Freya, No Excuses

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ByEarl
Sitting in the cold, fluorescent waiting room, Freya trembles when she thinks back on the blindness of his anger. She feels shame and shock, together with a dull pain in the spot on her face where her so-called boyfriend backhanded her. The police station, while strange, is also safe and a first step toward regaining her power.

Waiting, her father’s voice returns to her, familiar and well-worn, words she has held since long before tonight: “Never allow anyone to treat you less than you deserve, and if a man has used force once, he will do so again.” She has always known this. Tonight, not quite steady on her own, she borrows that voice to hold the line until she can hold it herself.

Close to crying, her anger won’t let tears fall. No second chances, no excuses, and no apologies will be accepted. Minute by minute, in the cold light of the waiting room, her core resolve is taking shape.

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3 Comments
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Monte Stevens
Monte Stevens
19 days ago

Yes, her core resolve is taking shape!! You can see it those eyes. And, when will we learn that violence only begets more violence? Another excellent post.

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Earl
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Earl
19 days ago
Reply to  Monte Stevens

Thanks, Monte. Some ‘Life Frames’ are easy to write because they bring strong emotions into play. This was one of those. I had to work to pare down the number of words on this one.

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Monte Stevens
Monte Stevens
19 days ago
Reply to  Earl

I’ve read, we’re good writers always edit in the way of pairing it down, rather than adding to it. And the reader needs to add their own words.

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