Short Fiction Blog

Andrew and Susan stole a car and drove back to New York. Susan didn’t think she could handle another ride on the bus, and Andrew tended to agree. He thought she needed to learn to control her impulses more before mingling with Outsiders very often.

Andrew did most of the driving because Susan was lost in thought. He knew from the snippets of information she provided when probed that she was thinking of her mother.

“Having regrets?” he inquired when they reached the outskirts of the city.

Susan sighed, “I don’t regret killing the bastard, but I do feel bad for my mom.” Shaking her head, she continued, “I just don’t understand why she loved the asshole and stayed with him!”

“A lot of abused women stay with their abusers. Lack of self confidence, fear of the unknown, and money are often the cause,” Andrew told her. “You did say your mother couldn’t make it on her own without the life insurance money. Being unskilled, she may have thought she couldn’t take care of herself and you when you were younger,” he added.

“I’ve read all the literature too,” Susan snapped. “It still doesn’t make any sense to me. I would never stay with a man who beat me!”

“No, you killed him,” Andrew quipped.

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