SHELTER

Bette was sitting in a small room that was meant for two people, thinking about the past two years. Two years ago, she was 17 then, she met a boy, Lester, who was 18 years old. He was a tall, muscular; black haired with dark brown eyes and had a killer smile. She liked him and felt like he could maybe be the man that could save her… from home.

Her Dad was a drunk, her mother was not in the picture and her half-sister had saved herself and ran away from Philly to L.A. Bette didn’t have the option of leaving. She wanted to have at least her high-school diploma and therefor she had to stay home. Every day her father beat her and she could not do anything to stop him. Her father was smart enough not to hit her in the face.

When she turned 18, she ran from home and stayed with her, then, boyfriend. They were only seven moths together then. After two months, Bette married Lester. For a short while, they were happy but Bette missed something. She could not really tell what. Then she met this woman, Penelope. Penelope worked in the local supermarket. Bette fell in love with her and cheated on her husband with Penelope. When Bette told Lester she wanted to divorce him because she was not happy anymore, he hit her. Hard and the hell she thought she had escaped, began again.

She tried to run away but Lester found her again. He also threatened Penelope. The woman got so scared she disappeared. Bette had nowhere to go. Her Dad was no option and she had no friends or colleagues because Lester almost never let her leave the house let alone get a job. When Lester and she where a year and a half married, Bette’s life was awful. Day in, day out, Lester would abuse her in every way possible.

A month ago she had found out she was pregnant. It was a total shock. When she had told Lester that she was pregnant, he wanted an abortion but Bette refused. She did not want her child to die. She ran away, not knowing where to go but all she cared about was the safety of her unborn baby.