Beast at Heart

I sit as still as I can. I breathe in long and slow so I don’t make a sound. I watch him move toward me through the crack in between the boxes. I can spell the alcohol on him.

“Eric. Please, come back to the house.” I see my mother come in the barn trying to get him to leave “You can watch the game and I’ll get you some more beer”

I hear my mother cry out as he yanks her by the hair. “She needs to be punished!” he growls

I hear my mother choke back a sob. “Go back to the house until I am finished.” I hear my mother turn around and leave. Any hope left of getting out of here unharmed disappears with her.

A burst of fear and adrenaline courses through me after I hear Eric slam the barn door shut. I scan the area for another way out. I look towards the hayloft debating if making a run for it would be smart. I hear the sound of Eric’s leather belt unbuckle and slide through the belt loops. “Sera! I know you’re in here!”

I push my body as far back into the corner as I can. I know he’s going to find me eventually. Suddenly one of the boxes in front of me goes flying to the left. I look up at him and scurry to my right. I make a dash for the hayloft. I am halfway up the stairs when he grabs my foot and starts pulling me down. I grab the stair in front of me, attempting to pull myself up from his grasp. This can't be the end, I need to get out of here!

I look to my right and see a rack of farm tools. I grab the closest one, a hand axe, and turn back to Eric. Without hesitation I close my eyes and smash the blade into the side of his skull. I feel something spray against my face and his grip immediately releases from my foot. I turn back around and scramble up the remaining stairs. I glance back to see Eric’s body slumped on the stairs before I dash through the side window. I jump down the metal wall of the barn onto the hay bales below. My next instinct screams at me to run toward the forest, so I run with all the energy I have left.