ROSE
~select passages~
CAN U GET AWAY
Pressure to Paradise
​
J would probably realize the severity if she didn't have the occasional rescue lines L sends from time to time right. These random lyrics, sent at all hours of the night, are becoming a major lifeline. Just a breath of fresh poetry, well his poetry, is all she needs to sustain. But sustaining is beginning to morph into a frictional hindrance in her own elevation. Unknowingly, J is constantly searching for an escape from the psychotic madness of her current relationship where danger increases each day.
With the mad monster outside the bathroom door, raging on at 2 in the morning about who knows what, J is desperate for a line and decides to hit up L.
​​
[Texting]
​
J: [ pressure ]
L: [ can you get away ]
J: [ wish you was serious ]
L: [ I am]
His answer shocks her into reality. She hops up off the bathroom floor, swings open the door and immediately packs two pillowcases with clothes.
​
Michael:
What are you doing?
J tries to ignore him.
​
Michael:
YO! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?
​
J:
(still packing)
I can't stay here.
​​​
Michael:
THE FUCK YOU TALKING ABOUT?!
The fuck you 'bout to go right now?!
​
J heads into the living room from the bedroom and sees the gun missing off the shelf. Hesitantly looking toward Michael, she spots the gun on the kitchen counter right next to him. With a solid stride, she calmly advances to the front door.
​​​
Michael:
YOU CAN'T JUST IGNORE ME!
​
J:
(still moving)
It's not safe for me to be here right now.
​​
Michael's raging tantrum escalates and J is instinctively aware of a danger she never considered.
​
Michael:
I'M GONNA FUCK YOUR LIFE UP!
​
Calm and steady, she follows her spirit to the door. Without any fear or burden of guilt, she's out the door, down the two flights of stairs and pulling out the garage without any recollection of how she even got in the car.
J crashes at Lina's for the night and gets into the office as if nothing ever happened. In fact, her mind is more clear than it's been in two years. She addresses the top priorities and aligns the remainder of the day for her and her boss. As soon as her morning is settled, she calls L; it's 7 AM his time.
​​
L:
(only answering cuz it’s J)
Hello.
​
J:
You're sleep. I’m sorry.
​
Too excited and curious about a getaway, J negated the time difference.​​
​​​
L:
It’s all good. When you tryna leave?
​​​
J:
Tomorrow.
​​
Assuming tomorrow is obviously impossible, she only intends to emphasize the urgency.
​​
L:
Aight I’ma call you back.
​​
J:
(surprised by the seriousness in his tone)
Oh I wasn’t, I mean I was just…
​​​
L:
Can you really leave tomorrow?
​​​
J:
(slight hesitation)
Yeah.
​​​
L:
Any time?
Though there are plenty, not a single obligation comes to J's mind.
​​​
J:
(confidently)
Yeah.
​​​
L:
Aight I’ma call you back.
​​​
J:
(nervous, but seemingly calm)
Aight.
​
~ ... ... ... ~ ... ... ... ~
~ ... ... ~ ~ ~ ... ... ~
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J:
I just thought you was just bringing me home for the weekend.
L:
That what you wanted?
J:
No. This is… this is what I want.