text: [Themes: modern]
  
  You awaken. You are lying in bed.
  
  > To stay in bed, go to 3.
  You lie in your bed, experiencing a wave of misery and self-loathing sweeping over you as you remember your alcohol-fuelled behaviour from the previous evening.
  
  The particularly bad parts inspire a reflexive physical spasm of horror in your legs as they flash through your mind.
  
  The hangover is now quite bad.[Themes: modern, horror, serious, drama, socially important]
  
  You hadn't bailed him out...
  
  He was sentenced with 72 hours- he got out in 48. Now you've got another restraining order against him. You are afraid and feel like you can't go home. You work second shift and get off at midnight. Your imagination sees him lurking in every dark corner since you heard he was released 2 days ago.
  
  You'd had a restraining order out against him before. He worked hard to apologize and you had patched things up. How could you not see this coming? You made a mistake taking him back. Your mother told you so. Your landlord told you so. You used to believe that people can change. Used to believe...
  
  He is strong- arms like tree trunks from years of labor in construction. You love the way they make you feel so secure when he hugged you. You would lay your head on his bicep as a pillow after a night of lovemaking.
  
  You are thin but you have a fiery temper.
  
  He is a mean drunk. He needed help. He needed to want to get help...
  
  This time the police found three bottles of liquor in his truck. Three empty bottles. He was there when you got home that night. No one had ever hit you before...
  
  You are friends with the senior couple that lives next door. Mr. Lipinski has been going over in the evening the last 2 nights to check on the house. Trying to see if his truck is there, or if he has broken in.
  
  [Author's Note: This CYOA is partially based on real-life events. The situation was real. The many outcomes were possible paths that the real-life situation could have ended. Many worrisome nights of terror were involved in this all-too-real horror story. Gather your wits and do your best to stay safe. Good Luck!]
  
  > continue... But be careful.
  You are unable to concentrate all day long. Your anxiety has been better while you are at work, being with co-workers in a public place with security locks on all the doors. You almost let yourself forget about the darkness and what might be waiting for you after you clock out at midnight.
  
  Inevitably, you have to walk up to the time clock with your badge to scan out for the night. The thought of going home to your dark house alone makes you cold and sick to your stomach even with another restraining order in effect.
  
  > ask some co-workers out for a Friday night drink or two...
  Janet and Nadine sometimes go to the pub outside of town after Friday night, and sometimes, if truth be told, other nights during the week also. You are not really what you would call friends with any of them, but maybe that could change.
  
  You catch up with Nadine, she is a little bit older than you and a pretty tough girl. Might be nice to have a friend who can defend herself, and maybe you too. You don't feel comfortable telling her about your screwed up social life. You'd probably rather let the son-of-a-bitch knock you around again before you let anyone at work know what a stupid fuck-up you are.
  
  "Hey Nadine! Are you and Janet heading to The Outfield tonight?"
  
  Nadine smiled and said, "Janet has to be somewhere for one of her kids in the morning so she can't do it this week."
  
  "Awww, that's a shame. Do you want to still head over for a drink?"
  
  "Are you going over there? Hey, sure! Lemme stop by an ATM and I'll meet you there in a little bit. See ya there."
  
  > head to The Outfield bar...
  You drive quickly to the Outfield Bar. It is a stand-alone building on the edge of town and has been around since the 50's. It was a precursor to the modern sports bar and has seen a lot of wear and tear, but still seems like a genuinely friendly place.
  
  You park as close to the building as you can and hurry inside to be with people and not vulnerable and alone. You look over your shoulder as you enter to make sure you weren't followed.
  
  > order a drink right away.
  You are so nervous, a drink is really going to calm you down, and maybe you can relax.
  
  The bartender comes over and asks you what you'd like to drink. You feel guilty because alcohol is kinda why you're in this predicament, but you quickly get over it by telling yourself that the 'abuse' of alcohol is what the problem is, and order a Coors light.
  
  The bartender doesn't question your hesitation, assuming that you were probably trying to pick a drink from their many choices.
  
  The beer is half gone and you are getting nervous that Nadine has changed her mind. You are starting to feel a little exposed.
  
  > Bottoms up...
  Just as you are polishing off your beer, Nadine walks in the door. You know this without even turning around because you hear half the people in the place whoop at her. Apparently she is quite popular around here.
  
