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His heart was beating so fast and he had a hard time seeing Mommy since he was crying.
He stood up and, with one last look at his ruined treat, he began to walk again, trying not to trip. His lace whipped around like a snake he saw at the zoo. He watched as it flipped back and forth with each step.
Flip. Flop.
It was fun.
“Mommy!” he called. He couldn’t remember where their car was. He could never remember. “Mommy!”
“Julian, come on!” she called out as she stepped back out from between two parked cars. She was no longer talking on her stupid phone and the bags were on the ground at her feet.
He tried to run again but almost tripped. “Mommy, tie my shoe,” he shouted.
As he got closer, she disappeared again between what he finally remembered was their van and another big black van, a lot bigger than theirs.
He stopped and stared at it.
Stranger danger.
That was what Mommy taught him about big vans like that. To stay away from them. To never get in a car with a stranger. To scream if someone tried to get him inside a car or a van.
But their van was parked next to it. That was where Mommy was waiting for him. He didn’t have to worry about the black one. It belonged to someone inside... He stopped and turned to look at the big building. The mall. That was what she called it. He had a hard time remembering.
He spotted his spilled ice cream again, even though the parking lot was full of shadows. He took a breath so big it sucked his belly in and then he pushed all the air back out so he wouldn’t cry again. He rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes and his nose.
Mommy hadn’t seen him crying yet. He didn’t want her to know he wasn’t a big boy. That he was a crybaby. If he told her what happened, maybe she’d stop on the way home and get him another one.
That was what she’d do! Because Mommy loved him. Not like Daddy.
He spun and ran, doing his best not to fall, to the spot where she disappeared.
He stumbled to a stop.
Two men were standing with his mommy.
She looked really scared.
She was crying and her eyes went wide when she spotted him.
Julian didn’t like the way she looked.
He didn’t like the way they were holding her.
She didn’t look happy at all. She looked really upset.
She looked like this after Daddy left.
He couldn’t understand what she was saying because of the man’s hand covering her mouth.
“Mommy?”
The side of the black van was open, and they were trying to put her inside.
Her arms were moving and her feet were kicking. She didn’t like what they were doing. Stranger danger!
She was fighting them so much, it took both of them to shove her into the van.
“Jul—”
A needle appeared in the one man’s hand.
He hated needles! He hated going to the doctor to get shots.
They always gave him ouchies.
He ran over to them to stop them from giving his mommy an ouchie, too.
“Mommy!”
He was too late. The bigger man with the baseball cap and the bushy beard pushed it into Mommy. The other man who was short and fat turned toward Julian.
“What the fuck?” he shouted so loudly, Julian wanted to cover his ears.
“What are you doing to my mommy?”
“Fuck, asshole. She’s got a kid.”
Julian ran to the opening of the van and saw his mommy now lying on her stomach and not moving. There wasn’t a seat in the back like in their own van, she was right on the floor.
Was his mommy sleeping?
Was she dead?
She wasn’t moving. She wasn’t crying. She wasn’t screaming any more. She wasn’t scared.
“Mommy!” He reached for her and the fat man grabbed his arm and yanked him away.
“What the fuck are we gonna do with this kid?”
The tall man shrugged. “Leave him here?”
“We leave him here, someone’s gonna find him and this will be reported.”
“Then we take him with us.”
“And do what with him?”
“Who fucking cares, asshole! We can dump him somewhere, or let the boss deal with him.”
“Don’t think he was part of the deal.”
“Just get the fuck in the van before someone sees us and calls the cops.”
“You told me to take her car.” He held up a set of keys and shook them, making them jingle.
“Then get in her minivan and shut the fuck up. Gonna call the boss and ask what he wants done with him.”
“He’s gonna be pissed.”
“Maybe not. This kid’s the right age. He’s probably worth something.”
“Maybe we can get money for him ourselves.”
“Fuck that. I’m not risking that shit. We’ll let the boss decide.”
“Get in the van, kid,” the tall one demanded.
“I don’t wanna get in the van. I want my mommy!”
“Get in the damn van!” The fat man jerked on his arm.
