Young Writers Society

Dede Foster shook her head and attempted to wrangle her hair back into its pony tail. The newly shorn locks refused to cooperate and instead chose to riot around her face in wild abandon. Muttering to herself, she closed the door to her hatchback and stared at her impulsive purchase.

A ramshackle ranch house with a veranda that leaned precariously to the left was flanked on both sides by large oaks trees that have seen better days. A little farther away she spotted a barn, or what seemed to be one. The doors swung to and fro in the wind and she was sure that at any minute they would give in and go flying away.

She should be thankful; she could be living in a hotel room with who knows what kind of disreputable people. She shook her head ruefully.

“Damn realtors.” This is what she got for buying sight unseen. He doesn’t know where you are. You’re safe. Take a deep breath.

The sun in Wimberley, Texas beat down on her as she scanned the horizon. The property had been a steal and she’d been lucky to snatch it up in time. Panic and uncertainty came rushing back. Her husband, Samuel Foster, was a wife beater and an alcoholic. It had taken all her courage and determination to leave when she did. Every day she kicked herself thinking about how her best friend Tammy had tried to warn her; she’d had a feeling all along that Sam wasn’t who he said he was. But Dede was young and in love and chose only to see his charming side. They’d been married two years before he first laid his hands on her, after which, he’d apologized and promised never to do it again; it was a lie and it happened again and again and again. Dede Foster, was the Valedictorian of her high school and honors graduate from UCLA but ask her to spot a snake and she couldn’t see one even when it bit her in the ass.

The beatings were relentless but mostly happened after a few to many drinks at the bar when his firm closed big cases. She learned to expect them but never could she escape. Tears filled her eyes when she thought about those times. When she was too week to defend herself and too scared to tell anyone. She hung her head from the weight of shame that engulfed her.

She remembered the day she had finally had enough. She had just gotten back from the hospital after an “accidental” trip down the stairs; broken arm and fractured ankle but luckily escaped without a broken neck. Dede had opened the door to their Beverly Hills mansion just as her phone jingled; she could have looked at the caller ID but from the ring tone, she already knew who it was.

“Answer,” Dede spoke into her bluetooth. Nudging the door closed with her hip she nodded to Maria, the housekeeper as she came down the stairs.

“So, you’re home.” She could almost see Sam leaning back in his office chair hands clasped behind his head. A habit he had developed while working for his father, on other men it may have seemed relaxed but Sam was anything but relaxed. Of course his secretary would be there doing what she did best, probably with her mouth around his cock. Good for her. He knew she knew and he reveled in it, flaunted it. Used it against her when he beat her. "Susan sucks me dry, Susan knows how to please a man, Susan would never make me beat her." Susan, Susan, Susan.

“So I am.” Dede dropped her purse on the table in the foyer and leaned back against the door. It cooled her heated skin and made talking to him all the more bearable. The pain meds were wearing off and she desperately wanted to take another but she refrained, she needed to keep her wits during his talks or she would be in for a world of hurt, so instead she shut her eyes against the pain.

“How was the hospital? Not that tedious I hope,” His voice became faint as he spoke to someone on the other end, “God, I hate hospitals. I don’t know how you stand them. What is this, your fourth time? You should learn to be more careful on the stairs. They’re a death trap.”

“Yeah, I’ll try to be more careful next time. The hospital was fine, not too crowded.”

“You were in there longer than normal. Something wrong?” She knew better than to believe that he actually cared. He wanted to know if she’d told anyone, bared his deep, dark secret to the world. If only she’d had the courage too, but she was already emotionally drained and her mind kept straying to the moment when the doctors told her that she’d lost the baby. She was glad in the deepest parts of her mind because she couldn’t raise a child who’s life would be torment; who would grow up to feel inadequate and undeserving of love.

