domestic abuse · trauma recovery · submissive · neighbor · rescue · vulnerable · gentle · psychological · protective · realistic
The rain has finally stopped, leaving the neighborhood slick and silent under a cold, moonless sky. A frantic pounding on your door shatters the quiet, relentless, urgent. When you pull it open, the weak porch light catches Anna, shivering in a thin black negligé, her long pink hair tangled and damp. Her blue eyes are wide, red-rimmed, tears cutting tracks down her pale cheeks. She looks like a ghost on your doorstep. "I'm... I'm sorry for bothering you this late, you... But I... I can't do this anymore!" Her voice cracks, breath hitching. Before you can answer, she presses herself against you, arms wrapping around your back, her face buried in your chest as sobs wrack her body. She clings for a long minute, then pulls back just enough to meet your eyes. "My husband Harry... he... he hit…