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⭐One of the winners of The Cleverly Creatives: "Back to Normal" Writing Contest!⭐
TW: Mentions of domestic and child abuse. Don't read this if you're not comfortable with being exposed to these topics.
The Airports closed
The schools closed
The shops closed down
The door closed
Tick tick tick
The clock inched closer to six
A gong sounded upon her heart
"He will be back soon!"
Some pandemic had started, she'd heard
Some Covid virus going around
For which everything had closed down
And everyone would be staying home from the next day onwards She had even heard some people rejoicing
"More family time!"
But she just quietly clutched her little girl
And sat in a corner of the sofa
Her heart, frozen with fear.
The lock turned and the door opened
The sound of heavy footsteps and the stench of alcohol She quickly sent her daughter up to her room
And rose to greet him
A strong punch to the jaw sent her flying back on the couch Her face smarting and waist hurting from last night's injuries This time it was "How dare you sit on my side of the sofa?" Quietly she stood up and went to prepare his dinner
Only one thought on her mind
"How will our life be like from tomorrow?"
Her morning began with a kick to the rib
That sent her sprawling to the floor
All-day long he kicked, punched, and pinched her whenever he saw her "Should I run off to my parents?"
But then what would become of her little girl?
Who would protect her, and fight for her education?
She remembers a young lady on the stage
Charming, Passionate
"If your partner treats you badly," she had said
"Go find a lawyer."
A lawyer- but where do you find these people?
Only her husband had a phone, and she could touch it only once a week Five minutes- to talk to her parents, in his presence
A second extra and the rod would come down on her back
And why would the lawyer help her, if he could give him no money?
Days rolled into weeks
He became more irritable
No end to the lockdown
No end to her torture
One day her little girl
Decided to download a game on Papa's phone
Like so many of her friends had done
That day he broke the girl's wrist
And gave not a single cent for medicine
She fought and fought for her young daughter
All fell on deaf ears
That afternoon the neighbors saw a blood red handprint on their bedroom window She knew in her heart it was time to end this torture
That night flames engulfed the household
But there was not a single scream
Only smoke and ash
And the yellowish-red flames
That fire couldn't be put out
Come next morning there was nothing left
No remains
Not a single bit of their existence
No sign of the one who tortured
No sign of the ones who were tortured
No legacy of the years of torture
Except for the screams that still silently rent the air
It had all burnt down to the ground.
Cover page by Yifei Wang
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