Dare To Run

During a dark and dry night, Kevin sat in a tree, flashes of his broken childhood invading his senses as he sat there. Even so, he couldn't complain too much since he had such an amazing view. Despite being at the perfect distance from her house, he was close enough to see every inch of her through his binoculars, but far away enough that she wouldn't be able to see him through the windows. He tracked her movements throughout the house as he held the binoculars to his eyes. Throughout the house, she bounced and flowed, and Kevin realized that there was not a single window obstructed by a blind or curtain. It was like she was performing. Nobody lives like that unless they want to be seen. Kevin had worked on dozens of cases where girls just like him believed themselves above such precautions. The girls believed they did not need to be worried. There, through clear, well-lit windows, they danced, just like she did, taunting the world, taunting him. While he remembered his beautiful Mother dancing in his childhood home before she left, Kevin took a deep breath as he recalled the last time he saw her. In comparison to his mother, those two beautiful girls were so focused on themselves, just as she was, oblivious to the impact they had on others, content to go about their own business while leaving permanent scars in the hearts they loved. Ashley would not be an exception to this rule, as they always got what they deserved. They would put on their little show and disappear before the encore. As he sat in her audience, he studied her closely. When she was getting ready for bed, she put on a baby blue pajama bottom and a flimsy tank top. In fact, she might as well have been wearing nothing at all. As soon as she was dressed, she started dancing to whatever music filled her life, and her tank top did not restrict her breasts in any way. She was practically inviting men like Kevin to stare at her body, stare and yearn for her, just so she could reject them.

Her teasing was interrupted by a ringing phone. Kevin gripped the binoculars even tighter, the plastic digging into the palms of his hands. Probably crooning into her cell phone to a boyfriend who treated her like trash, she moved to the couch. Oh, she would cry for him and yearn for better treatment, then snub those better men who offered to care for her. No matter how many opportunities a girl like Ashley got, she would reject Kevin, put him down, and make him feel worthless if he offered to help her. This was how it was at home, with his own wife. Kevin could never please her. He was always told how worthless he was, a terrible father, and a disappointment in the bedroom. That is why he chose to see Ashley tonight. Kevin stared up at the thin sliver of moon hanging in the sky. It was dim, gray, and barely discernible. It cast almost no light at all—which was perfect. Kevin may have felt like a spotlight under a full moon. This made him feel less secure. After all, the lights were not meant for the audience or the stage crew. They were meant for the stars. Her whole body was illuminated. No, Kevin's position in the tree was dark. There was virtually no light coming from the house. It was the perfect setting. No one would have seen him coming up the drive. Ashley lives in a quaint little house surrounded by acres of undeveloped land. She was too far away from her closest neighbors to be of any assistance to her. He knew better than to be arrogant. As a detective, he had put away plenty of people who overestimated their ability to get away with murder. 'Too careful' was not an option in his profession. His paranoia may have saved his life and reputation, as long as it kept him from getting caught.

Since it was a bone dry day, there were no muddy shoe prints around her house that would alert her to the fact that someone had entered her house. Those who knew her already knew she had bleach that would get rid of any forensic evidence he may have left in the house or down the drains. The moment someone realized she was missing...well, he was able to make that case file disappear very easily. At least, it was much easier than if this were a murder case. Even so, he could also make that case cold if he had to, if need be. Kevin was a star detective - he knew all the ins and outs of the industry and he never failed to do well at any job he was given. Kevin always proved himself in one way or another. It was for this reason that he had been hired to work at this company. Although the petite blonde he was watching at the time was already his type, he never would have taken the time out of his schedule to kill her, if Chris wasn't giving him an additional pHe was always too busy to do what he wanted, despite the fact that he wanted to do it.ngs he wanted. At the end of the day, he had a family to provide for. In an attempt to make up for his wife's reckless spending habits, he was consistently picking up more hours at the station. She was always blowing his hard-earned money on things he didn't even know existed. There was no way the spaghetti they ate could have cost that much, and the electric bill could not possibly be that high. The kids weren't that expensive, either. His wife must have been doing something with his money, and she didn't even appreciate the fact that he had to work so hard to earn it. However, that does not matter anymore. His payment from this kill should put him in the black, for months to come. I would like to see his whore wife blow a hole in that kind of cash. After all, it wasn't like this was his first time. As a revenge for his wife's out-of-control spending, Kevin had been murdering for years, trying to make up for that. It wasn't until after his first contract kill that he began to realize that there was an element of control over the murder victim and crime scene. This made him finally feel like a man. He stalked Ashley with ease, even though he didn't intend to kill her tonight. He would save that for tomorrow. He would wait until he had everything planned out in advance. He needed it to look like she had just awoken and decided to leave her old life behind her. It was clear from the amount of dancing she had been doing tonight that it was going to be a hard sell. She was still bopping around a lot. She spun, jumped, and gave him a brief glimpse of the tattoo on the side of her shoulder. This tattoo would have to be removed in order to be a true Jane Doe. The thought of how he was planning to remove it briefly crossed his mind. However, he let himself be distracted by her twisting body and the straining of the thin white tank tankver her breasts...

