Not Broken, Not Safe

Dylysa looked in the mirror, at the bruises on her arms and shoulders. A frown touched her face as she traced her fingers over them, wincing at the spots that were still tender. Now, maybe finally that a mark was left, someone would believe her. Now, maybe finally that he had lost his temper and revealed himself, someone would listen to her. Now, maybe finally that she had proof, she would be rescued from this hell.

Quietly, she walked out of her room and up the hall. The lights were on in the kitchen, but there was also light from the living room, flickering and casting a blue hue. Silently, she crept to the open door of the living room and saw him slumped in his chair, looking at the TV with a beer can in his hand. With a silent jolt of fear, she pulled back, away from the door and into the hall’s shadows. Turning away, she went to the kitchen and saw her mother doing dishes. The woman’s beautiful hair was knotted and her skin looked pale and waxy. Never had she looked so unhealthy before, but her face was happy as she hummed and scrubbed. Despite the fact that her mother was ill, Dylysa knew that her mother was happy with him, that she thought he loved her. Somehow this blinded her to her daughter’s suffering.

Without a word, she walked over and started doing dishes, knowing that the over head light would put a stark contrast between her pale skin and the dark bruises. As expected, her mother dropped the plate she was holding into the sink with a clatter when she looked over to thank her. Seizing her daughter’s shoulders, she spun Dylysa to face her and demanded, “What happened!? Who did this?”


“He did,” Dylysa answered, her face scrunching up suddenly as she fought off tears. Keeping her voice as calm as possible, she told her mother, “I told you, he is abusing me. Mom, please, jus-“

“Shut up,” her mother snapped, her face even paler than before. “How dare you accuse Maxwell of such things after all of the love and affection he has shown you.”

Dylysa laughed and answered bitterly, “Yeah, but he hadn’t shown me any fatherly affection. I don’t want to be his woman.”

There was the sharp sound of skin striking skin swiftly and her mother snarled, “How dare you?” Dylysa just stared at her in astonishment, her mouth hanging open.

“Is everything alright?”


Dylysa spun, managing to get behind her mother in a smooth motion as she turned to face Maxwell.

Her mother tensed and then forced a smile. “No, Maxwell. I was just telling Dylysa here that she needs to quit fighting at school. She’s covered from head to toe in bruises, have you seen?”

How her mother missed the look that Maxwell gave Dylysa was beyond her, but then she knew what she had to do. Lifting her head with the last of her courage, she said, “Yes, and I suggested that mom send me to my aunt’s, so that I don’t have to deal with the same drama. It’s over a stupid guy, anyway.”

Her gaze met her mother’s from the corner of her eye and she told her silently if her mother protested, she would tell Maxwell what she had said and then she looked at Maxwell with a look that promised she’d go straight to the cops.

Both of them began talking about the benefits of her going out to the country.


Just her luck, she was stuck with Maxwell driving her. Dylysa had been so desperate for him not to, she had begged her mother, pleading that she would even be willing to stay longer, until her mother had time off to take her, but her mother had told her there was no reason and she wasn’t going to treat Maxwell like he was a monster not to be trusted. Dylysa had sobbed for her mother to reconsider, but to no avail.

Her hands were curled on her knees and she stared straight ahead at the road, painfully aware of the warm hand on her thigh. Even with herself repeating in her head, over and over, ’Mind over matter, mind over matter, mind over matter. I don’t mind. It doesn’t matter,’ her breathing was shaking and she felt like she was going to suffocate from the need to scream.

Suddenly the pressure on her leg increased and Dylysa bowed her head, willing herself not to cry. Maxwell spoke in a calm, neutral tone, as he said, ”I am assuming, now that you won’t be at the house and we won’t be on each other’s toes, we’ll be able to be friends and all of our silly little spats will be forgotten?”

”Go to hell,” Dylysa choked out, not believing her ears. How could he have the gall to say such a thing to her!? After all he had put her through!

Maxwell suddenly jerked the car off the road, onto a gravelly shoulder and grabbed her shoulders, twisting her violently to face him. In a dark voice, he threatened, ”If you so much as breath a word of this to anyone, I’ll hunt you down and kill you.”

Dylysa didn’t answer, but her eyes told him enough. She knew that no one would believe her. The abuse was over, but there would never be justice for her.

Content, he started driving again and soon they were pulling up at a two story, ranch style house. There was a large area fenced off on the left of the house, almost a square mile of land, with horses and cattle grazing on it. There was a large barn, bigger than the house, in the fenced off area. To the right of the house was a smaller barn and then along the wrap around pouch there was a dog run, with several dogs running up and down, baying at the new comers.

A short woman with white blond hair appeared on the porch and stepped down, a large white dog following at her heels. She walked towards the car, the sway of her hips doing nothing to demean the power in her gait. Walking over to the passenger side, she opened the door and pulled Dylysa out, into a tight hug. She wasn’t the girl’s actual aunt, but rather her mother’s foster sister. Even without blood, she loved Dylysa like a daughter.

”I’ve missed you, kiddo,” her aunt Dana said, before releasing her. Leaning in the door, she said, ”Pop the trunk. I’ll get her stuff and you can leave.”


Maxwell, however, climbed out and asked, ”You sure you don’t need my help?”

Dana grabbed the dog’s collar, as he bristled and growled at Maxwell. Frowning, she snapped, ”Get back in your car or I’ll set Belen on you! You may have my dumbass sister fooled, but I’m not stupid. You aren’t hurting this girl, not here.”

The color drained from Maxwell’s face and then he said coldly to Dylysa, ”Get in the car. I don’t feel safe leaving you with such a man hater. So paranoid.

”No,” Dylysa answered, hiding behind Dana.

Maxwell glared at her a moment and then got in the car, speeding off without letting her get her stuff. Dylysa looked at from the dust cloud behind Maxwell’s car to Dana and apologized, ”I’m so sorry.”

”Don’t be. That man is an ass. We’ll buy you new stuff tomorrow when I go to town. For now, just make yourself at home. I’ve gotta go check on Tink. She’s having a litter, so I might not be back for a while. If you see any of the farmhands, just tell them your name and they’ll leave you alone. If Maxwell comes back and no one is around, start shouting. Belen will be there in a heart beat,” Dana told her, hugging her tight and then going back up onto the pouch and then around the side of the house.

Dylysa looked around aimlessly for a second and then went towards the barn where the horses were kept.