Rachel caught a cab at the corner and took it back to her house. She paid the driver and walked up to her house. Slowly she opened the door and looked in. No Seth. She thought.
Feeling like a criminal, Rachel crept through the kitchen, set her purse on the counter and headed down the hall to the living room. The TV was on, but Seth was not there, so she decided to check for him in the bedroom.
She climbed the stairs quietly, planning what to say when she found him. She knew he would be angry, she would have to lie.
The lights were off, but she knew exactly where the switch was, even in the dark. She reached out slowly.
"Where were you?" Seth said quietly in the dark. Startled, Rachel gasped.
"Oh, geez, you scared me honey!" Rachel said good-naturedly. "Where are you?"
Suddenly she was shoved against the wall, Seth's hands around her throat.
"Seth…I…can't…breathe…" Rachel choked out.
"Where were you?" Seth demanded again, releasing her throat, but holding her steady against the wall.
"I…went to Samantha's house." She lied slowly.
He slapped her hard across the face and she fell to the floor crying.
"You lie." He said, towering over her in the pitch dark room. She didn't answer.
"You're pathetic." He grumbled, pulling her up from the floor by her arm. Rachel could feel warm blood running down the left side of her face, and she pulled her sleeve over her hand, and attempted to stop the flow.
"I'm sorry, Seth." She said meekly, gently rubbing the large gash above her eye. Seth took a step towards the light and Rachel darted towards the door, she had to escape.
"AJ was right." She thought.
As she reached the kitchen, she knew she would make it out, just ten feet from the door.
"Rachel, don't you dare leave me!" Seth yelled from behind her. "You need me, and don't you forget it."
"It's over Seth! I'm leaving." She answered, reaching the door. She hastily grabbed her car keys and purse and slipped out the door, not stopping until she had the car door safely locked behind her.
With tears blinding her eyes, Rachel put the key in the ignition and started driving to the only place she could think of.
She pulled out her cellular phone and dialed
Samantha's number. Her husband, Tim, was a cop. "Hey, Sam, it's
Rachel, I need to file for a restraining order…No, I have a place to
go, thanks…"
