Red - Ch6

“Erin? Erin? Come on, darlin’. Open those beautiful eyes for me.” A man’s voice, along with a gentle hand stroking my face, brushed at the edges of my consciousness.

“Hmmmm,” I mumbled.

“Erin? Come back, sweetheart.” A woman’s voice.

“It’s ok now. You’re ok. We found you.” Another woman’s voice.

A hand squeezed mine. “We’re all here Erin. You’re safe now.” Another woman’s voice. They all sounded comfortably familiar.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, squinting against the bright lights, blinking several times as my eyes tried to adjust. Finally, I could open them fully and saw four beautiful faces peering at me, and one clipboard.

“Erin! You’re awake!” Jacqui launched herself at me, wrapping me in her arms. My breath hissed out in pain and she jumped back. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Erin. I should have thought…”

I smiled at her. “It’s okay. I am so glad to see you.”

A kind-faced woman appeared over the clipboard and smiled. “Okay, let’s give her some breathing room. Can I ask you all to please wait outside while I give Erin a checkup?”

As Jacqui stepped back, I saw the others.

“Hey, beautiful.” Dale pressed a kiss to my forehead and squeezed my hand. I drank in the sight of him. Jill squeezed my other hand and Ruby gave me a small wave.

“Hi, guys.” They all looked as exhausted as I felt.

“Alright, come on, out you go,” said the woman.

“We’re going.” Jacqui gave me another gentle hug before sulking her way out the door.

“We’ll be right outside,” said Dale.

I squeezed his hand as I was hit with a momentary panic. “Promise?”

He stroked my hair back from my face and kissed me again, this time on the lips. “Promise.”

I nodded, smiling at them all as they left. The woman with the clipboard came to stand beside me.

“Hi Erin. I’m Doctor Kate Langley. We just need to run a few checkups to make sure nothing is amiss. Is that okay?”

I nodded. It turned out a fractured rib was the worst of my injuries. The rest were all minor scratches and bruises. Once Doctor Langley gave them the all clear, my friends filed back into the room. Ruby held out some clothes. “When the police rang to tell us they had found you, they asked us to bring these.”

My face stung in embarrassment. “Oh! Oh no!”

“Hey, relax, pumpkin. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before,” Jill soothed me.

“Yeh. We can forgive you this time.” Jacqui gave me a wink.

I knew they were trying to make me feel better, but it didn’t work. I was heavy with shame and paranoid about what Dale must be thinking. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. He took my face in his hands and forced my eyes to meet his.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay,” he repeated more forcefully when I didn’t respond.

“Dale, I…”

“It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault. I don’t blame you for any of it and I never will. None of us will.”

I looked lovingly at each of my friends standing around me. The more I looked at them, I noticed something odd. They were each wearing at least one item of red. Jacqui had a belt, Jill a red bandana, Ruby had red shorts and Dale’s akubra had red feathers. All the shame and guilt fell away like Autumn leaves. Everything was going to be alright. I was overcome with gratitude as I thanked them all and took the clothes they had brought.

Next, I had to give my statement to the Police. Dale stood by my side the entire time as I answered their questions and gave them a chronological rundown of events. It was all starting to sink in and I was suddenly extremely tired. I sank back into the pillows.

“Thanks, Erin. We’ll give you a call if we need anything further from you,” said Officer Mitchells.

“Thank you so much for finding me. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Just doing our job, but you’re welcome.” Officer Parker shook my hand warmly.

“Go and get some rest.” Officer Mitchells shook my hand as well, and with that, I was free to go, under strict orders from Doctor Langley to go straight to bed and make sure to keep on top of the pain

Dale’s arms wrapped around me.

“We’ll meet you out at the car,” Jacqui called as they passed us.

I gave them a halfhearted wave.

“Come on, you. Let’s get you back to the Inn and into bed.” Dale put an arm around my waist but I was too tired to walk, even with help. He picked me up instead and I was asleep before he even got me in the car.

************

I spent the next few days recuperating from my ordeal then, sadly, it was time to pack and head home. Simon was in custody and a court date was set for next month. I wasn’t looking forward to that.

“Don’t worry, babe,” Jill said as she hugged me goodbye. She would be staying another week along with Ruby. “We will all be there to support you.”

“We sure will,” Ruby confirmed.

“And I’ll be up next week,” Jacqui promised. She was scheduled to fly back to Melbourne the next day but had already booked her flights to Sydney.

