angry. Spanking can be a form of discipline however, if done while in an angry state of mind constitutes abuse.

A man points and verbally abuses his spouse

Men, Never hit a woman! Part of being a man is learning control of your body and emotions. You should have been taught that growing up, but some of you did not receive that lesson of life. Men are naturally stronger than women, especially in our upper bodies. Not only is it the wrong thing to do, it can cause great harm to whom you are hitting. Men are known for their self-control for a reason. If you lose control, make sure you are alone or with your male buddies, who can help control you. This is a huge #1 lesson for a man to learn. Don’t let your true temper show when there are women or children around. None of us really want to hurt our bride or children. Don’t allow it to happen, because being sorry later doesn’t fix anything. They may forgive you, given time, but you will never forgive yourself.

I have talked a little about Men hitting women, but ladies, I have something to tell you as well, and you’re probably not going to like it. It takes great control for a man to hold his temper to a lower level, if you ladies hit your man, you may be tempting fate. Don’t hit him and hope he doesn’t hit you back. Most of us have control to not snap, but there are those that don’t have this control, especially while drinking or under other forms of mind-altering substances. If he hits you, he is completely in the wrong, but just don’t help him get there by hitting him first. I want to add here that I have been talking about husbands and wives, this also is for boyfriends, girlfriends, fiancée, or any other couple out there. I guess the biggest difference is, if your boyfriend is beating you up, and you go ahead and marry him, you are asking for trouble. It would be bad enough to keep dating and see how many times he hurts you. Remember, if he will do it once, there’s a great chance there will be a repeat in your future.

A man yells at his spouse, while their daughter sits on the floor, covering her ears in fear

The main issue people are not learning is, “we must respect each other“. If you are hitting one another, there is no respect, and you shouldn’t be together in the first place. Of course, there are always the instances where people change and become someone else. If this is the case, there is a reason, and it usually involves the substances, mentioned above, like alcohol. Ladies and gentlemen, if you meet your mate in a bar, the writing should be in letters ten feet tall to look deeper before you commit to a relationship.

I have discussed abusing and being abused, but how do we change what is happening? If you are the abuser, you need to move out and seek help immediately! It may be hard to leave your family, but until you get help, you need to get out before things get worse. If you love your family, get help, and there may be a chance of getting them back. If you lose them because you left, at least you will have peace in your heart that your family is safe. This would be the hard lesson #2. Remember, there is help for you, and you don’t have to do it alone. There are plenty of places willing to help you with your anger issues.

Woman and her child pack a suitcase to leave.

Ladies, if you are being physically abused, get your children and leave. The longer you stay, the harder it will be, and the chances of serious injury or even death for you and your children will gain in percentage, not lower. If he is out of control, it will continue to get worse until he gets the help he needs. He can apologize all he wants, but if he has let the beast out more than once, it will continue. I say more than once, I would like to say the first time, but I know that I would be talking to a brick wall. I know you women always want to believe it was a one time thing. Furthermore, I pray that you are right, but studies show this not with good odds. When he beats you or your children up the second time, will you give him a third?

It’s very scary to be in a situation where you think of being trapped or that he will find you. I feel for you, I really do, but if you don’t get out of that situation, it is only going to get worse. You know when he won’t be home. You know where you can find a police station, or a relative to get to. Don’t let yourself or your children become a statistic on the news. Especially if you have children, get them out of this situation to a safe place.

Now, most people don’t want to talk about it, but there are instances where the wife is the physical abuser. This doesn’t happen as often, but it does happen. The same goes for you gentlemen, if your wife is abusive to you, you need to get out. If your wife is abusive to your children, get them out and make sure to seek help with the nearest authorities. By authorities, I mean the police. This falls under a little different circumstance, because it is rare and people don’t want to believe the wife as the abusive one. You want to make sure to go directly to the authorities, so your wife can’t say you kidnapped your children. If you do anything else, you might be charged for kidnapping, since you are the man. I know this isn’t right, but society is what it is. Get your children to safety, this is the most important thing.

I have gone over what I believe about physical abuse. Now let’s talk a little about verbal abuse. Do you realize that verbal abuse, even though not taken care of by authorities as it should be, can actually be worse than physical abuse? First let me say that physical abuse usually consists of verbal abuse at the same time, but not mentioned very often. Verbal abuse, by itself, can be a lifelong tragedy. Someone can verbally cause their partner to commit suicide. If the verbally abused person does get out and away from their abuser, they may never be able to trust another person, ever. They can lose the ability to function in society, because they have been torn down so badly, they can no longer make decisions on their own. Verbal abuse can become a brainwashing that may never be fixed. Verbally abused people lose all self-esteem and can go into deep depression that may control the rest of their lives.

A man, with his hand raised, has a woman up against a wall, using verbal abuse.

Most of the time, verbal abuse starts slow and grows from there (degrading your spouse, calling him/her hurtful names or telling him/her they are useless). It is a constant tear down of one’s mind. The abused person becomes dependent upon the one that is abusing them, and believing they themselves can’t get along without the one abusing them. Verbal abuse may later become physical abuse, but they are so beaten down by then, they start feeling they deserve the physical abuse. Do you see why I say verbal abuse can be worse than physical abuse? It is a tear down of one’s mental ability, and can be considered brainwashing. If this is done slowly enough, the person doesn’t even realize it’s happening until it’s beyond repair.

I’m not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, however I have known people in all aspects of what I have written. I hope that you have found some comfort in and possibly even some helpful advice. If you are in an abusive situation, whether you are the abused person or the one being abusive, there are those of us who care and want you to get help. Take care and remember, God loves you, and we love you too. Don’t give up who you are! Take care my friends, I wholeheartedly believe in you, and believe you can make, and have a better life.

