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rage, Daniel whipped me so hard from head to feet, my flesh separated and peeled away from the wounds.  If I whined or complained, Daniel would pour pure alcohol on my open sores. It burned me to the point that my mouth watered from the agony. I could not scream, or I would pay for that as well.
    Daniel beat me until he was exhausted from it. When he finally stopped, he laid back on the bed and began smoking, ordering me to lay down beside him. Holding my breath so not to whimper from pain, I did as he said. I closed my eyes and got my breathing even again. My side hurt, and I wondered if Daniel’s intention all along was trying to beat the baby out of me.
    I began to really look at him for the first time in months. He was dozing slightly now, his mouth slightly parted completely relaxed. I was convinced he was not human, but evil in the flesh.
    A lit cigarette dangled from his fingers, hovering over the ashtray. It was the first week of August and miserably hot. I had on my dirty T-shirt, and panties, which clung to my skin from sweat. The cotton rubbed at my injuries, causing them to burn. My body was not taking to the baby well. I was in my own little hell, sick and swollen.
    I checked again. Daniel had passed out in his clothes, and barely sticking out of his pants I saw, with sheer delight, his keys. Keys I knew contained the key to the locked dog collar around my neck. In an instant I saw in my mind, me running to the barn I knew to be on the hill. By the light of the TV, I began to slowly work the keys from his pocket. I was sweating profusely, and the cigarette in his hand was nearly burned to the filter.
    I moved as fast and as quietly as I could, fearing he would wake from the sound of the loud thumping of my heart. When the collar was unlocked, I peeled it away taking pieces of my skin with it. With the thing finally off of me, I sat in stunned disbelief at what I had just done.
    I stared down at the collar in my hands. I do not know how or why, but I made the decision in that instant and placed it around Daniel’s neck. Sliding it through the small space between his neck and his pillow, I held my breath, and moved like I was playing the board game Operation and at any moment the buzzer would sound.
    When the lock clicked down in place, Daniel’s eyes snapped open. He was on top of me choking me before I could blink. His fist flew at me, hitting my face, my stomach, and my sides. I fought for my life. Blood gathered in my teeth, and ran from the corners of my mouth.
    You will not die here, I thought. Although I knew I had prayed for it, I knew now I wanted to live.
    I sucked in air that was chalky and ashy. Clutching the keys in my closed fist, I began to hit back connecting with Daniel’s left eye with the point of a key. Only giving me a moment of pause as he grabbed at his eye, I began trying to slide out from under the weight of his body.
    I scrambled to my feet and ran. My head swam as I made it to the door, reaching for the knob when Daniel screamed a horrible scream. It froze me midway in turning the knob. I took a chance and looked behind me.
    The bedroom was ablaze. Smoke poured from it, and flames were climbing the walls. The plywood sparked like it was soaked in gasoline. Horrified, I turned to go and help him out of the room. I nearly fell from the dizziness that hit me. I knew if I went back in that room I was a dead girl either way. He would kill me, or I would die from the fire.
    I backed up to the door and turned the knob. I watched the fire in the open doorway just long enough to make sure Daniel was not coming out of the room to get me. I dropped the keys still clutched in my hand and ran through the backyard, into the woods. Bits of the ground tore at my feet, but I ignored the pain. I was halfway to the cover of the woods when I heard Daniel screaming for me to help him, screaming for me not to leave him there to die.
    When I reached the trees, I turned back and watched the fire spread