Shelly and Jim were lying lazily on the couch staring at the television. The blanket that covered both of them had tears and trash littered the room. The walls were riddled with holes and the entire room reeked of rotting food. A dog sat in front of the couch. His food bowl was empty and begged his owners for help. Every so often Jim picked up his shoe and hit the dog to get it out of his way. Shelly tried not to watch. The fuzzy screen somehow kept their attention. A sudden glow from beneath the blanket alerted Shelly that she had received a message from someone. She retrieved her cell phone and opened it and read, “Hey Shell! Wanna go see Slasher 17???” Shelly looked longingly at the message for a few minutes and then slowly turned to Jim. “Um, Jim.” She mumbled.
“Yea?”
“Would it be okay if I were to go see a movie with my friends?”
“What’s wrong with staying here with me?” he replied.
“Nothing. It’s just that Sarah just asked if I”, Jim cut in.
“No”, he said abruptly.
“But why ca” she responded.
“Because I said so”. He raised his arm and brought it down to rest a few inches from her face. Shelly immediately recoiled into the couch. Jim retracted his arm and stared at her. Then he spoke.
“If you ever disagree with me again I swear to God you will never see anyone ever again” he said with a strained voice.
“I’m sorry Jim. I was wrong. I promise that from now on I’ll listen.” She eyed the door wishing that it were closer. She looked back at Jim once more, seeing him as what he truly was - a cruel, manipulative, and controlling man.
They turned back toward the television and Jim hit the dog once more.