AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mrs. Williams smiles, and Daddy yells at Momma to grab me and run. Momma grabs my hand, pulling me behind her as I hear a gunshot ring out. “Daddy!” I scream as a bullet pierces through his arm.
“Come on, Brixley. Daddy is going to be okay.” Momma has tears streaming down her face as she drags me to the living room.
“I’m afraid we can’t allow you to live either,” Mrs. Williams says, something like satisfaction shining in her eyes as she points a gun at Momma. I scream as Momma shoves me behind her, her body jerking from the blow as she falls to the ground. I fall to the ground beside her. Peering over her shoulder as Mrs. Williams grabs Devlin and rushes him out the front door.
“Momma,” I whisper, pulling on her dress.
The dining room door bursts open and Daddy stumbles out, holding his neck as blood pours from his mouth. He looks down to me and gurgles, “Run, Brixley.” He collapses next to Momma, and my body begins to shake with my sobs as I clutch both of them.
When the dining room door opens again, I flinch. Mr. Williams walks out and peers down at me. My bladder releases and I hide between Momma and Daddy.
“I can’t kill a kid,” he whispers to himself, wiping the gun in his hand on his pants.
From that moment until I’m found, I live in a strange bliss of shock and denial.
* * *
My eyes squint open,a distorted version of Vance above me. I taste my salty tears on my lips as he looks down at me, pressing a finger to his lips. My hand reaches blindly beside me, latching onto smooth metal. Raising it, I see it’s the same dagger that inflicted so much pain on me earlier. I shake my head at Vance, sitting up. Vance’s hands tremble as he holds me to him. I see Amiyah and Primrose stare wide-eyed at something in front of them. I look to see Devlin pointing a gun at Beckett.
Your family won’t take anything else from me.
I push Vance’s hand off of me, rising. “I’m going to fucking kill you,” I whisper, my legs screaming in pain with each unsteady step I take.
Devlin turns, eyes wide as he points the gun at me. I don’t stop advancing. If I die, he’s going down with me. Devlin’s finger squeezes the trigger as a body knocks me out of the way. I stumble to the side as Primrose screams, holding her cheek, blood seeping through her fingers. Vance erupts in a roar but I’m already moving. My hand clutches Devlin’s shoulder, stabling myself, and I shove the knife clutched in my hand through his forehead. I use all my strength as I push harder into his thick skull. His eyes widen, and his hands grip my shirt. His body tips back, falling to the ground, taking me with him. My body lands on top of his, pushing the knife farther into his skull, my body growing tired as I watch the light in his eyes fade. I smile, my body growing weak and cold as I roll to the ground next to him.
I protected them.
I stare at the ceiling, allowing the bliss of warmth to rush over my body as my view tunnels. Until there’s nothing but darkness.
* * *
It’sneither hot nor cold, all I feel is pure comfort. The woman in the green dress smiles at me, reaching out her hand. “You shouldn’t be here,” she whispers.
“Mom?” My eyes well with tears as I latch onto her hand, squeezing.
My mom tilts her head. “You’ve grown. So much.”
A choked laugh escapes me. “I guess I have.”
“Brixley,” she says. And hearing her say my name opens up a swarm of butterflies in my chest. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I don’t want to go back,” I confess. “It’s too hard.”
My body wraps around hers as she pulls me in for a hug. “Life isn’t meant to be easy. It’s hard, but it’s worth it. I promise. Now, you go back. I’ll be waiting for you when it’s time.”
“I think I’ll stay here with you.” I clutch the back of her dress between my fingers, swearing I can smell her.
“I didn’t die protecting you so you could just give up. Now fight, Brixley.”
But I’m tired of fighting. Here, I can stay with my mom, not deal with the hardship life has to offer. “I don’t want to.”
She pulls back to stare at me. “It gets easier. You just have to keep fighting, Brixley. I want you to fight. I’ll be here when it’s time. Which is not for a long time yet. You, my sweet girl, have so much life to live.” She caresses my face, eyes wet and tears dripping down her cheeks. “As much as I want to keep you, I want you to live more. Now, you go back. You have a family waiting for you.”
Her body begins to fade. “No, Mom. Wait!” My voice comes out in choked sobs as I try to grasp the remaining threads of my mom’s dress.
“Keep fighting, Brixley,” she whispers.
27
