ROSE’S ESCAPE
Written by Magna Blemur
Based on some situations originated by James Cameron.

1925

Rose Hockley sat by the window as rain tapped against the windowpane. With her heart heavy, she sighed. She looked around the room and sighed. She felt as if the walls around her were closing in on her, for she had been in confinement for so long. Rose felt very depressed. It was her abhorrent husband who had imprisoned her inside the bedroom as if she were a child. She was twenty-nine years old and had been married to Caledon Hockley for nearly thirteen years. She would be thirty soon and felt like she hadn’t really done anything with her life.

I made a big mistake in my life by marrying Cal, she thought. Rose was melancholy and angry inside at the same time. It was as if her body would detonate at any moment. She had disliked him since the beginning of their marriage. That was when she realized her lapse in judgment in her decision to marry him. Her spirit and her innocence were ephemeral. He had confined her every day and she had become agitated by it. She was becoming an insomniac. Rose should have heeded her friend Eliza’s admonition when she told her that Cal was a horrible person. Cal hit her constantly. At times he beat her so hard it rendered her helpless.

Looking out the window, Rose saw into another house. A woman was holding her child as her husband scolded her.

"How can you treat your children and I this way?" she shouted.

At that moment, the man slapped his wife. Rose looked away from the window and looked down at her arms and legs. There were cuts and bruises everywhere. No, she did not have any children, but she realized that if they did, they would not be safe.

"I’ve had it," she said.

Rose got up, walked to her closet, and pulled out her wedding dress. She searched the drawer beside her bed and pulled out a pair of scissors. She aggressively began cutting it up until there were white pieces of fabric all over the floor. Then she tied up her hair, went into the closet, and pulled out her coat. Storming out of the bedroom, she pulled off her wedding ring and threw it on the floor.

Rose was shaken up at the sound of thunder clapping. He sat in his study, reading The Daily Philadelphia Prophet while sipping a large glass of brandy. When Rose slammed the hallway door, Cal whipped his head to the side to see her making her way to the front door.

"Rose, what are you doing?" he asked.

"I’m leaving," she replied bitterly.

"And where do you think you are going?"

"Away from you, Cal. Away from you."

"I beg your pardon. Why would you be going away from me?" He paused. "Will you look at me when I’m talking to you?"

He lost his patience and firmly grabbed both of Rose’s arms.

"I’m leaving you, Cal! But why would you care? You’ve never cared about me. It’s been almost thirteen years, and I still get no respect from you! Now, I’m going to stay with my friend for a while. I’m divorcing you. I’ll send for my things later."

Cal had a perplexed look. He grabbed her once again, but this time he put her on his shoulder. He carried her up the stairs to their bedroom. Kicking the door open, he threw Rose onto the bed. Knowing that there was only one servant in the mansion, Cal sought to speak to his wife privately.

"What is this ridiculousness you’re speaking about?"

"You never get it, and you don’t even take me seriously." Hot tears were beginning to stream down her face. "Even when I’m furious with you, you treat me like nothing, and I’m not cheap, so listen to me when I say don’t touch me. You don’t love me. I’m just a trophy wife to you, aren’t I?"

"How can you say that?" Cal lifted his hand to caress her cheek, but Rose quickly batted his hand away.

"How dare you try to touch me? This is the end, because I’ve had it with your intolerable actions with me. You don’t even care. Look at yourself." Her voice was breaking. "You’re pathetic, Caledon Hockley."

"My dear, you are forgetting that you are Mrs. Hockley until death do us part."

"Oh, I’d rather die."

"Listen, you insolent little--"

Cal stopped menacing Rose. He felt something under his shoe. It was the ring.

"What is this nonsense?"

"I don’t need it. I don’t want to stay with you, understand? Take the hint!"

"How dare you? I have done nothing but treat you like a queen. I put food on the table. I buy you nice and expensive things, and this is how you repay me? Well, if you don’t like the special treatment, it’s too bad. You’re stuck with me."

"Special treatment? How dare you? You have ignored my pleas for too long, and now you care what I have to say? Imagine us with children. Can you honestly say you would care about them? No."

"That’s a lie." The rage within Cal was growing and Rose could sense it, so she backed away cautiously.

"Do you think I’ve loved you all these years?"

Cal’s rage let itself out. He uncontrollably drew his hand back and slapped her. Rose immediately fell to the floor with a loud thud. Then Cal picked her up and threw her onto the floor again, banging her head against it.

"Stop it, Cal! You’re hurting me!"

"Good. That’s what you deserve."

He banged her head again until she could take no more. She was beginning to lose consciousness. Cal lifted her up again and this time threw her onto the bed. He balled his hand into a fist and punched her in the side. Rose was awake enough to feel this. She screamed loud enough for Cal to fear that the servant would overhear her.

"Shut up, sweetpea!" he ordered. But she would not be silent. Because of this, he slapped her repeatedly until she stopped. At that moment, knowing how helpless she had become, Cal forced himself onto Rose. She quickly opened her eyes.

"No!" She screamed. "I will not give you the satisfaction. Get off of me!" Rose managed to push Cal off of her, stomping her foot between his legs. As Cal backed away, whimpering in pain, Rose swiftly kicked him in the face, as well. She was able to lift herself up. There was no stopping Rose’s rage. She pushed him to the floor and kicked him as hard as she could.

"You unimaginable, loathsome, miserable bastard! This is for everything you’ve done to me!" With her last word, Rose kicked him in his face. She lifted her head up to see the lamp on the nightstand. She took it, pulling out the cord, and broke it on his back. Seeing Cal get up, she took a wine bottle and broke it on his head. There was blood on the side of his face. Now was her chance to escape. Rose made her way for the door, but Cal grabbed her foot and she plummeted towards the floor. She lifted herself up. Cal went to go close the door, but quickly thinking, Rose pulled on the rug and Cal hit his face on the doorknob, unconscious when he hit the floor. Crying with relief, Rose ran for it, down the stairs and towards the door, but the servant stopped her.

"Madame, where are you going?"

"I’m leaving, thank God."

The End.

Stories