I felt like I was drowning. I couldn't breathe, couldn't see. Well, that was a lie, I could see. I saw him standing above me, his hands around my throat. I knew he wanted me dead, how couldn't he? I was a testament to the woman who ran away from him twelve years ago without a word, his wife. My mother.

Plus, I was useless to him. All I did was take up air and space. I couldn't do anything right.

So now I couldn't breathe and I don't think I was going to live for much longer. My ears were ringing, I couldn't even hear his words of rage, plus I couldn't see properly. Black spots were taking up my vision. I guess this was it and I was going to die.

This seems bittersweet. Very fucking bittersweet. How often have I wished for this right here only for it to be taken from me in such a manner. I didn't want to go like this. I wanted to overdose on pills and go in my sleep. This hurt. I didn't want this.

I shut my eyes tightly, a feeling of heat going through me and to my neck, making him jump away from me.

"L-Leila..." He says in horror, making me scramble up and move away from him as fast as possible. He looks at me, the horror in his eyes and then he closes them, chuckling. "You're like her." He says, laughing louder, running a hand over his face. "You're like her. What, you speak latin too, Leila? Huh?" He shouts, making me jump and wince. "Are you 'awakening' like she said you would?" He spits out. "Do you remember her 'teachings'?"

"I-I don't know what y-y-you're talking a-about." I stutter. I always spoke with a stutter. As long as I could remember I could.

"You're fucking mother you bitch." He says, lunging for me. I put my hands up to defend myself and it sends him flying back.

What the fuck.

I close my eyes tightly, trying not to start crying. I really did it now. He hated it when I tried to defend myself. I could do nothing but take the beatings and sometimes even when I took the beatings, it would make him angry.

I slowly open my eyes and look around. I wasn't hit or anything and there wasn't any yelling. I look down and see him on the ground, not moving and my eyes widen. Did I kill him? How did I kill him? I didn't even touch him, my hands didn't connect or touch him. I wouldn't even have the strength to push him.

I whimper a bit, closing my eyes tightly. What was I going to do? I slowly get off the bed and move over to him. I shakily reach my hand over to his neck to see if he was, in fact, dead or not. I didn't want to because what if he grabs me or something.

I get closer to his neck and with a deep breath I press my fingers to his neck, closing my eyes and searching for a pulse. He was alive and with a sigh, I quickly pull away.

I needed to go. I needed to leave. I look around in a slight panic, snatching up my phone and quickly unlocking it, calling the one person who I knew would run to my rescue no matter what.

Riley Omari Freeman.

He was my best friend. He meant so much to me, it was crazy and according to him it was the same way. He was my ride or die and in turn, I was his. No one and nothing could come in between us.

I waited for three rings until he picked up. "What the fuck, Lei?" He groans, sleep in his voice.

"R-R-R-Riley." I spit out grinding my teeth. "F-fuck, I-I-I need y-y-y-your help."

"What's wrong? Take some deep breaths Leila, your stuttering gets worse when you're panicked." He says, sounding more awake and aware. "What happened?"

"U-u-uh, M-my dad, he-he-he was trying t-to k-k-kill me!"

"He was trying to what? You need me over there? I will fucking kill-"

"Riley, I-I-I don't k-k-k-know w-what happened. H-he was ch-choking m-me and then al-all o-of a sudden h-he pulls away."

"Imma be on my way. Just text me the rest, okay baby girl?" He asks and I nod my head, looking down.

"H-h-hurry. I-I don't k-know when he's g-g-gonna wake u-u-up."

"I got you. I'm on my way out the door right now."

He looks at my father's non moving body and chuckles. "This karma. Don't know how you did it but fuck."

"I-I don't know either, Riley."

He looks at me and I try not to tremble, but I was still afraid. My father was a force to be reckoned with. If he wanted to kill me he could. He almost did. He would have if I didn't do… whatever it was that I did. I didn't get it, or understand it. All of a sudden, he pulled away from me as if my neck burned his hands. And as thankful and grateful as I was, it didn't make sense.

And then when I put my hands up to stop him from attacking me. I don't know how that pushed him back, especially with enough force to knock him out. How did I do it? And what did my mother have to do with this? How was I like her?

The only thing I really remember of her was how she looked. And the fact that she was Wiccan. If I think hard enough, I can remember following her into a shed one time and seeing a jar full of eyeballs and a dusty old book. But that could be a figment of my imagination. I was a very young child then so my memories could be fucked up.

The memories themselves could also be fake.

"Let's get you the fuck outta here, Lei." Riley says, moving over to my father. "Pack yo shit and imma put him in his bed."

"P-pack? W-where imma g-g-go?"

"With me, duh. You think imma just leave you in here? Fuck no, Leila. Plus, if I do, you gon be with this nigga all fucking day. This nigga don't let you go nowhere, no matter how grown you are."

I look down at my hands. "Riley, h-he s-said I-I-I was like m-my mother."

"Better than being like him. Come on, let's hurry before this nigga wake up and I gotta kill him."