90 Seconds

Rachel clambered onto her old trusty car, praying with her whole heart that it won't fail her tonight; not this time more than ever! With her trembling fingers, she turned the engine on and without even thinking where to go, she zoomed off. The sound of her speeding vehicle roared through the calm night air, under the dazzling starry sky.

"How shameless are these stars!" She cursed under her breath, as the beautiful sky contradicted the pain and inexplicable fear that she felt.

As the cool breeze brushed through her face through the open window, she felt the warmth of her blood rushing wildly through her veins and the untamed beating of her heart.

There was no turning back.

She stepped on the gas with much intensity, and like a trusted friend, the car moved like it didn't want to let her down.

It was within minutes that she reached the busy city road. Cars came from every direction, and the lights seemed to dazzle her bleary eyes. She wanted to go past the huge queue of cars. The last thing that she needed - or so she thought - was to be stuck in that crowded road. Every second counts, every single one of it.

"The green light! I must make it through the green light!" Rachel could hear her own anxious cries resonating from her heart.

And then there was a halt.

As if destiny was playing a trick on her, the traffic light changed its hue. And there, behind the wheel, clutching it with her pale, trembling hands, Rachel sat helplessly.

"90 seconds. 90 seconds till the green light appears. That should not be too bad, is it?" She debated this thought in her head as the past few minutes, hours, days, and years of her life came flooding through.

It was the third day that she was locked up in that dark, cold and depressing basement. With barely nothing to eat, except for the two packets of biscuits and a bottle of water that Rob callously slipped in the room that morning, her strength had almost totally escaped her for good.

Rob. She thought of the charming guy that she met during her usual afternoon walk at her favorite park a couple of years back. He had the most loving eyes and the sweetest smile. Falling in love with him was effortless. Then, one quiet afternoon, the day after their wedding that was, Rob became another person.

Rachel felt the sting of his first slap on her face, just like it was yesterday, and it hurt more than the second, and the next, and the countless blows that followed. At some point, she thought that it did not bother her anymore. She was just so used to it, that it was part of how he loved her.

Oh, how much she loved him! He was the only person who saw through her imperfections. Or that was what he made her believe.

"Nobody else can love you when you are that fat!" He would casually comment as she tried her hardest to resist craving the food that her despondent mind dictated, eating her self-esteem raw!

But still she loved him. He was not always violent. They shared some laughter and loving times in between his sober moments. These moments were like sharp claws that were sunk deep into her heart, pinning her down unwillingly yet so helplessly like love's sacrificial lamb.

Then, her memories took her back to the moment Rob finally opened the door of the basement. He came in smiling with a beautiful bouquet of roses in his hands, their deathly smell filled her with dread. He caressed her cheeks and kissed her gently, telling her how sorry he was for his hostile actions. She could still smell the lingering odor of alcohol stinking in his breath. Her eyes met his and she smiled.

"Why don't you relax in the bath as I make us some dinner?" She said as lovingly as she dared, fearing that he might sense the loud throb of her insincere heart.

As if he was the most adorable man in the world, he obligingly did as told. She felt her hands drip in sweat as she heard him turn on the water and heard it splash gently as his feet touched the tub.

That was her cue. Without thinking twice, she scrambled to get her car keys and ran to her car as fast as her feet could take her.





"It's now or never," she thought. She had finally mustered up all the courage left in her fragile soul to run away and leave her predator. She knew that it was something she should have done in the past, but there was no room for regrets when she could barely contain all the emotions that she felt on what she thought was her bravest night.

90 seconds. It passed like a bitter trip down memory lane. The green light was on. It signaled her to go, and she went where her past could not follow and where she could be set free.