A Pain to Escape

Honorable Mention in the Barbie Dream Gap x Girls Write Now: Inspiring Women Writing Contest (Age 9-12 Category)

Content Warning: Domestic Abuse

“Now, ladies and gentlemen, let’s put our hands together for our next guest, New York Times bestselling author, Aurora Hill!” Says the interviewer into her mic.

Aurora walks in portraying the epitome of elegance and confidence and sits down in the spot reserved for the interviewee.

“Aurora Hills is the author of the bestselling novel A Pain to Escape. So Ms. Hill, give us some insight into how you came up with this thrilling story about a woman coming to power against her abuser.”

Aurora sits there looking out onto the audience filled with women of all ages and color, thinking back on her own past and how she came to write a book. Aurora looks at the interviewer with a warm smile, ready to give her answer.

7 years earlier.

A loud thud and Aurora fell, banging her head on a wooden table, feeling her head spin and her vision get wobbly. She put her hand up to touch her forehead. Aurora’s heart sank as she felt the warmth of her blood trickling down her face and saw the crimson color on her hands. Aurora put her hands down to lift herself up, and she saw his big, tall body walking towards her.

“Adam NO! ADAM PLEASE!” She begged him as he continued to stride mercilessly towards her.

“I don’t want to have to do this to you, Aurora, you know I love you.” Adam said, kneeling down to Aurora.

“Adam, please,” Aurora pleaded. Adam got down and put his hands on Aurora’s face.

“Looks like you’ve hurt yourself pretty bad here, let’s get you cleaned up,” Adam took Aurora up to their room and sat her down as he went to get bandages, talking as if nothing had happened. Aurora silently stared into the wall as a tear fell down her face.

“The day I met Adam Wexler, It was the brightest day of my life, the air was warm and the sun was shining. Adam came into my life, like a prince in my fairytale, Philip to my Aurora. He had come into my life when I was at my lowest. However as time passed, the love that felt like a gentle embrace began to twist into a suffocating grip.

“Adam had developed a temper that flared up like a summer storm. What started as harsh words that were hidden by his manipulative methods and moments of anger soon turned to physical confrontations. Soon, I found myself trapped in a cycle of love and fear, torn between the man I adored and the pain he gave. Deep down, I believed that the love we shared could heal the wounds, that if I just tried harder to please him, we could go back to how we once were.

“As I was trapped in this endless cycle, my laugh grew quiet, and my spirit dimmed. As much as I wanted to seek help, the fear of him held me back. And how could I possibly explain the love I still had for Adam, even as he hurt me and sliced me so deeply? The conflicting emotions buried deep within me made it hard to seek help. I didn’t even want to truly get help because the fear of losing the warmth he gave me was dangling over my head.

“One evening, after a particular violent fight, I sat with the crimson color beneath me, tears streaming rabidly down with no ending. I remembered my dreams I had created in my head when I met Adam and realized how far they were from reality. In that moment of despair, a flicker of determination burned inside of me. I realized love should not thrive in fear, ‘I deserved more than a life shadowed by pain,’ I thought to myself.

“I knew I had to leave him. There was just simply no other way out. Eventually, I built up the courage to leave Adam. It was a decision filled with fear and uncertainty, but also the promise of freedom in the back of my mind helped me push through. I then moved into an apartment filled with sunlight; it was a place where I could finally breathe without the weight of fear pressing down on me. “I can start clean, a fresh new start,” I thought to myself.”

“In time, I learned to love myself fiercely. I was able to understand that healing wasn’t a straight path but was filled with ups and downs. The feeling of freedom and not living with toxicity made me regain my sparkle. By writing this heartfelt book, I was aiming to serve as an inspiration for others in my past situation. God, how relieving that is to say. Showing others that love in its purest form, is not about enduring pain, but about celebrating your untouchable love towards each other.”

“Wow, that is just beautiful,” says the interviewer. Aurora looks at the audience shedding tears, bringing a warm smile to wash over her beautiful face.