Day 3 of Novel November (TW)
TW; mentions of domestic violence, physical and psychological abuse.
Aries didn’t understand how it had devolved so quickly; the sound of the bottle shattering against the wall rang in her ears. Shoulders hunched and cuts stinging the back of her bare legs, glass catching in her perfectly styled hair. Makeup streaked down her face as the man screamed and screamed at her.
“You’re so selfish! I wanted to have a good night, but you can’t help but make everything about you! You’re useless. It’s no wonder all of your other friends leave you.” He spat, barely held back by the arms of his girlfriend, and as Aries attempted to open her mouth to defend herself, to understand what she had done wrong, her mouth was covered by the final member of the group.
The other girl shook her head, “Just let it go. You’re just going to make it worse. Just let him yell.”
But she couldn’t. The night had been well, and he had suddenly switched– she hadn’t even said anything to him, except to ask what was wrong.
Aries wrenched the hand over her lips away, a wail escaping her throat as she made her way to the front door. Air, I need air. I can't breathe-
Searing, tingling pain exploded throughout her scalp as she cried out, the boy’s fingers tangled in her hair as he held on with all his strength. She fought against the hold, while his girlfriend cooed and soothed and ripped him away, and finally she twisted the doorknob and ran into the dark, cold night. No shoes, no coat, no phone. She ran until her thighs burned and her chest ached, collapsing in the grass behind a dumpster.
She closed her eyes, sobbing and hiccuping with the force of her cries. Pulling her knees to her chest, she rocked for warmth and tried to drown out the voices in her head. You’re selfish, everyone hates you, everything you do is fake. No one could ever love you…
Three against one, so it must be me.
~334 words
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