Amor

Thomas

1975

"Stupid woman!" Thomas snarled, roughly slamming her into the floor. She held back a yelp of pain, knowing that it would make things even worse. She wouldn't put it past him to duct tape her mouth shut.

"It's too late," she croaked, pushing herself up, wincing in agony from her injured leg. "I joined the band."

Thomas growled, roughly pulling her up by the hair, using the other hand to tightly grip her jaw.

"You just want to sleep around," he hissed "you good for nothing slu-"

"I'm joining the band because I like music. I love singing. Please...I-I'll do anything. Just please let me join" she hated begging like this, but this was her dream. She would make it come true...no matter how much she would have to suffer.'

Thomas smirked, letting her go.

"Alright. You are to be back by 7:45 each day. You will wear long sleeves and concealer. You will only speak if spoken to. And lastly, each and every night, you will please me."

Stevie nodded. She despised what was happening to her, but she had no choice. It was all or nothing.

"Alright" she told him, and Thomas smiled, kissing her roughly. He was never, ever gentle or tender when giving physical touch, his kisses more a form of controlling her than anything else. He then walked off to watch football.

She sighed. She wanted more than anything to leave him, but she knew she couldn't. He would, for sure, kill her, and, despite how hard she worked as a waitress, and the fact that his "job" was selling empty water bottles, he controlled the finances. The money she worked so hard for mostly went into him buying stolen Girl Scout cookies.

She had only been 19, in 1967, when she had him, and he had been 31. Back then, he was sweet, and he had been sweet for the first year or so of their relationship.

But then, around 1969 or 1970, things had started to change. It started when he had started to isolate her from her best friend, Robin, saying that he didn't want her to go out, lying that he was worried that she would ger hurt, kidnapped or worse. Then, he began to isolate her from her parents and brother.

After he had cut her off from anyone who could help and get her out of the situation, he begun to get physical. What started off as shoving, would become hitting, slapping, punching and sometimes, kicking. Unwanted kisses and caresses become full on SA. What had once been small, maybe teasing jabs turned into cruel, loud insults.

5 long years later, and here she was. Broken beyond repair. At least now she could fulfill her dream.

She stared at herself in the mirror. Her body was littered with bruises, marks and carvings. She looked at the one on her arm. "Bitch" had been carved into the arm, deeply, with a sharp knife.

She preferred the sharp ones to the dull ones.

She shook her head. Tomorrow would be her first meeting with the band. According to Mick, there was another new guy, but she had forgotten his name by now.

Oh well. She was sure that she would hear it again tomorrow. And maybe this would save her from Thomas, one day.