The Awakening ... I have a voice Part 2

Written by: Keturah Charles
For: Demedrius Charles Productions
​All rights reserved

The piercing sound of the alarm clock woke me up. I gingerly reached for it, and as I squinted to see the time, I realized that sleep had indeed announced its presence for it was now 8:08 in the morning and I was late for an appointment.  I quickly dashed out of bed, jumped into the shower, got dressed and was out the door half an hour later.  As I drove down the highway taking in the lush scenery I couldn’t help but smile as the memory of my husband re-entered my mind, because to be quite honest, it wasn’t always bad, especially the first two years.
Ah! My husband!  He was one of them alright…. a man in uniform. I had always been attracted to them. I don’t know what it was, but there was something about the uniform that just did something to me. I remember vividly how he was dressed; stark white shirt starched to perfection, the silver buttons that glistened in the sun, a pair of neatly pressed black pants, with white piping on the sides and to top it off, a black cap pulled low just enough to partially shield his eyes. 
He strode over to me and asked me my name to which I reluctantly answered. He introduced himself as Derrick and immediately started a conversation. I gradually warmed up to him because he gave off this air about him that made me all warm and fuzzy inside; not to mention the fact that I was already charmed by the uniform. His smile was so captivating, revealing, every time he smiled, a set of pearly white teeth and that spaced tooth that literally sent shivers titillating down my spine.
The sudden honking of a car horn behind me stirred me from my reverie and I realized that I was holding up traffic for the light had turned green. I quickly sped away and took the next corner on the right which would take me to my destination. I drove up the driveway, parked in the closest spot to the building and got out of the car.
The room had a faint smell of pine sol. The walls were freshly painted in yellow and white, colors specifically chosen to lift the most sagging spirits. The grand mahogany desk was parked right in the middle of the room, with shelves of books lining the back wall from ceiling to floor. On the left wall was a huge bay window that overlooked the scenic waterfront. She was seated at her desk intently poring over an article of some sort. 
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She must have been deeply engrossed in whatever she was reading because she was seemingly startled by the knock on the door. Surprise turned into a broad smile as she stood up to welcome me in.           
Joanie and I had quickly become good friends because of her warm and easy-going personality and over the years our friendship deepened. She made it so easy to open up about my deepest feelings, a trait that did not come that easily to me. I stood at the door and stared at her with a pained expression on my face.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, concern carved all over her face. She quickly walked over to the door, took me by the hand and led me to the couch under the window:  a couch she had spent a fortune on.
 “It’s Corinthian leather for goodness sake, plus it’s cherry red,” she had remarked jokingly.
 I sat on the plush leather and nervously wrung my hands together. Joanie sat next to me and held my hand in hers. “What is it?” she asked softly. My eyes immediately clouded and as I struggled to maintain composure I replied in a barely audible voice, “I was at that place again!” She gently squeezed my hand then hugged me tightly.
 “So tell me what happened,” she continued.
 “Same scenario,” I answered.
 “Can you tell me what happened when you finally came to?” she gently pressed on.
And with a heavy heart, I proceeded to unravel my heart one more time. When I finally became conscious again it took me a while to realize that I was on the bedroom floor. My body felt like lead and my head throbbed to the drumming of tin soldiers. The house was deathly quiet. After lying there for a few seconds, I crawled my way to the door and with trembling fingers, I reached for the knob and cautiously turned it. The hallway was empty and the light turned down low and, still feeling wobbly, I inched my way down the hall. As I was about to enter the living room I caught a glimpse of him standing on the balcony. I was about to make my way into the kitchen when suddenly he turned and saw me.
At that point I mustered up all my remaining strength and I made a mad dash towards the kitchen and grabbed a knife. I pointed the knife at my stomach, and with a look of wild terror in my eyes, I screamed at him, “If you touch me one more time, I swear I will kill myself, right here, right now!

A glimmer of light to guide you through those dark moments.