Suddenly, his breathing became shallow, and he rubbed a bulge in his pants that was growing in size. Chris wanted Ashley's body delivered to him, but there were no rules against Kevin sampling some of Ashley's body first. He knew this would be the perfect way to hold her down. As he would be in total control of this situation, there would be no way for this woman to reject him as his mother and wife had previously done. Of course, he would be sure to not leave any DNA behind. He would make sure that evidence collection would be near impossible for the techs. However, before he did all that, he could have a bit of fun. There was the possibility that he could make her regret all of the decent guys like him that she had turned down in the past. His attention was interrupted by the sound of another ringing phone, this time coming from within his own pocket. This phone was not his. This phone was taken from Bella Hawthorne, Chris' other ex-girlfriend, who used to live with him. On the other day, she had "accidentally" left it at the precinct. As she returned for it a few minutes later, batting her eyes at his partner. She tried to play it off as an innocent mistake, Kevin knew better than to believe her. She had accidentally let the item slip away from her while she was distracted. Despite the fact that Chris had become enraptured by this intoxicating girl, there was something he needed to learn about her. He was willing to pay such a handsome price to have her followed and brought back to him. Kevin checked the phone again, carefully turning the volume down, so he would not be heard, as he sat in the tree. The girl had downloaded a dating app. When the notification came, it was an alert that someone wanted to meet her. A short burst of air was let out by Kevin. Posting provocative pictures of herself online for anyone to see, then shooting down the few guys who bothered to reach out to her? I can assure you that she was just the same, just like Ashley and all the rest; his other victims, his selfish mother, and his arrogant wife. Kevin was disgusted with her! It was time to show them all who's boss. It was time for the "good guys" to take the victory.

At this point, Bella was unable to change her mind. Her blue Jeep was loaded with everything she owned and she was heading out of town. The moment Chris realized what had happened, he stood motionless in the entryway with her note crumpled up in his hands. Her tail lights faded farther down the road.

Who did she think she was leaving? She must be crazy! Chris thought to himself. Chris promised himself that if he couldn't have Bella for himself, no one else would have her either. In some ways, this was a liberating moment for Bella.

She had stayed captive to Chris's violent outbursts, controlling jealousy and manipulative mind games for long enough. Chris had kept her captive for a very long time with his violent outbursts, controlling jealousy, and manipulative mind games.Chris refused to allow her to speak with her old college friends after the two of them got together. She missed them dearly. She longed to be free from the void in her life. But more importantly, she missed being herself. In order to keep Chris calm and happy, Bella had given up so much of herself that she had almost forgotten who she was as a person. Several times before, she had considered leaving him, but it did not work out. Chris would either apologize profusely to her or remind her how she had no place else to turn and a small amount of money to start over. This was depending on how she felt. All the means of escape have been kept just out of Bella's reach, until now!

Chris could not believe his eyes as he read Bella's words in the letter.

"Chris, I have loved you since the very first time we met, but I just cannot live like this anymore. The two of us don't even recognize each other anymore. I'm miserable all the time, and you're not happy either. You wouldn't need to stay out all night with other girls if you were happy. You wouldn't have to drink until you couldn't stand up. The fights between us have escalated into horrific verbal and physical attacks. There is no doubt that this isn't working and that it's probably been over for longer than either of us wants to admit! My apologies, but I just can't stand it any longer! As I am moving out, I am taking only what is mine. I hope you will understand that I just want us both to be happy with our own lives. Despite how much I love you, we are not compatible together. Please don't try to follow me again. It's better this way! – Bella."

Bella had realized that it was time to leave the city. She wanted to distance herself from her dictators by settling in the suburbs. She also wanted to try to find their way in a big, big world that she had not experienced alone.

