Here Comes Trouble (Trouble, Tennessee 0.50)

Chapter One

The concept was a good one, at least from the outside looking in.

From what Ellie had heard Trouble, Tennessee represented a last hope, sometimes the final stop, for battered women. As excruciating pain shot through her abdomen, Ellie took a deep breath and muttered, “This is what my life has become.”

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Like all young women, she’d hoped for a bright future, a promising path, and a beautiful life to enjoy.

Instead she’d become the product of abuse, some son-of-bitch’s punching bag. Tonight, however, was the final straw. Denny had kicked things up a bit and when he’d pulled out a weapon and fired off the first round, her mind was set.

She had choices and Trouble, Tennessee topped her list.

Ellie Hunter hadn’t ventured beyond the gates of Trouble but she’d driven by several times. All she’d wanted was a peek beyond the guard’s station. She often waited for the chance, too, hoping to catch someone coming or going so she could make some inquiries, find out if the place was on the up and up or just some sort of front for a drug operation like her ex-husband had recently suggested.

She’d longed to talk to a female resident because somewhere in the back of her mind, she’d always assumed she’d end up there. Now, she was left with little hope but a lot of prayers. Behind the high gates of Trouble, Tennessee against the backdrop of the Holston River and the quiet landscape of Laurel Run Park would hopefully lay a safety haven secure enough to keep the rest of the world locked out and forever at arm’s length.

If not the world, at least Denny Marshall and others like him.

Large springs crackled and popped and the main gates swung open. Ellie stood in front of the entrance shaking like a limb. In the past when she’d been there, she’d never left her car. She’d pull curbside, roll down her window, and press her binoculars against the bridge of her nose. She’d wait, praying Denny wouldn’t see her there while hoping someone on the inside would come on out and talk to her, maybe even lure her away from her vehicle.

“Approach one of the white posts and state your name.” Spotlights shone all around her then. Rumors had surrounded Trouble, Tennessee for the last three years and folks in the surrounding counties didn’t quite know what to make of the place. There were rumors, small town talk and all that went along with it. Supposedly the city had more armed men in place than most maximum security prisons.

As the spotlights beamed on the path before her, Ellie believed the gossip. Regardless of tales, she had few options remaining. She could muster up the strength to walk through those gates and face tomorrow with optimism or she could turn and go back to the home she once shared with De

nny. There, she knew what to expect. Here, she had no idea. With Denny, abuse and punishment would soon follow. In Trouble, the element of surprise awaited.

Here, she had room to move. With Denny she would forever know the suffocating power of an abusive hand.

“We only leave the gates open for three minutes. It is for the protection of our current residents. If you’re interested in a home here in Trouble, please approach one of the posts, state your name, and tell us why you’re here.”

On shaky legs, she found the strength to walk to the closest intercom. Standing before the waist-high post, she said, “Ellie.”

The area seemed brighter then and a wave of light washed over the grounds, sweeping the area before and behind her. For a split second, she thought of running, but she had nowhere else to run and she wasn’t very good at hiding.

As the yellow and white lights wrapped around her, she felt an overwhelming surge of relief. It was as if she were drawn to the warmth of the spotlights as much as the opportunity for freedom.

Yes, even with the high walls and gates suggestive of a lockdown facility, Ellie felt as if freedom were only a few short steps away.

“Ellie, we need you to state your last name and your reason for being here. We only accept legally separated or divorced residents. Please verify your status. If you have children, state the custody arrangements and if they are in immediate danger.”

Tears flooded her eyes. She removed her hand from her bleeding gut and dropped her arms to her sides. Four spotlights landed on her stomach. A blaring alarm resounded. In the distance, she heard men yelling to one another, “Go! Go! Go!”

Panic raced through her veins and she backed up a step, but then she lifted up her blood-soaked fingers and stared at the evidence of abuse. She’d been treated like an animal. Mistreated far more than she’d ever thought possible. The cruel punishment inflicted upon her had been severe, grotesque.

She mustered up all the courage she possessed. Her vision blurred. Her head swam. She felt sick as she stared at her trembling red fingers. “My name is Ellie Hunter. There are no children. I’m here because my…my…ex…my ex-husband tried to kill me tonight.”

For some strange reason, just voicing the obvious made her breathe a heavy sigh of relief. After Denny had made several attempts to end her life, she’d taken an oath of silence, frightened if she told her story to anyone, she would put her friends and remaining family in danger as well.

“Does your ex know you’re here? Did you tell him where you’re going?”

“No. He tried to kill me.” She repeated herself. “If he finds me, he’ll finish the job. This isn’t the first time he’s tried to end my life and it probably won’t be the last.”

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