I suffered three years of violence of all forms.
Because of what he did, I lost a kidney, had broken ribs, have been left with a damaged spine, hips and knees, through the kickings and beatings. I thought that was my life. I could see no light at the end of the tunnel. I had all my confidence, self-esteem, personality, literally beaten out of me, or so I thought.
One day he went too far. He came round my house after a night of drinking with his friends. He was in a foul mood, shouting at me and not making any sense. He ordered me to go get him another beer. All I said was “I think you've had enough, don't you?” and he attacked me. Gripping me by the throat and screaming and spitting in my face. He back handed me and told me to get him a beer or he'll do much worse to me. I told myself that was it. When I returned from the kitchen, I had a knife with me. He laughed at me. Called me a stupid. Fat. Cow. I threatened him to leave. He looked a little nervous.
(He says: “Put the fucking knife down!” There are screams and shouts in the background)
I wanted so badly to kill that bastard there and then.
The neighbours must have heard the commotion, there was a loud knock at the door. I was about to go answer it, but he just bolted past me and left through the back door. I never told my neighbours what really happened, but they knew. They saved me from possibly making a horrible mistake.
I never saw that pathetic man again. I'd realised what he'd been doing to me the last couple of years was so very wrong.
I survived and I know that although it takes a lot of strength to either leave or get help, and most women think they don't have it, all they have to do is look for the strength and it will be there.
I did and I am a Survivor. The world is a brighter and happier place for me, so take heart and leave the violence and abuse, take as much time as you need to regain yourself, your soul, self-esteem and confidence and you will come through a better and happier person.
When it came to recording the audio, I used the studio at my university. I set up a little booth around a microphone to stop the sound travelling too far and making my recordings full of reverb. The mic went into a mixing desk in the control room. I used Adobe Audition to record with.
