Dangled

Josephine

That night i couldn’t seem to fall asleep.

Every time I had closed my eyes, his face flashed behind my eyelids. Those piercing grey eyes that haunts my thoughts, I couldn’t seem to ignore the unsettling feelings.

I sat on the edge of the stiff motel bed with my knees to my chest, pondering on the events of last night. The constant ticking of the wall clock didn’t help to ease the turmoil I felt in my heart.

Confusion etched it’s way into my head, how could we go from regular banter to physical abuse? I was aware of Mathew’s anger issues but it never went as far as to lay hands on me.

My phone buzzed, eliciting a shocked gasp from my lips. “My goodness!”

Thankfully it wasn’t Mathew but Evelyn, I swiped to answer quickly. “Hey Jo, is everything alright?” Her voice sounding concerned.

My brows furrowed in confusion., clearing my throat painfully. “Uh...yeah, i-i sent a text calling in sick.”

There was a pause at the other end before she spoke up. “Jo, you sound off. Are you sure you’re okay?”

I pressed my lips together, trying to suppress the rush of emotions threatening to spill out. “I’m just tired, Ev. I didn’t sleep well.”

“You don’t have to lie to me, your voice sounds hoarse, have you been crying?” she said softly.

Tears pricked the corner of my eyes.

She continued. “If he’s hurt you, Jo, you need to tell me. You know I’ve got your back, right?”

Her words hit a nerve, and my throat tightened. Mathew’s hands around my neck flashed vividly in my mind, the way his grip had tightened, the pure rage in his eyes.

“I’ll be fine,” I whispered, barely convincing myself.

Evelyn sighed with obvious frustration. “You always say that, even when I know that things are bad.”

She was right. Whenever I and Mathew had a big fight, I always reassured her or myself that I’ll be fine but deep down I know everything is crumbling before me but I just choose not to accept it.

“Where are you, I just got off work.” She asks softly.

I sniffle and quickly typed down the address to the motel. “I sent you the address....”

“Okay. Don’t go back know to him, I’m coming to see you.”

The call ended before I could respond. Her words lingered, heavy in the air. Deep down, I knew she was right but it wasn’t that simple to just leave Mathew...

I stared at my reflection through the small bathroom mirror. Angry purple blotches littered my neck, my eyes were puffy from crying and overall I just looked terrible.

A few minutes go by with me lost in thoughts before a knock on my door startles me. My heart raced as I approached the door carefully in fear that it might be Mathew at the other side.

“W-who is it?” I trembled.

A familiar voice sounded. “It’s me.”

I let out a sigh of relief and opened the door revealing a tired but concerned looking Evelyn who stood with wide eyes of shock.

“Jo, what the hell?!” she gasped.

I pulled her inside, quickly shutting the door behind me. “I-i know it looks bad but it doesn’t hurt at all.” I rushed out.

“Bullshit, that asshole put his hands on you!” Evelyn had angry tears in her eyes.

My throat tightened with a sob, I looked away from her gaze in slight embarrassment.

“You need to leave him,” she said firmly, her voice steady but urgent. “Pack your things and leave before he does something worse.”

I clenched my dress in a fist. “I-i tried....”

There was silence before I heard the faint sniffle from Evelyn. “What truly happened, Jo....this doesn’t seem like your usual fights.”

She ushers me to sit in the stiff bed and rubs my back softly, in a comforting manner. The tears I had been holding back rolled down my cheeks like a leaking tap with sobs wrecking from my lips.

“Oh....Jo.” she held me while I cried with my face in my hands.

The blur of last night events flashed into my head. “I-i really don’t know how it got this bad Ev. Mathew....he cheated on me.”

She tightened her arms around me. “Damn him.”

I hiccup. “I saw a text from his project manager at work, they’ve been seeing each other for so long....”

“Wait isn’t she married?!” Evelyn gasped.

I give her a weak nod but tears kept streaming down my cheeks. “I-i always had this gut feeling but always pushed it away and decided to trust Mathew, b-but it hurts, Ev.”

