“Amy you know I love you, right?”

I was shivering as I kept the cell-phone held up to my ear, crouched in a dark corner in my bedroom.

“Y-yeah Jason. I know. I'm just not sure I really know what love is anymore....”
“Well your dad-”
“Don't call him that.”, I hiss defensively. “He's not my dad. Or at least he hasn't exactly earned the title.”
“Anyway,” my boyfriend continued, “He can only keep you there for so long. You're going to be 18 in a month and then you can get away from him and we can get married like we always planned to and spend the rest of our lives together. Just us Amy. You won't ever have to see him again.”

I nodded slightly, forgetting that Jason wasn't right here with me. I won't ever have to see him again. It was pretty tempting actually. Especially when the bruises and welts on my legs caught my eye, peeking out from under my pajama shorts. But I was still nervous. I loved Jason with all my heart, and he gave me no reason not to, but I still wasn't sure if I should trust him.

“I swear I'll protect you.”, he told me. “You don't have to be scared.... just one more month-”
“I don't know if I can make it another month Jason!”, I cried into the phone, finally breaking down. “I don't even know if I'll make it another freaking day! He could kill me if he decided too! Or I could do it myself- whichever comes first. At least I won't get hurt again....”
“Don't talk like that!”, he replied. “Amy, I need you to fight. I need you to fight to survive the next month. Please.... I'm begging you. If not for yourself.... do it for me.”
“I need to go.”, I told him. “And I'm not making any promises.... but I'll- I'll try. That's all I'm going to say.”

I hung up on him and let my tiny cell-phone drop to the purple carpet.

Is this what my father told Mom when she was almost 18? That he would take care of her? That they would be together forever and she would never have to see my drunken grandfather again?

That he loved her?

“Amy!”, a deep-toned, rough voice called from downstairs. My heart began pounding in fear as I picked myself up and walked cautiously to the bedroom door.
“Y-yes?”

There was no answer. I had to go down there. I couldn't, but I had to nonetheless. My jaw dropped when I opened the door.

The narrow hallway of a rotting wood floor that led to the stairs on the right had been replaced by a different hallway, with lilac walls and real, glossy hardwood flooring, a little less narrow, with a staircase on the left. My heart rate slowed just a little bit and was taken over by curiosity. I shuddered when I heard the shattering of glass downstairs.

Is he down there?

My stomach churned as I made my way over to the stairway and walked down, the next floor opening up around me, broad glossy wood floors and beautiful, expensive furniture and décor. Then I almost stepped in an area of the floor that was covered with broken glass and a chill ran down my spine. The shards were clear, sparkling crystal with intricate designs carved into them and little bits of pink and green here and there.

“D-dad?”, I called out. No answer again.

I noticed a red scarf hanging next to the front door, the same red scarf that Jason had given me for my birthday..... but it couldn't be. It looked old, and how could it have gotten here anyway?

I backed up and walked the other way, knowing there was someone here but not having any idea why or who or how I was even here in this house that wasn't mine. That's when I turned around and saw two people in the living room- a large man facing the couch with his hand raised and a red-headed woman cowering in fear next to it. Was it my mother?

They didn't seem to realize I was there. The man who I assumed to be my dad at first but he couldn't have been because he was blond brought his hand down and hit the woman on the head, resulting in her helpless scream and the thud of her body hitting the floor. I watched in horror as the man turned around and I recognized his face: not my father's- but Jason's. He was older and more harsh looking and a little gray.... but it was definitely him.

I looked back at the crumpled red-headed woman on the floor and froze when I realized it was me. It was me and Jason in the future, after we had gotten married. He did turn out like my father. But..... how? How was I here seeing it?

I tried to turn and run back up the stairs, but I couldn't seem to move. I felt someone come up behind me and tried to scream but I couldn't make any noise as a hand closed over my mouth.

“You're gonna end up just like her aren't you?”, Jason said, except it sounded like some twisted version of his voice rather than being actually his. I clawed at his fingers helplessly, trying in vain to get air. “No you're not, because I'm going to save you. I'm gonna keep all this from happening...”

I tried harder to escape from his grasp and started panicking when I felt the barrel of a gun against my head, right above my ear. I closed my eyes and prepared for the worst.

                                                            …

“Wake up Amy!”, Jason's voice said. “It's your birthday today- I'm gonna get you out of here.”

I opened my eyes in a daze and tried to piece everything together.

“You know I love you, right?”