"He didnt mean to hurt me but...."

Just another creative writing exercise....

This was number 48. The 48th bruise that would appear on her petite figure; the 48th she'd have to cover up or explain. The pain only lasted a few minutes but the damage would be there for much longer. Amber Bostic wasnt a stranger to this pain either, she had so much of it that it had become a part of who she was. She had forgotten what life was like before this pain; the kind that seeps into your bones and makes everything hurt. She had given up asking herself what she had done to deserve this, she never got an answer. 

There were alot of questions that she had given up asking except one; why is the best thing in my life also the worst? Amber asked herself this every day, especially after Scott gets home. Scott Craven was her boyfriend and she loved him....at least thats what she told everyone and herself over and over again. She figured if she kept saying it then everything else wouldn't seem so bad. "He said he didnt mean to hurt me but..." this was her favorite phrase; it have Scott exactly what he needed, an excuse. Amber could remember the first time like it was yesterday. She had beaten Scott hom and locked the door behind her on accident, a habit from living alone. He was pissed when he found the door locked but her car in the driveway. He flipped out and started throwing things; he even accused her of having another man in the house. Amber tried to explain what happened, that it was an accident. Scott wouldn't hear of it! He turned around and smacked her across the face. Amber was stunned; she held her cheek and looked into his eyes, wondering what would possess him to be this violent. Scott saw the look on her face and the fact that her cheek was red and her eye was slowly starting to puff up. He immediately began to apologize and comfort her. Amber didnt think anything of it, it was an accident. This accident though, became more and more frequent until it became a daily thing. 

Scott would find any excuse to hurt her; this wasnt done right, she did this wrong. Amber couldn't win anymore! She had no idea how to get out either; Scott threatened her life on a daily basis and she had no one to come to her rescue, no matter how hard she prayed for it to come. 

After another month of torture, Amber decided to keep a diary of how she had adjusted to this new life. Over the next few months, she had completely changed; she stopped dressing up, she lost all of her friends because she wasnt allowed to see any of them. She had even lost touch with her family because Scott had convinced her that they didnt love her anymore because she had chosen to be with him. 

This torture and abuse went on for two years. 670 days of non-stop beatings, threats, and hospital visits. The doctors and nurses expressed their concerns but Amber just laughed it off as if it were nothing, always saying she was such a klutz. 

Amber never thought her day of relief would come, but it did. It was a Tuesday, the sun had been shining and the wind was breezy, and Amber was dead. She died after being choked to death by Scott Craven, the living monster who had haunted her dreams. She had suffered over 150 bruises when she took her last breath. When Scott realized what he did, he took his own life; rather than face the consequences he took the cowards way out. 

The two werent found for two days, until the landlord came looking for rent money. The police were called, families were notified, and funerals were arranged. People cried, people mourned but Amber, she was free; free from the pain, torture and heartache. Now she could soar! 

Reviews

[Gaurav]

This is a good story, an interesting insight into the so-called 'love' which most of the time come packed with absolute pain....thanks for sharing

[Taylor]

Hi Sydney. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to view this "creative writing assignment." The first thing I would say is that you describe an all-too-frequent and sad circumstance. I don't know what the constraints of your creative writing assignment were so that my comments will be general. For me, the story has the same flaw that much of my own writing has -- that you "tell" the reader, rather than "show" the reader. In doing so, you leave the reader more removed than if you describe for example a scene just after Scott has beaten her -- perhaps she's sitting in a darkened room, picking at the shreds of her teeshirt which Scott had used to twist around her neck in an attempt to choke her. Or another scene (such as the first time he beat her) showing some dialogue between them and illustrating his cunning apology. I'm sure you get the pictue. So, essentially I think you have a good outline for a story and if you return to it and let the storyline advance by showing the reader, I think you'll have a strong piece. Good start.