When Bella put the Jeep in drive and let her long brown hair flow with the breeze, she set off to make a fresh start without Chris. Chris, on the other hand, was not ready to let Bella go yet.She had no right to leave him, to reject all that he had given her. He had to bring her back home to him. Consequently, he would have to call his friend Kevin, to help him tie up all of his loose ends, before she left the city for good. Bella stopped by St. Luke's General Hospital to say goodbye to her colleagues and patients. Since it was just a short distance from where she and Chris had lived, stopping meant putting herself at a high risk. This was because Chris would follow her and try to get her back. The hospital was where Bella had worked since her internship and she spent countless hours caring for patients there. Could she leave without saying goodbye to them?She pushed the button for level three and stepped onto the elevator. A fit, blonde-haired man shoved his hand into the entryway to prevent the doors from closing on him.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Let me hold the elevator for you, Sir." Bella said to the stranger.

"I appreciate that, miss." The man in the striped polo shirt and khakis said nervously while fidgeting with his watch.

While she glanced inconspicuously at the button panel of the elevator, Bella politely asked, "What floor?".

"Floor 3, please. I am visiting my mother here." he replied.

As Bella rode the elevator up to the third floor, she quietly checked her phone. She was unaware that the man was closely inspecting every inch of her thin Caucasian frame, rosy pink cheeks, and hazel eyes. She was a beautiful human to look at.

No wonder Chris didn't want to let her leave, he thought.

"Have a nice day! I hope your mother feels better." Bella cried as they stepped off the elevator together.

As she walked back to the nurse's station, she was embraced by co-workers and surrounded by staff.The man from the elevator knew that was all the closer he would be able to get to her in the hospital. Therefore, he circled the hall and headed back down the elevator to the parking garage.

Bella was a compassionate and caring nurse working in the geriatric ward. She treated each patient as if they were a member of her own family. Because of this, she became very close to them. Though the decision to leave Chris was a relatively simple one, leaving the life she had built and the patients she cared for proved to be quite a bit more difficult.

As one of the nurses wrapped her arms around Bella's spindly frame, she said, "We will surely miss your regular stops at the bar after work with us."

Kathy, don't forget to keep me up to date on all the hospital drama." Bella replied."

"Friday nights are going to seem a bit boring now," she added. "I'm sorry we couldn't hit the town one more time before you go, Bella. You always have a way of attracting the guys!" Kathy said with a sneer.

I agree, but you always found a way to get home with them, didn't you?" Bella recanted.

"Exactly!" replied Kathy, "now the question is how will I be able to attract such prospects?" As they parted ways, both giggled.

After she turned over her last patient to Kathy, she said her final goodbyes and stepped back on the elevator to the parking garage with a heavy sigh.

Until we meet again, Kathy cried

Until we meet again, Bella cried

It was completely unknown to Bella that Kevin was lurking just a few rows away from her car in the parking garage. She fumbled with her keys as she wiped a tear from her eye, reminding herself that this was not a sad day, this was her independence day! As she shoved her ticket into the slot, she said one last goodbye to the hospital. As she thought of what was to come, she failed to pay attention to the car following her across the bridge and out of the city. It was as if she was lost in daydreams of afternoons spent dancing around in her underwear to her favorite songs. These songs were music that Chris despised and forbade her from listening to when they were together. It was easy to imagine herself and Olivia sharing a bottle of wine at the end of the day and laughing about the day's news gossip in the office. Bella wondered what it would be like if she went out without asking anyone's permission. She never ventured anywhere without Chris's permission when she was with him. In the absence of bruises, she wondered how a tank top would feel now that she didn't have to cover any of them with one. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a black sedan driving very slowly past her.

"I wonder if they're lost," she wondered.

The car sped away and out of sight as she headed down the drive.

As she left the jeep and was on her way back to her house, she whispered to herself, "That was strange!"

The moment she pulled into Overlook Gardens, her brand-new home, she snapped out of her daze and focused on moving in.The entire contents of her home, all that remained of her entire life, were now tightly packed into the back of her Jeep. She knew it wasn't much to start a brand-new life with, but it would do for now. Through the heavy steel door, she pulled out a cardboard box and walked into apartment 132. She found a note taped to the door with her name on it. The note read, "Ran into town for some groceries. Back soon. Left your key under the mat. Get settled. We've got a lot to catch up on.". When Bella put the box down, she dug out the key from under the mat. As she twisted the key in the knob, she held her breath. It was the end of her abusive relationship with her boyfriend and the beginning of a brand-new life