She caresses my unruly hair back with glossy eyes.

“Finally, I decided to confront him a-and that’s when he-h-he....strangled me.” I stuttered through my words.

Ev gasped with disgust written all over her face. “He should be in jail for what he did or have a restraining order?!”

She was right, he doesn’t deserve me....I have done so much for him to just go on and cheat with his boss. He wasn’t even remorseful when I had asked him, the smug look he had on still haunts my memory.

Ev stood abruptly packing my stuff that was littered everywhere with urgency. A frown of confusion forms on my face.

“W-what are you doing, Ev?” I ask softly.

She huffs, stuffing everything into my tote bag. “We’re heading to your apartment.”

My eyes widened, a sense of fear seeped through my veins. “Wait what? B-but what about Mathew?!”

“He’s probably at work now so let’s head back and throw his stuff out before he comes back.” She said with a determined look.

A sense of rush fuels my veins. She was right, this was the best opportunity to get rid of him, when he’s at work and I’m willing to take it.

The ride to my apartment felt like a blur, my thoughts were mangled up with exhaustion and fear but Evelyn’s determined look gave me strength to not change my mind on this abrupt decision.

My hands trembled, tightly holding on to the straps of my tote bag as we step out of the car. A sense of dread gnawed in the pits of my belly as we made our way up the long stairs of my apartment.

I let out a shaky breath as we reached the familiar door of my apartment with my key in hand, hovering over the key hole with fear.

Ev notices this and places her hand on my back, reassuringly. “I’m right here Jo, let’s get rid of that asshole.”

I gulp thickly with a nod before twisting the key, opening the door to the apartment with was thankfully empty with no sign of Mathew. My usual faint cologne mixed with Mathew’s was in the air but something else hung heavy.

Evelyn didn’t waste time, she moved quickly to get Mathew’s shoes and coat that hung by the door, stuffing them into a box. Something felt off though, I could just feel it, anxiety seeped into my veins.

My legs moved on their own like I was being pulled to something down the hallway. My heart raced faster as I saw the door to our room was left halfway open which was strange.

I pushed the door with my fingers and what I saw made my blood run cold with dread. A scream tore out from throat as i stumbled backwards with my hand covering my mouth in shock.

Mathew dangled from the ceiling fan by an extension cord, his neck was twisted at an odd angle and his feet were badly burnt. The stench of urine that stained his lower half wafted my nostrils, slightly choking me.

Evelyn rushed towards me, her gaze to the direction I looked at and she turns pale from the shock. A scream tore from her throat as she held me, shaking with fear.

“W-what the hell?!”

I stammered, trembling like a leaf. “I-i don’t know!”

Her expression turned frantic, reaching for her phone in her pants pocket. “W-we need to call the cops, now!”

I nodded still in a daze but something catches my eye. The window was open, we never left the window open so that means, someone was probably here last night and killed Mathew.

My stomach churned as a wave of fear washed over me. This wasn’t random, it couldn’t have been. someone was definitely here....

Evelyn’s voice was muffled in my ear as she communicated with the operator on the phone while I walked towards the window. My heart thundered as I looked down to the empty street but in a distance there was a figure.

My breath hitched as fear struck my heart, a man....he stood with unwavering confidence from afar, staring straight into my window. He cocked his head slightly, wanting me to know he was watching.

This man.

My breath caught in my throat as a chill ran down my spine. It was him, the grey-eyed man who haunted my dreams.

Evelyn called out for me but my feet had a mind on their own, rushing down the stairs of my apartment into the empty street.

I ran across with determination in my heart while Evelyn chased me to catch up, calling out my name.

My breath came out in short pants as I turned towards the corner but there wasn’t anyone there, it was like I had imagined him or something.

Evelyn’s voice was calling out to me but I looked around in a daze like I’ve just lost my mind. There was no way I imagined him because this prickling feeling of being watched sent goosebumps up my skin.