Escaping the Void

Chapter Two

Following the completion of my chores, I go back into the bedroom and sit on the bed. I reach for the remote control and turn the TV on. It's only five o'clock, and Trevor doesn't get off of work until six, so I have a little bit of leisure time.

When the TV came to life, it was on the Lifetime channel showing the latest version of the movie 'Flowers in the Attic'. It was at the scene where Cathy was sitting in a chair in the attic, her hair chopped above her shoulders when Chris came to talk to her. I remember this. It's the kissing scene. I've seen this movie so many times. I've even read the series of books by V. C. Andrews. I remember when I started reading the first book. It wasn't long after I began dating Trevor. 

Before he had me move in with him, I had my own apartment and he would come over often to visit. I would always be reading when he would visit, so whenever I started reading Flowers in the Attic, he suggested that we should read it together. That was his way of saying that he would lay his head on my lap and listen to me read the book out loud to him. I loved reading to him. He always seemed so interested in the book. He would ask questions and try to make guesses at what would happen next. We read the whole series together. We don't do that much anymore. He only has me read to him when he's immensely stressed out. Right now, we're on Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. The last time I read it to him was last year. 

The only time I ever feel happy anymore is when I think of the times before Trevor became the monster he is today. The times when he would kiss me and I didn't cringe. The times when he would hug me and didn't hit me. The times when we would go out on dates and he would buy me little gifts that made me feel special. The times when we would make love and I never wanted him to stop. 

Those times are gone now, though. Long gone. 

I wake up to the sound of a door slamming shut. I don't recall ever falling asleep, but when I look at the clock on my phone, it reads 6:08 PM. I throw my legs off the side of the bed and stretch before getting up to go see Trevor. I walk into the living room to see him at the door taking his jacket off. He was wearing something that I rarely see, and it threw me aback. It was a smile. 

"Hey, babe,"  Trevor says. He approaches me and gives me a quick peck on the lips. I try to conceal how surprised I am with a neutral face. Trevor hasn't smiled like that in I don't know how long. 

"Hey," I say back. "How was work?" He walks past me into the bedroom and sits down on the side of the bed. I follow him.

"It was great. I got my paycheck," he says taking off his work boots.

"But you don't get paid until the twentieth. It's only the thirteenth," I reply confused.

"I got a raise."

"Really? Trevor, that's great! That's wonderful!"

"Yeah, I know. That's why I think we should go out for dinner. You know, to celebrate."

The words "go out" sounded so foreign to me that I almost didn't know what they meant coming out of his mouth. We hadn't gone out in months. My body is washed by such an alien feeling that I just ended up staring at him, not knowing what to say.

"But...I already cooked din---"

Forget about that. We'll eat that tomorrow. Let's just go out, kay?" he says. He stares up at me, his face seemingly gentle and almost babyish. 

"Alright," I answer.

"Good. Go ahead and get ready. I wanna be outta here by seven," Trevor says rising to his feet. He walks over to the bathroom, his hands unbuttoning his work shirt in the process.