Love is a Sacrifice by Samara Fitzgerald (best chinese ebook reader TXT) 📕

'Pant' 'pant' I have been running in this dark forest for what seem like a long time. The moon is the only light that I have to guide me through the forest. Sweat is dripping from my forehead, stinging the cuts I have from me falling repeatedly. "Iris, come back! I'm sorry. I won't put my hands on you ever again. Please come back , we can work things out." yelled out the voice of the man I despise and hate. There goes the same line he uses every time he hits me. This time I'm not listening to his crap. I am so tired of his lies. I'm looking around in the dark forest.

I stop for a minute behind a tree to catch my breath. “I've got to get away from this man” I said to myself looking around the forest. There was a time that I loved this man with my whole heart .But after he start drinking and beating on me constantly for no reason, I knew I had to get away. My mother and sister keep telling me to get away from Bill, but of course at the time, I wanted to stay and help Bill with his problems. Bill has lost his job and I knew he needed me.

But a day like today was the last straw. Bill got home earlier today. He spent today looking for a job. I could tell Bill was drunk. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. Today was our 7 year anniversary so I had my hair braided and put in a bun and I was wearing the blue platted dress that he loved so much. I also fixed Bill’s favorite meal. Fried pork chops, mashed potatoes smothered with gravy and green beans with roasted almonds. Also I made his favorite dessert, sweet potato pie. He came stumbling in the house. I could tell this was one of his bad days. He went toward the table and start eating. He didn’t say hi or anything. He told me to sit down and eat but I already ate. He start looking mad as hell.

“When I tell you to eat, I mean eat. This isn’t no conversation. I didn’t ask for an answer.” He then start laughing and got a slice a pie and told me to eat it. “No Bill. Stop, you drunk." Bill grin went away and he grabbed me so hard, I felt his grip on my bone. I knew I was going to have a bruise afterward. Bill start shaking me and yelling at me. Everything he said to me hurt. He called me useless and trash. I tried to hold back the tears as I thought back to that moment. Hearing everything Bill said made me wonder if there was ever a time that Bill loved me. What about the sweet, soft words he said at our wedding, was those words ever real? The pain and sorrow in my heart turned into pure anger and hatred that I looked up into Bill's blood shot eyes and kneed him in his shin. He yelled and fell on the floor. He cussed me out but I just ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife and ran out of the house. We lived in a cabin near the forest and I knew there was a road on the other side so I start running.

Before I got to the trees, Bill tackled me. He start strangling me but I grabbed a rock beside me and bashed him in the head with it. I pushed Bill off of me and start running. I didn't bother looking back to see if he was alive or dead, even though I knew he was alive.

Now, here I am, behind a tree, trying to hide from my crazy husband. Out of nowhere , Bill is in front of me. Blood mixed with sweat is running down his face from the gash in his head. Now he's found me and he look mad as hell. He looked very grotesque with that creepy grin on his face. Bill starts laughing then his smile goes away and he started looking concerned.

"Baby, why did you run away. You know I love you." Bill tried to touch my face but I moved my face. "How can you say that after all the years I put up with your bullshit and you abusing me. I hate you, you bastard." Right after I said that with pure venom in my voice, Bill slapped me so hard that it felt like my face was coming off. I start tasting the salty, metallic taste of blood on my lip. I looked at that man with pure hatred.

"You don't mean that. You still love me. I know it. If you say that again, you will regret it. You will get something worse than a slap on the face." Bill now has his hands around my neck, squeezing. Now he looks real mad. What he don't know is that I have the knife still in my hand. I can't breathe. "Go to hell." I said in barely a whisper. That is when I took out the knife and stabbed him. Bill let go of my neck and grabbed his leg, trying to get the knife out. He start yelling and saying every cuss word there is. He tried to grab for me but I moved and kicked him. I start grabbing my neck, trying to catch my breath.

That is when I ran. I ran as if my life depended on it. I stopped when I found a river. I knew there would be a road on the other side. Not even thinking about anything, I jumped into the cold, icy river. I heard screaming. "This is not over Iris. I will find you. You can never get away from me." I ignored Bill and kept swimming to safety and to my new beginning. But Bill's words kept replaying in my head.

Two years later...

"Shit." The day can't get any worse. I woke up late because my dumb alarm clock went off late. So with that I had to take a quick shower and I always love taking long showers. What made the situation worse was that Erin used all the hot water so I had to take a cold shower. I do appreciate my sister for letting me stay with her, but still, she can accept the fact that she not the only one here. Now, here I am, bumping into the coffee table, hurting my foot. My foot is throbbing with pain. Next thing I know, Erin comes out of her room , looking at me with concern. Since Erin and I are twins, we look alike. We both have long, golden brown hair and smooth, clear, honey colored skin. The only difference is that Erin is thinner than me, and I am more shapely.

"Are you okay, Iris? I heard a thump and I thought you were in trouble. And what have I told you about using that kind of language in my house. You know since I am a Christian now, I don't use profanity." Oh gosh. There goes Erin with all that holy stuff. Sometime she can go so over board with it. I have to admit, I am a Christian, but I don't do all that stuff. At least she's is looking out for me. Ever since I left my crazy and abusive husband and took a bus to her house, she gladly took me in, letting me stay until I get a place of my own. The only thing I hate is how Erin is treating me like some kid just because she is the oldest by 7 minutes.

"Thanks for checking on me but you can calm down. I only hurt my foot. Bill didn't come out of nowhere and tried to kill me." Erin relaxed. I had to admit though, I would be so scared too. Seeing Bill after two years. Just thinking about Bill sends chills down my spine. I'm hoping that Bill gave up on me and forgot about me, but knowing Bill, he will never give up on finding me. When he do, that will be the last moment I have on Earth. Bill is even crazy enough to hurt my sister too. Or worse. That is when Bill words start floating through my head "This is not over Iris. I will find you. You can never get away from me.", repeating over and over again.

Guessing that Erin saw the discomfort on my face, she start looking concerned again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to get all upset."
"It's okay. I am the one who brought up Bill. It is not your fault." Erin started looking mad.
"I could kill that bastard for what he did to you. Oops, I didn't mean to say that." I looked at my sister with shock. Erin let the protective side of her come out, causing her to go out her beliefs. I guess she wasn't all that saved after all.

"I have to go or I'll be late for work. I'll buy my breakfast on the way." I went to the closet and put on my coat.
"Yeah. While you're gone I need to pray to ask for forgiveness for I have sinned." Erin went back to her room and shut the door. Then I hears some soft gospel music coming from her room. I knew she would be in there a while.

I left out of the apartment and went down the stairs and straight outside. Now I'm in the middle of the busy big apple, New York. It is freezing outside. The cold air start nipping at my cheeks. I took out my gloves and rubbed my hands together. Even though it was freezing outside, I loved New York. I love the lights and the big buildings. I stopped by the Starbucks next to the building I work at and got me a mocha chocolate latte, my favorite coffee drink.

I work as the secretary of a fashion industry for Saks. I'm not going to say that I love my job and my boss, but I love the clothes. I was lucky enough to find this job because almost every job I tried getting, they all turned me down. I walk into the building, and of course, as usual, the place was running like rush hour. The phones were ringing constantly. Everyone was rushing to get to a meeting they were suppose to be at 5 minutes ago. That reminded me, I'm about to be late for work. My boss will kill me.

The one thing I hate about this job was my boss, Vickie. She is so mean and grouchy. When I'm late, she always give me a 15 minute lecture about how me being late affects her. As soon as I get to Vickie's office, Vickie looked pissed. Her face is as red as a beet it looks like she couldn't