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Categories
Guest post short stories

The Art of Forgiveness

Written by Laura Moseley

My guest today is Laura Moseley from The DV Walking Wounded. Thank you, Laura, for sharing something that is so important for others to see! I commend you for your strength and for teaching other women, all is not lost. Laura is a survivor, and you can be too!

“Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.”

CS Lewis

I learned about forgiveness early on, as a young child. My father always told me, “Those who anger you, own you.” That was the way that he instructed me to not let others dictate my behavior, which opened the door to forgiveness of others. My family was very ingrained in our church, so I was taught to receive forgiveness, I myself had to forgive. It wasn’t until I was a married adult, did I learn the proper way to forgive and “mean it.”

I had NO idea that there was a formula to forgiveness, until recently. I always knew that there was a technique to it, but not that there was an actual formula. I am going to break down the formula, putting my spin on it. I feel like I have massive experience in the “forgiveness” department, after surviving a twenty-six-year marriage to an abusive man AND surviving and healing from sexual abuse from a former boyfriend when I was just a teenager. I have had to forgive these people, even though I’ll never receive a formal apology, to live my life. I also will not allow them to do anything else, ever again. It’s the “Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me!” principle.

Step 1: Acknowledge

Acknowledge that an offense happened, one that hurt the recipient (you). Be specific. Example: “My co-worker lied to our boss about taking sole credit for our project.”

Step 2: Consider

How did that offense make you feel? Has it changed your thinking or perception? Mull over what has happened, not making any decisions under stress (either anger or sadness).

Step 3: Accept

Please accept that what has happened (the past) cannot be undone. It is done and acknowledges that it has happened — and do not alter that perception. There is NO guarantee that the other party accepts that. What-ifs are not allowed here!

Step 4: Determine

This is the step where you will “determine” whether or not you intend to forgive the other party/person. This is a pivotal point. DO NOT take this lightly. This point can also dictate the future relationship you will have with the offending party, if any.

Step 5: Repair

Repair the relationship with the person who wronged you. Before any act of forgiveness or reconciliation, rebuild the connection you used to have with this person. For instance, if someone at work has wronged you, you may not necessarily forgive them, but you can let them know that you all have to work together, and you will be professional and courteous to each other. If you say something, keep your word! In most cases, you will be the instigator of this “olive branch,” so to speak. Many people know that they have inflicted a wrong, but “freeze up” and do not try to repair, only to avoid it. Keep in mind that you are “repairing” not “restoring.” If you are going about as if nothing is wrong, that does not solve any problems, but just creates more instances for you to be wronged.

Step 6: Learn

What does the term “forgiveness” mean to you? You really need to define that at this point. To me, I acknowledge the wrong and what you plan to do (or need to do) to correct that wrong. However, I will not forget this wrong, I just will no longer acknowledge that once forgiveness is granted. I am not allowing that wrong to own my thoughts and feelings. BUT, that is my interpretation. As a child, I had an adult tell me that you cannot forgive a person if they do not ask for it. I don’t believe this to be true, now that I am an adult. I have to get to a point of forgiveness for what they did to no longer control my feelings and perceptions. That person may no longer be in your life or may have passed away. You can forgive them and move on, based on time and feelings.

Step 7: Forgive

Actively forgive the person who has wronged you. This may be silent forgiveness, doing so in your mind. However, if you have an issue with someone currently in your life, you should speak the forgiveness. Example: “I forgive you for lying to me about _______. However, this has made me not trust you. I realize that we still have to work together. I will treat you with kindness and professionalism as I always have, but I may not entirely trust you.” The verbal statement may not be met with penitence or compassion, but it is your statement to make. Doing so in a non-threatening way is the way to go. Waiting to introduce it into a conversation, when it is just you and the other party, is best. The silent version is helpful in all aspects, as it helps you to let it go and move on! You may never truly get an apology or acknowledgment that the other party wronged you!

Conclusion

Another point is never to bring this past transgression up if you all have a later disagreement or argument. If you have truly forgiven someone, this is not fair to what is going on in the present! You may recall the past transgression also if there is a history of disagreements or misunderstandings. This may help you to know if you need to cut off the relationship, as a negative history, but DO NOT verbally bring that up. That only adds fuel to the fire and illustrates that it was truly not forgiven. You want to be a person of your word and if you want others to forgive you, you don’t want that thrown in your face. Each transgression merits its own attention! I definitely learned this from being in a romantic/intimate relationship. No one is perfect and I don’t expect my partner to be. I know I am not perfect, so I can extend grace to them — once we talk things through, that is. Communication should be a vital part of any relationship. If it is not, the relationship is not a positive one. Understanding why the transgression happened takes time, but try not to dwell on it too much. You may never fully understand why or how, but acknowledge that you can no longer worry about it! Worrying causes stress, which can shorten our lives. And I’m going to be darned if anyone gets to own my feelings! They are no longer allowed to pay rent inside my head! I release them from that, through forgiveness. I have found life is too short for that, honestly. After everything I have been through personally, I hate no one. Hate is a strong emotion that can kill you. Plus, I do not want to stoop to my transgressors’ negative levels. I am better than that and will conduct myself as such. Not better than the person, but better than the bitterness. Love and light!

Picture of the author Laura Moseley
Laura Moseley

BIO: Laura is a single Mom of three, Nana to one grandbaby, who survived 23+ years of sexual or domestic abuse. I work for a federal social services organization, and also am a DV advocate, activist, speaker, writer/author, and blogger. I enjoy helping victims survivors get out of abuse and never go back! https://dvwalkingwounded.me/