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“You aren’t taking my child anywhere.” Daddy roars.
“You are in no position to tell me what I can and can’t do.” Mommy growls. I’m so scared, I don’t take my eyes off the gun for one second. “I should have known something was going on. I-I- I did, but I never knew this is what you were doing to your own daughter.” I hear Mommy say as the gun points at Daddy’s chest, and she continues. “I hope you burn in hell.” And then… She pulls the trigger.
“Mommy?” The tears come uncontrollably as I reach out to her. She wastes no time pulling up my shorts, grabbing my hand, and pulling me away from my dead father.
She stops for a brief second, only to empty the gun into his already dead body, before we are moving again.
“We have to get out of here. Mommy will have to hide for a while, and I’ll have to leave you in the care of someone I trust more than myself.” Her voice is shaking when she tells me this. When I look up at her, I see her wiping away her own tears.
“Mommy, stop.” I beg, and she listens. She stoops down to my level, watching me with so much guilt, shame, and hurt in her eyes that I can’t do anything but tell her the truth. “Mommy, it’s okay. I love you.” I whisper, and she pulls me into the warmest hug I’ve been missing.
“I’m so sorry, baby.” Her sobs are uncontrollable as she cries for me. “That willneverhappen again. He’s gone and I will never let another man hurt you the way he did.“ She says, pulling back to look at me and make sure I understand her.
“I know, Mommy. Let’s go.”
“My big girl. I love you so much, and it will kill me to make you forget, but I know when the time is right, you will remember.”
I grab her face once more and memorize it. I don’t ever want to forget how beautiful my momma looked when her world came crashing down. In my book, she still looked like the strongest and prettiest woman I have ever laid eyes on. “Okay, Momma, I won’t ever forget you.”
I wake up from the dream just as thunder rains throughout the sky, making me remember why I’m so afraid of the weather like this.
My eyes search for the person that has been there since my parents died. When my eyes finally land on hers, I remember, “Aunt Josie, are you my mother?” I whisper, searching her face and finding the answer there before I hear her utter the word.
A simple,“Yes,” is all I hear before darkness carries me off to a place where nobody can hurt me.
The End… Oh no, it’s far from over!
Athensandhermenwill be back to give you more… Sooner than later!