The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!
Freedom’s Penalty
by Suzie Lockhart
I stand, tilt my head back
And breathe a freedom
That did not come easy.
But today, I taste honeysuckle
On my tongue.
.
No more beatings from a husband
Thrust upon me early on
In my womanhood; too afraid to
Do other than what I was told.
But there was no pleasing him.
In time, I stopped trying.
Even while the abuse escalated,
I lacked the will to fight.
.
I was especially downtrodden the day
I met her, my Mubashira
My ‘giver of good news.’
We became fast friends…
Then one day we were alone.
She slipped down my Hajib
And gently stroked my cheek
Running her fingers through my hair and telling me I was beautiful
My eyesocket was still discolored
From a previous beating;
One my disgusting,
drunken husband had dished out.
Surprise shocked me with her kiss,
Along with elation.
I had never felt loved before. Certainly,
Never felt like returning it.
.
The next morning she assured me
It would look like an accident.
That she would get us out of Pakistan,
That we would go to Europe
Or America…free to love each other.
.
I confess to wanting him to suffer.
Slipping the tonic my sāḥira,
My exotic sorceress, had concocted
Was too simple…
because husband demanded drink
soon after he was home
I begged her to make him suffer.
Allow me to laugh in his face
Dancing before him as I brazenly
Relayed my betrayal…
Taking great pleasure
in his inability to move,
his face contorted with rage.
.
I relish the sun on my face and
breeze in my hair
as I collect the mail one morning.
A large envelope catches my eye
I recognize the writing outside;
my heart skips a fearful beat. tearing it. open,
to reveal photos of Mubashira and me.
Complete with two words
which made my world spin…
“I. Survived.”
.
Fiction © Copyright Suzie Lockhart
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
More from Suzie Lockhart:
Morbid Metamorphosis:
Terrifying Tales of Transformation
Metamorphosis occurs every day as caterpillars become sweet fluttering butterflies, tadpoles become gorgeous frog princes and chameleons become one with the beauty of nature – but you won’t find any of that here.
The transformations you’re about to witness are unnatural, sometimes gruesome and deeply psychological. They will make you question reality and take your mind places it was never meant to go.
Terrifying Tales of Transformation from Greg Chapman * Roy C. Booth & R. Thomas Riley * Terri DelCampo * Dave Gammon * Nancy Kilpatrick * Rod Marsden * Jo-Anne Russell * M.J. Preston * Stacey Turner * Tina Piney * Suzanne Robb * Franklin E. Wales * Donna Marie West * Suzie Lockhart * Cameron Trost * Daniel I. Russell * Simon Dewar * Amanda J. Spedding * Ken MacGregor * Erin Shaw * Gregory L. Norris * Nickolas Furr
Available on Amazon!
Morbid Metamorphosis:
Spreading the Writer's Word 
A chilling and terrific poem.
I love this so much – that ending is so chilling – beautifully crafted
Such a beautifully crafted poem – I rejoiced in her freedom then that ending – oof! So chilling.
So good they commented twice – apologies – thought WordPress had deleted my first comment!