  You swivel on the seat and face the door. You feel a wash of relief and make a huge wave to call her over. She crosses the place swiftly and hops up on the seat next to you.
  
  "Wow, you don't waste any time. Please tell me that was your first one."
  
  You give her a courtesy laugh, "Maybe it was, or maybe it wasn't." You decide to play along.
  
  "Sorry it took so long to get here, I had to stop at the house and check on things."
  
  "I thought you might have ditched me. I probably would have left after one beer."
  
  "Ha! I knew that was your first. I don't feel so bad now. It couldn't have been that long."
  
  The bartender comes over and hands her a cold Malibu without her even having to say anything. You don't say anything about that, but you can tell you are a little out of your league when it comes to 'loosening up'. While the bartender is there you order another Coors and start to relax. You must be feeling the effects of either the alcohol or the feeling is from being with someone so visible and connected with the room that you get an instant sense of camaraderie.
  
  Nadine takes a huge swig off the Malibu and then turns her attention to you. She doesn't waste any time getting to the nitty gritty. "So what's your story? What's going on that you asked to come out tonight? Not really like you from what I could piece together about you."
  
  You look up at her face and before you say anything you take a large draw off the beer that has just been placed in front of you.
  
  > tell Nadine the whole story...
  You can tell that she can see there is something wrong. It really is out of character for you to have asked to tag a long with anyone from work really. You have to give Nadine some props, she is more astute and intuitive and clever than you'd realized before. Maybe she can be trusted and could really be a confidante.
  
  "About a week ago..."
  
  You go over the whole thing, and you also throw in the part about the previous relationship that you'd been in and how it had ended with him the first time.
  
  Nadine doesn't say a word and she doesn't even drink another sip until you finish up, "... and so I didn't want to be anywhere alone tonight. Who knows what he's capable of." You take a swig of your now lukewarm and flat beer.
  
  She also takes a drink and calls the bartender over. You wait nervously for Nadine to say something to you. She gets the bartender in front of her and says, "We are going to need something stronger. Please get us 2 shots of tequila each!" Then she turns to you, looks into your eyes and sucks in a breath and as she releases it she says ,"HO-LY SHIT! You are all sorts of fucked up, aren't you."
  
  Not the response you thought you were going to get, but your face lets Nadine know she may have said the wrong thing. "You stick here with me and we'll make sure you don't have any issues with your ex. I have friends that know how to help a gal out, if you know what I mean."
  
  You really don't know what she means. But you smile. Nadine seems like the right person to have confided in.
  
  You venture a little further, there are 2 important questions that bubble up in your brain.
  
  > say "What can I do?"
  "What can I do?" You say aloud.
  
  Nadine is full of suggestions:
  
  > buy a gun for protection
  "I know a guy that can help you out. He's in the business."
  
  "What business? He owns a gun shop? How does that help me tonight?"
  
  "No he doesn't own a gun shop, and if you have to ask... Nevermind, just follow me."
  
  She leads you across the bar. She taps a man on the shoulder and he turns around. This must be her "guy."
  
  She leans in and talk really low to him and he looks your way several times. You feel the hair on your neck creeping. This just feels like your in a movie or some badly-written sitcom. This kind of shit just doesn't happen in real life. Oh well, apparently- it just did.
  
  They conclude the conversation and He says only one thing to you ,"300."
  
  "Dollars?" You couldn't stop the word from falling out of your mouth.
  
  Nadine says she can front you the cash, it is payday and you can pay her on Monday.
  
  > That's not the issue- Gimme a second. You're going to hit the ATM.
  Nadine and you walk out of the bar with a loaded pistol in your purse.
  
  You are surprised at how easy that was. You've always hated guns, but now you can see why they might be useful.
  
  What you don't know is how good you are at using one.
  
  You need to go home. And at least now you won't be arriving empty-handed.
  
  > Feeling good...
  The headlines aren't pretty. Local woman found with gunshot wound to chest.
  
  The boyfriend claims it was in self-defense and that he only wanted to talk to her and she just pulled a gun with no warning or provocation. He claims he has been sober since his arrest a week and a half ago and was feeling remorse and was anxious to make it up to her.