The Difference You Have Made (SAMPLE)

Chapter 1 - The Escape

SMACK! The large brown hand strikes the unsuspecting face. The force knocks her into the wood-paneled wall. Slowly she slides to the concrete floor. Her shaking almond hand clutches her throbbing right cheek.

"Now I'm going to work angry because of you!" The tall man yells as he stands over her with a menacing look on his square face. His thick eyebrows are raised high on his slopped forehead. A vein throbs in right between his eyes. He's angrier than she's ever seen him before, and she's seen him be angry a lot.

Desperately, she tries to diffuse the situation. "Tyson, I didn't mean to upset you."

"Shut up!" He seethes, snatching his red windbreaker jacket off the back of the wicker dining chair and stomping out of the dilapidated apartment. Anxiously she listens for the sound of his heavy footsteps descending the creaky staircase. When she's sure he's gone, she carefully stands to her feet. She learned long ago that if she moves too fast, it'll only make her suffering worse.

Despair hangs over her head like a dark cloud as she makes her way to the dented white refrigerator. Inhaling deeply, she grabs a handful of ice and pours it into a plastic bag. She holds the bag to her stinging cheek. It is past time for her to seek a better situation. The cruelty that Tyson routinely subjects her to has tainted her life for entirely too long. She used to think that things would get better, but it's been nearly four months already. There's no sign that anything will change. The man who was once her loving boyfriend no longer exists. He's been replaced by an abusive and controlling tyrant. It started with demeaning words meant to tear down her confidence. When that no longer worked, he escalated to physical assaults. Now she spends every day worrying that it will be her last. She hardly sleeps at night because she's scared to let her guard down when he's around. She's at the mercy of his violent and erratic temperament. It's not safe.

You don't have to put up with this anymore. You can get out. The thought is like a bright sign flashing in her mind as she remembers the job advertisement she saw online the night before.

LIVE-IN NANNY NEEDED

All applicants must be female and have at least one year of childcare experience. Serious candidates will have to undergo a background check and drug screening. This position requires you to live on-site and provide full-time care to a two-year-old boy. Walk-in interviews will be available Tuesday, August 11th from 8 AM until 1 PM at 1231 Enterprise Avenue, Suite 1012. Ask for Rachel Skylark. A resume is required.

She paces on the dingy carpet flooring of the small square living room, contemplating what could be a way for her to finally escape this never-ending nightmare. Any other job would require her to work secretly for months to save even half of the money she needs to move out. If she's hired for this job, it will give her a new home right away. The need to get away from Tyson grows stronger every day. His vicious attacks are intensifying. It's only a matter of time before she ends up in the hospital, or worse, dead.

There's no guarantee that she'll be chosen for the job, but it's a step in the right direction. Besides, there will be no harm done no matter the outcome. If she is hired, then she'll be able to leave without her so-called boyfriend interfering. If she isn't hired, then Tyson will never know that she's trying to get away from him. It's a win-win situation, something she rarely encounters anymore.

Her eyes move to the digital clock of the microwave. It's just after nine o'clock in the morning. Tyson won't be home from work until after six. There's plenty of time for her to go to the interview and return home. A slow grin spreads across her diamond-shaped face. She's going to do it. She's going to the interview for the job. It's exciting and nerve-racking.