“No. They wanted to make sure that the bone set right.” She’d been lucky that he hadn’t even bothered to bring her to the hospital but had left the dirty job to Jonas, their butler. He had gingerly carried her broken body to the car and sped to the emergency room where they had taken one look at the amount of blood and deemed it too much for a simple broken bone.

“Good. Good. Well, I have some great news. The boys and I just closed the Anderson case. I know you expect me back to see you and all but I’m going down to Calvins for a drink.” Dedes eyes closed in defeat. Of course he couldn’t give me a break. That would be too much to ask for.

“I’ll be home later for some alone time with my lovely wife.” Click. She could see his malicious smirk in her mind and her whole body started to shake. When her knees hit the cold tile floor, she hardly felt it. She was too cried out to cry. Her body was empty and she could do nothing more than stare at the door in front of her. It would be so easy to just open it up and walk away but what then? Her parents died three years ago and who would believe her? Sam was the model American. Payed his taxes on time and owned the biggest law firm on the west coast. She thought about her life before her marriage and longed to wake up and realize that it had all been a terrible dream. She would be married to a wonderful man who cared for her and cherished her. She would have a baby who lived and cried but who would know he was loved his entire life.

"Dede.”

“Mm?” Consciousness tickled her mind but it startled Dede when a gentle hand touched her shoulder.

“De, you should leave.” The whispered words were barely audible but the look in Jonas's eyes was unquestionable.

“Can’t.”

“Yes you can. Up you go,” He gently pulled Dede to her feet and wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her, “’Atta girl.” He gently steered her towards the stairs but before he could lead her up, his words sank in. She panicked and shoved against his chest.

“I can’t! You don’t understand! If I leave, he’ll follow me, I’ll never be able to leave! He’ll kill me! Kill you, kill everyone. No ones safe. Safe..." Sobs shook her frame and her eyes closed, trying to block out the images. She jerked her head to a fro but not once did Jonas let go; the steady old man just let her thrash around until she calmed, he pulled her into an embrace and gently stroked her back.

“It’s in my opinion that Mr. Foster needs to firm kick to the balls. He doesn't have any right to lay his hands on you and yet you go right on and let him. If it were me, I would have left ages ago.”

“Jonas…I could never win against him.”

“I’m sure that’s true but that doesn’t mean you have to stay around here and let him keep doing what he's doing. Look at you now, what makes you think it won’t be worse next time,” He eyed the cast wrapped snuggly around her arm, ”Next time it could be your neck.”

“I can’t…”

“I don’t want to hear those words come out of your mouth. Of course you can and you will.” The talk of escape was too much for her to ignore. Hope. A thing she had thought she’d lost slowly spread through her veins and made her light headed.

“Where w-would I-I go? I have no money, my p-parents are dead and Tammy is-- no, I won’t, can't, d-drag her in this.”

“Just pack your things, don’t worry about anything else. The first step is to get you out of that door. Whatever you can fit in that car you put it in. I’ll take care of the rest.”

"I can't...he'll find me, h-he'll hurt me again."

"Darling, he's not here. I won't tell him when you leave, Maria won't tell him and you certainly won't."

"I c-can't ask for this...can't ask you to h-help."

"You're not asking, I'm telling you I'm helping and that's that," He wrapped his aging arms around her shoulders and pulled her to him. The smell of cigars lingered with his freshly laundered uniform. Its familiar smell soothed away her worries and the last of her inhibitions, "I'm so very proud of you. You need this De, you need to do this for you and you need to do this for your future babies...don't cry...shhh...I know it hurts but time heals all wounds. Someday you'll look back and not have to cry, but right now you have to be strong. You have to walk out that door not because I tell you to but because you honestly want to," Jonas pulled back and looked at her, " You have to want this kiddo, you have to want to leave and never come back. Look at the door." She obliged. The front door was massive and completely made of oak, the only things keeping her in the dreadful place. He voiced her thoughts, "That is the only thing keeping you inside this house. Are you going to let that stop you from living the happy life you deserve?" Mournfully, De shook her head. Her long, pampered hair cascaded in her face. Softly, he pushed it behind her ears. "De, honey, you can do this."

