The young woman crammed her overstuffed Vera Bradley bag into the backseat of the taxi and slid inside. She slammed the door behind her. Softly falling snow was already beginning to cover up her shoe tracks, but the large flakes melted against the glass of the warm taxi cab.
“Where to, Miss?” the driver asked from behind the wheel.
“Anywhere away from here,” she mumbled.
She removed her sunglasses to reveal a dark purple bruise underneath her eye and spreading onto her cheekbone in a shade of green.
The cabbie looked in the rearview mirror and frowned. He had seen situations like this before in his twenty years of driving. Especially in a large city like New York.
Women like this took the abuse for as long as they could before they built up the courage to finally leave. They usually waited until their husband or boyfriend was away at work – even more ideal if he were away on a business trip. This woman’s bag was small and stuffed so full the zipper didn’t close all of the way. Her significant other was not away on a trip. She had only a short amount of time to pack her things and flee.
The cabbie pulled away from the curb and eased into traffic. It was a one-way street, so it gave the woman time to let the situation sink in before making any decisions on direction. The driver kept the car at a slow, steady pace until he reached the end of the block. He glanced again in his rearview mirror. The young woman just stared out the window at the falling snowflakes.
“Miss?” the cabbie turned around in his seat to face his passenger.
The car sat idling at the intersection.
“Drive around the block,” she said with a heavy sigh. “And then take me back home.”
*
LiAnnah Jameson is a pen name with a long story behind it. She teaches middle school English, owns three cats, and loves sock monkey pajamas and bedsheets. In her spare time, LiAnnah, or simply Annah, enjoys reading psychological thriller books and writing. You can find her at ifidienowwhowillfeedmycats.wordpress.com
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