The apartment had not yet been seen by her. It wasn't long ago when Olivia had come ahead of her to sign the lease and pick up the keys. She wanted to ensure that Bella had a safe place to run to when the time came for her to make her escape from the house. As the front door swung open, the apartment opened to a wooden table and 2 chairs, just to the right of the entry. There was a small kitchen in the apartment and a sink full of dirty dishes, indicating that someone lived there. In the small living room on the left side of the hallway, there was a beat-up pink sofa along the wall and an armchair in the corner. An array of vertical blinds covered the sliding glass patio doors from floor to ceiling, and a tiny cement patio overlooks a hillside dotted with oak trees and evergreens. On her way back down the hallway, she passed by a tiny bathroom that was just big enough to get the job done. Olivia's bedroom was already set up with a dressing table and a double bed. Next on the list was Bella's bedroom. Having set down the first box of her stuff on the builder-grade beige carpet, she realized that she was going to have an awkward experience having an entire room to herself. Chris had shared her bed with her for so long that the idea of sleeping alone was almost alien to her.

Bella was just about to grab her last box from the jeep when Olivia pulled up. Olivia pulled up just as Bella was about to grab her last box from the Jeep.

A schoolgirl squeal accompanied Olivia's sneaky approach behind Bella, as she asked, "Hey, can I give you a hand?". In their embrace, their arms were wrapped around each other in the embrace of best friends who hadn't seen each other in years.

"I'm so glad to see you." Bella smiled."I am so glad to see you," she said eagerly. Olivia inquired with concern, "Did everything work out well? Did you get out without him noticing?". Bella replied, "Yes.". I wonder what he will think about my note when he reads it." The girls loaded up the last box with groceries from Olivia's vehicle. Olivia said, "I don't care what he thinks.". If you ask me, you are better off without him. It's time to get this stuff inside and figure out what's for dinner."

After collapsing on the living room floor, the girls dropped all the bags in the kitchen and the box down the hall before collapsing in a heap. This day had been emotionally and physically exhausting for Bella, and that night had been no different. While she caught up on everything she had missed from Olivia's life, all she wanted at this moment was to collect her thoughts and move forward. As a result of their online discussions, Olivia was aware of Bella's struggles with Chris and how her life had changed since they left nursing school because Bella typically controlled their online discussions out of pure loneliness. In spite of this, Bella didn't know much about Olivia's activities since graduation. She had also found work for Bella at the wellness pavilion across town, where Olivia also worked. In order to start her own adult life, Olivia had moved out of her parents' house. They did not have the time to catch up today. They had to put everything away and get ready to go to work. The day is not only Bella's last day at the hospital, but it is also her first day as an office nurse at the wellness pavilion. Olivia had put Bella's name forward to one of the family practices that was looking for an RN who could run the nurse's line and keep track of the patients in each room. This is a very different approach from what Bella had provided for her patients at the hospital. She saw the same patients day in and day out and got to know them personally. Bella was not allowed to have much of a social life when she was with Chris. On Friday nights, he worked late and she went out on the town with the rest of the nursing staff. Her mind wondered what it would be like in the new office. Would she be able to make new friends on Friday nights, or would they whisper behind her back since she was just a new girl? Olivia worked as an RN on the second floor of the wellness center and on the second floor of the general surgery department as well. It wasn't easy to find a comrade in the office. Hopefully, their schedules would coincide enough to allow them to sneak away to the microwave at lunchtime to check in on each other. Bella's excitement about seeing Olivia again had mostly been replaced with nervousness since she last saw her. Already she was beginning to have doubts about this decision and this big change in her life. Is it possible that this was all a mistake? But even if it had been, there was no turning back now. Despite the fact that her doctors were expecting her to be fresh and ready to go by 9 am, she had already left the hospital. Chris was probably waking up thinking about the note. There was no way of knowing how he would react to this, but she knew it would not be good. Therefore, she had to make this commitment. In the event that she changed her mind now, she would ruin her friendship with Olivia, even if Chris accepted her back. Besides, did she want to go back to the life she had with Chris, even if she still thought she loved him. There would be a lot of changes to make, but coping with Chris's violent fights and obsessive behavior would be far more difficult than making the change. After resolving everything in her mind, Bella showered and changed into her scrubs after resolving all her thoughts. After putting on her make-up and tying her long brown hair neatly up, she was ready to go. After she gulped down her morning coffee and orange juice, she hollers back the hall to Olivia, who is now getting ready to take her turn in the shower. While Bella was heading out the door for yet another new beginning, she heard a muffled "Good luck!" from down the hall.

"Hey Liv, how about we catch up after work," Bella replied.

"I have to get my badge since it's my first day," she replied.