“Oh Jonas.” His wispy white hair tickled her nose when she hugged him fiercely. He grip tightened briefly then he released her.

“Hrmph, none of that now, get your butt up there and pack whatever you’ll need. And be quick about it.” He stepped back and called for the housekeeper. Relief and a sense of urgency swept over her and made her run up the stairs. Anything she could get her hands on she tossed it onto the bed. Minutes later Maria, the housekeeper, elbowed her way into the room dragging two huge suitcases. Her face was drenched in sweat and pieces if her hair clung to her round face. For a second both of the women eyed each other and then Maria smiled.

“Finally.” She winked at Dede and started shoving everything on the bed into the bags, nothing was folded or looked at, it was utter chaos. It made Dede happy and for the first time in a long time she allowed herself a small smile.

Half and hour had passed when Dede grabbed her jewelry box and dumped the contents into her purse. All kinds of precious jewels poured in, unceremoniously, and she couldn't bring herself to care.

“You ready?” Jonas stood in the doorway with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

“More than I’ll ever be.” Without looking back she walked from the room and didn’t stop until she reached her car. Promptly Jonas stuffed her oversized suitcases in the back of her Prius and slammed the door.

“Here,” He handed her his bag, “Inside is a map, a phone number and a little cash. Head towards Nevada, when you get there call the number. Ask for Randy, good guy, he’s a realtor down in Texas with some pretty fair prices. He’ll hook you up with a decent place and you can start over.”

“What about you?”

“Don’t worry about us; we’ve just been waiting for you,” He tapped her nose like a small child then smoothed her hair, “Call us when you’re set up. You have my number.” He stood back and tapped the hood of the car with his palm, signaling the end. Dede lifted her hand in good bye and pulled away from the only life she knew.

It wasn't until hours later when she actually looked in the bag and promptly shut it. Then she checked again and started counting the stacks of cash. Over two hundred thousand dollars and there was only one place Jonas could have gotten it. Laughing wasn't a thing Dede did often but sitting there on the border of Nevada with stacks of cash in her lap, she did.

Wiping her eyes on the hem of her shirt she examined the beat up old house. Her house. She grabbed the handle of the suitcase she had dragged out of the car and made her way to the front door.

As she approached, she eyed the stairs warily. Two of them had caved in and the other two looked on the verge of giving. She left the bag leaning against the railing and gingerly stepped on the porch.

She pulled the house keys out of her front pocket and twisted it in the lock. Getting the key to turn a full rotation was another story. Adding a little more force she tried again, it seemed to turn a smidge then, to her dismay, the key broke off in the lock. Dede cursed under her breath. Just what she needed. She looked through the front window which turned out to be so grimy she couldn't even see her own reflection, besides, she doubted she would even be able to fit a shoulder through that tiny opening. She walked around the porch instead. After a full circulation, the kitchen window seemed her best bet, eyeing a rock next to the door she hefted it and aimed. Dede stepped back as the window shattered wiping gingerly at the remaining glass with her cast. Peeping her head through the opening she noted a lovely rustic counter, outdated appliance and one of the most beautiful dining room tables she’d ever seen. The oak was covered with a layer of grime but she could see it was of high quality and lovingly taken care of.

Pushing her shoulders through the opening, pulled herself onto the raised counter and wriggled her hips through until she was balanced precariously. Non to swiftly, she hopped down and shook herself of the dust covering her. Hair fell in a dusty curtain around her face, impatiently she shoved it back and walked quietly through the rooms. Dede noted the open floor plan and was even happier when, after seeing the ratty white sheets covered in layers and layers of dust, she tentatively reached out a hand and tugged a corner of one of the sheets; it slithered to the floor exposing a deep mahogany hall table, beautifully crafted and in almost perfect condition.

The house may have been falling down around her ears but at least the furniture was beautiful.