A Fighting Chance by Annalisa Nicole

different way, but I’m doing this for you, for your own good.”
    “Oh, you mean you’re doing me more favors? Just like last time? For the love of God, I really wish you’d stop doing me favors,” she says crossing her arms over her chest, looking out the passenger window.
    I get out of the truck and walk around to the passenger side door. I hold open the door for her to get out. She sighs and steps out.
    “Alright, fine, we’re here. What do you want from me? Just say whatever it is you have to say and take me back home,” she demands.
    “No. You had your chance to do it the easy way. Now we do this my way. Let’s go inside.”
    “I’m not going in that house with you. You’re wasting your time. Nothing you have to say will change anything,” she says, pointing to the house.
    “Why does everything have to be so difficult with you?” I grab her hand and pull her towards the house. She digs her heels in and stands her ground.
    “You can’t make me go in there. Take me home, now!”
    I know I can’t force her. For this to work she needs to take this first step all on her own. I stop pulling her arm, and place my hand softly in hers. I take a deep breath, squeeze her hand gently and look in her eyes. If there’s any hope, or anyone who is listening to my silent pleading out there, she will see the look on my face and feel the love in my eyes. Her scowl softens as her lips part with a small inhalation of breath. There she saw it.
    She rips her hand from mine and walks into the cabin, stomping her feet like a petulant child. The cabin isn’t much, but I built it myself with my own two hands. The property itself is ten acres of rolling trees. I cut down some of the massive Pine trees and built this small log cabin as an escape for myself. I needed to be able to get away from the busy city and the crazy people in it. I needed to hear the leaves blowing in the trees and the birds singing in flight. I needed to feel the warm sun on my face as it rises in the East, unobstructed by skyscrapers and pollution. Those are just some of the little things you forget in the hustle and bustle of a big city. It turned out to become a safe house, but it still serves its purpose, and I come up here whenever I can, whenever I need to be reminded that there is more to life than coffee houses and fake people. I come here to enjoy the sounds of nature as they were meant to be. I come here to recharge and connect to my roots.
    The inside is just one big room. Last year I was able to connect to the city’s water and electric at the main road. It cost me a whack, but it was well worth it. There’s a queen size bed against the far end, and a small kitchen to the right. I recently renovated the kitchen by adding in a small refrigerator and stove when I had the electricity put in. Before that, it was just a small propane camping stove and whatever cooler I happened to bring. There are shelves on the wall with plenty of canned foods, but I usually eat what I hunt and what nature provides for me.  A small wooden table with four chairs that I also made by hand sits in the center of the room on top of a thick, wool braided rug. There is a massive stone fireplace to the left, and that’s it. Up until a few months ago, I had an outhouse as the only bathroom, and I debated on adding in the functioning bathroom. But right now, I couldn’t be happier I did.
    Still standing just inside the doorway, she looks around wide eyed taking in her small surroundings. She walks to the table and traces her finger in the grooves of the planks of wood. She eyes the bed, and then moves to the fireplace. I pull out a chair and wait for her to say something. After about ten minutes, she walks over to the bed and lays down with her back turned to me. Within a few minutes, I hear her heavy breathing. She fell asleep. I know from the dark, sunken circles under her eyes, that this is exactly what she needs. After she rests, then the talking begins.
    I turn the