I hugged them all hard, tears spilling down my cheeks, only this time they were tears of joy and gratitude. I had friends; real, true friends. “Thank you. Thank you all for everything!”

Dale put my last bag into the taxi. He had changed his flights so he could fly home with me, for which I was grateful. The thought of facing that house alone had been unbearable. I breathed a contented sigh. I may still have a long, difficult journey ahead of me until I would be free of Simon forever, but at least I no longer had to travel alone. Dale and I climbed in the back seat of the taxi. He took my hand in his. “Ready, darlin’?”

I gazed into his steady eyes. I could always find everything I needed in those eyes. “I’m more than ready.”

And I was. I was ready for a brand-new life, a life of freedom. The world was my oyster and endless possibilities stretched out before me. No more looking back. I waved to Jacqui, Jill and Ruby as the taxi pulled away and caught sight of someone else standing a little aside from the others. It was a young Aboriginal warrior smiling at me from behind his war paint. Then he was the little old lady, looking kindly at me from beneath her white hair. Then he was a brilliant, towering angel in sparkling white, wings spread out behind him and a blazing sword held high. I couldn’t help but gasp in awe. His powerful wings began to beat and lifted him up into the sky. A peace and calm settled over me as I caught sight of my angel streaking off into the distance. I knew it would not be the last time I saw him. Nor would it be the last time I visited the Outback. This place had become important, a pivotal point where so much had changed for me. For now, though, it was time to enjoy life, to explore, to grow and learn, to try new things, to “taste the rainbow,” as Jill had said. I laughed. Dale looked at me quizzically.

“What’s funny?”

“I’m just happy.” I squeezed his hand. “Happy and free.” I moved over into the middle seat and snuggled into Dale’s side. I’d started off this journey with nothing, unsure whether there was any good in the world at all. I’d certainly not believed in God and angels, but they found me. They had helped me find home. I wrapped my arm across Dale’s waist, which was of course, conveniently clad in a red shirt. I smiled. Yes, I was home.

EPILOGUE

Simon was sentenced to thirty years jail on domestic abuse, attempted murder and rape charges. The jury had been united on their verdict of guilty and I watched, satisfied, as the guards handcuffed him and dragged him away. It would be the last I ever saw of him. For several moments, I remained seated as the courtroom began to clear. I think I was still in shock, still unable to believe that it was finally over. It had been a trying ordeal. Giving my testament had been one of the hardest things I had ever done. Simon sat glaring at me, his face contorted in pure hatred. I almost thought I wasn’t going to be able to do it but seeing Dale, Jacqui, Jill and Ruby in the crowd had given me the strength I’d needed. Even so, my voice still shook a little as I gave an account of all the years of torment. Now it was over. I was free; free to live the life I wanted. My friends crowded around, hugging me, kissing me, congratulating me and saying how proud they were.

“Thank you, all of you, for being here. I couldn’t have done it otherwise,” I told them honestly.

“So, what will happen now?” Jacqui queried.

Dale and I glanced at each other, unable to contain our grins.

The three women eyed us suspiciously. “Out with it,” Jill demanded.

“Well, I’m moving to Queensland,” I began.

“She is going to live with me,” Dale announced.

They broke into squeals of delight and wrapped us up in a group hug. There was not a dry eye among us. As the tears of joy poured down my cheeks, I thanked the heavens for these dear people.

“May you be happy, Erin. Your journey is only just beginning. Wait until you see what is next.”

The little old woman was standing off the side, a beaming smile lighting her face.

“What comes next?” I silently asked.

Her smile grew bigger and she lifted her left hand, wiggling the fourth finger. My jaw dropped. The old woman winked. “You are loved, daughter of Heaven. Never forget.”

“Thank you. Thank you for everything.”

With a last, loving smile, the old woman faded from sight. I sighed in bliss. Everything was perfect and it was only going to get better. It was finally my time.

The End

*

And that brings us to the end of Erin's story! Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed taking the journey with her through the Australian Outback as she rebuilt her life from the ruins of Simon's abuse. She got her much deserved happy ending :)

If you enjoyed this short story, please show your support by clicking/tapping that little heart button, or, if you're feeling especially generous, by leaving a tip. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. It helps me to keep being able to do what I love... entertain you with words!

Need something else to read now? Check out my short story Dance of the Phoenix or Running With Wolves. Links to the first chapter of each can be found below!

Cheers!

Chan xx