Past

She sees him all the time.
A tall figure silhouetted against the dark of the night in the car's headlights. The back of his head at a popular restaurant. His hands steadying an older woman beside him. The curve of his neck as he turns away to answer a phone call.
He is always at the corner of her eyes. If she tries to look at him directly, he moves further and further, ever more indistinct. So she must settle for the hazy outline of his profile, the shape of his shoulders, the way he stands,
must settle without the smooth line of his jaw, the depth of his eyes, the sound of his voice, must settle without so much but this is life and she moves through it day to day, never pausing to think, that will surely break her, just persevering.
she dreams of meeting him. She dreams that she looks at him, and for a girl who has spent her whole life hiding things, it is the first time she wants to look at someone and have her eyes speak for her. Tell him everything.
He reaches out to touch her and the instant their skin makes contact, she wakes up.

The first blow sends her to her knees, hot blood spurting from her nose. She cannot believe this is happening to her. In slow motion, she raises her hand to her face, sees the blood and begins to turn her face towards him.

The second sends her sprawling across the floor, choking on dust and the metal taste of her own blood as her teeth cut into her cheek.
When the first kick lands in her ribs, she hears a woman scream.

He twists her hair into his hand and drags her head back so she can watch through her hazy vision. She takes a fist to her face, and her skin splits and blooms deep red, the blue sky seems to surround her, swimming across her world,
while he pummels her body, her soul takes flight.

Every woman. beautiful. strong. a swan. steel under silk. flowing like moonlight over ripples of water. Bent and twisted to another's will. silence. Tears they only cried to God. The costs of making their choices. They broke free. Broke their bounds. When the heart can take no more, it ruptures. They broke free, broke apart. Rose like a glowing phoenix from ashes and soared.

When he throws her like a ragdoll to the ground, grit biting into her lacerations, she is no longer there, her face serene as blood ebbs and flows. The fate of millions before her glistens within the one diamond tear drop on her eyelashes - the stars tell the fate of millions after her.