Free Save Me by H.M. Waitrovich

real quick. 
    “Shh baby its ok; you are going to be fine.  He choked you until you lost consciousness, but it is ok now, it’s over,” He said lowering his head on my hospital bed. He looked like he had aged 10 years since the last time I had seen him.
    OMG, Belle.  “Oliver, where’s Annabelle?  Did he take her?  Where is she?  Belle!  Belle!” I screamed, I was trying to get out of my hospital bed, I needed my daughter and I needed her right now, how could any of this be happening, I fought so hard to protect her.
    “Grace calm down, Belle is fine, she is fine, and she is with Gloria.  I have one of my deputy’s at the house with them, although, they do not really need any protection anymore, but we found Belle tucked under bed holding her ears singing. She said she thought that you were playing hide and go seek with Daddy,” Oliver said.
    “Oh Oli, thank God she’s ok.  Where is he?  Where is Max?  Did the police get him?  He knows how to get past the law, my heart is breaking that she had to hear him there like that,” I said panicking.
    “Grace I need you to calm down, I have to tell you something.  This may or may not be hard for you to hear, I don’t want to upset you,” He said looking down at his feet, his face went pale white.
    Why was he being so weird?  I grabbed his hand and noticed that he had dried blood on his knuckles.  What was this from?  “Oliver, where did this blood come from?” I asked confused.  He could barely look at me.  “Oliver, are you ok?” I said again. “Grace, he cannot hurt you anymore,” His voice got quieter and quieter.
    “What do you mean Oli?  He will make bail and surely come after us again; he always gets what he wants,” I said knowing it was true.
    “Grace I got to your house moments after you passed out, he almost killed you, I walked in quietly so he could not hear me.  I saw you passed out on the bed, something snapped inside me; I love you so much that I just, I lost it, I really freaking lost it.  I lunged at him and hit him repeatedly, I couldn’t stop myself,” Oliver said dropping his gaze from mine. Oh no, what did he do? “Oliver what happened?” I said demanding he tell me now.
    “I...I killed him Grace, I did not stop myself; I literally beat him to death and I just lost it, I am so sorry, please tell me you don’t hate me,” He said with tears in his eyes.
    I could not believe he was dead.  I honestly felt nothing, I was so numb from what had happened, my life was so fucked up, will I ever be the same?  “Oliver, do the police know?” I said almost afraid to ask.
    “Yes, they do.  Once the Boston PD found out, they issued a warrant for my arrest.  I am guessing he has friends on the team there,” Oliver said.
    I cannot believe this is happening.  Tell me it is not.  “Grace I have to turn myself in, tonight,” He said.
    “What no!  No Oli this is all my fault, you were just trying to protect me.  Do you see now why I said I had to leave?  Dammit Oli!  You wouldn’t listen and now what?  You’re going to prison for the murder of my husband who tried to kill me?”  This was beyond too much, I felt dizzy, outraged, I could not even breathe, I felt like I was having a panic attack. 
    “Calm down Grace, lie back and close your eyes, I will fix this, I have friends too, I will get out and this will all be over, and then we will be together again.”  I was exhausted, I let it take over. 
    I laid back and closed my eyes, I was never meant to be happy, I felt like all I wanted was to hear my mother’s voice, I needed peace, but I would never find peace.  I gave in to the dark, once again. That is the funny thing about giving in, is it considered giving up as well? In all of the time I have spent running, running from the darkness that chased me, I have gotten nowhere. Finally being free of him should make me feel better, only now the one person who helped me find my way back into the light will