SLPT6

Forgetting the door was locked, she tugged on the handle to no avail. Her face dropped into her palm with a sigh; she unlocked the door and exited her room. The phone lay askew on the floor well below the small gash mark it had left upon its collision with the wall. Lovely. Richard had apparently taken his vengeance upon the telephone. One could only imagine what his wrath might be toward the speaker who had been on the other end of the conversation.

SLPT5

“It’s not my problem,” Jeanette whispered into the air as she rolled over to face the wall as the light streaming in through the window was bothering her eyes. But then the phone began to beep its irritating signal to notify her that Richard had left the receiver off the hook. “It’ll stop eventually,” she tried to reason as she swung herself upright with a groan. “Figures.”

SLPT4

What the heck? What could it be now? Jeanette kept still, debating with herself whether to get involved. Footsteps clumped down the stairs accompanied by indistinguishable muttering. The entry door slammed shut followed soon after by another door slamming. She couldn’t tell if it was the outside door or the door to the kitchen. She’d probably better go downstairs to check and make sure everyone was alright. No telling what Richard might do when his temper flared. 

SLPT3

Not bothering to reply, she cracked the door open enough to slide the old rotary through, then gently slid it closed again and refastened the lock. She crawled up onto her bed and buried her face in the pillow. The Air Force was her best option. How could she even think of turning them down? There was no money left for school. There was no job for earning more money. All she had was a prison cell of a bedroom in her step-father’s house. Even her mother had abandoned her, for him.

SLPT2

So that was it. She had to stay now. She had burned her bridge to salvation by not so politely requesting the recruiter never call her back again, ever. She tried to wipe her tears away with her already drenched shirt sleeve. Why couldn’t she just go? There was nothing left for her here, no one needed her, and no one even wanted her around. All she had to do was pack a bag and walk away, just walk away and not look back. Just walk away, but she couldn’t. Something was holding her back. Something she couldn’t identify, something she couldn’t explain. 

SLPT1

She replaced the receiver handle back into the awaiting cradle. The recruiter had called again. She didn’t know what to say. Her commitments were always fulfilled. She couldn’t tolerate the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, knowing she had disappointed him. But what else could she do? All the excuses she’d given him over the past several weeks didn’t faze him or weaken his resolve, and the incessant calling had to stop. She’d made up her mind to go, but then she changed it, and that was it. A woman is still allowed to change her mind, isn’t she? She tried to reason with herself, the pangs of guilt still washing over her.