SARAH

On Friday, it was all over. It was early afternoon in 1937 where Sarah and Michael sat at their kitchen table. They had ham and eggs for lunch again. Her dress was the colour of wet slates. His overall was smeared in car oil. Sarah’s favourite book rested on a side table. Their usual lunch time silence was interrupted as the doorbell rang. Not many visitors came by their cottage. Sarah stood to answer, as Michael demanded she ignore it. Sarah opted out of her straw chair as Michael aggressively gripped onto her arm. ‘Let go of me!’ Sarah screamed. ‘Quite woman!’ Michael responded. The shadow behind the door disappeared as Sarah sat back down. Her hand rested on her book as her eyes glimmered to the kitchen mirror. The mirror was set in a gold frame, and she remembered the day he had bought it for her. Since that day she was forced to watch him abuse her in this very mirror. Bravery, she knew, was often underrated. Yet for years now, she had thought of doing this. She could take no more. ‘Get out!’ she blared as she jumped from her chair. Michael, startled in silence looked upon her with his beady brown eyes. She had never stood up too him before. Michael’s eyes geared off to the open window overlooking their garden. For beyond the garden wall, there was a school. The school they had met, and fell in love. Overcome by her sudden outburst, Sarah’s hands began to jitter. She recalled a particular phrase her mother had once said; ‘The pain love causes is only worth it, if the misery can be forgotten. And you Michael I cannot forget.’ Michael looked to Sarah and gently rested his hand on hers. ‘You’re so beautiful Sarah...’ he began to say. Having none of it, Sarah threw the book out of the window. ‘If you even think it, I’ll....’ Sarah’s word began to stutter in a mix of adrenaline and terror. ‘No more Michael’ she said. Michael rose from the table. He sharply turned to grab his tweed cap as he slammed the front door behind him. Sarah rested her shaky hands upon her arms and watched Michael drive away in their 1936 Morris Minor.