Ugh… I really hated that last chapter. It sucked. Sorry about that, guys… -_-

But this one should make up for it, hopefully.

ONE MORE CHAPTER, GUYS! Can you believe it? I know I sure can't!

"Boy, we was worried sick about you!"

"Yeah. If you call watching endless Tyler Perry movies 'worried'…"

"AY! I was worried in spirit!"

"That doesn't even make sense…"

"Bet it'll make sense when I pop you upside your head!"

Watching the endless groups of kids stumble and squabble out of the hole in the wall made it easy to drown out my brother and granddad's words. Not that I was gonna willingly listen to that shit anyway. I knew I was gonna get the "We was worried about you", speech sooner or later. So I pretty much knew what to expect.

Don't worry… it'll be aiight…

The sun was just peaking over the horizon and it cast a dull yellow light over the outside of the asylum. I couldn't believe a while night had passed… But despite the would be calm morning, life outside of the asylum's walls were hectic as hell. Fire fighters and paramedics were running around in all directions trying to treat the endless sea of kids that stepped out of the building. Police officers were putting up barricades to keep the nosey onlookers at bay. And a Channel 5 News van that was parked along the side of the building was trying to interview all the random people that happened to stumble across the scene.

I shook my head at the sight. What the hell were they interviewing those nosey ass people for? They ain't have no clue what was going on in that fucked up place.

And they were lucky.

She's gonna come out of there any minute…

I turned my direction towards a police officer who was standing in front of a group of kids. From what I heard, he was trying to contact some of the children's parents. I knew it was a useless effort, though. The kids weren't in a good state of mind to walk in a straight line, let alone give someone contact information. I raised a brow at the sight. I ain't never thought of it before…. Maybe cause I ain't care…. But what was those kids gonna do now? I heard Scott talking about how parents just dropped their kids off here and left them cause they couldn't handle them… So did that mean they ain't have nowhere to go?

I looked back over towards the hole in the wall. The kids just kept coming and coming. Looking dazed and confused. Some even had to be restrained by policemen because they was putting up a fight. Scared, I guess. Scared of being taken away from their "home."

Damn.. I ain't know there was that many kids in here… There had to be over a hundred…

And what are the odds that out of all of them, the one I got to meet was her?

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Dammit…

"Riley."

I quickly looked over towards my brother. He was staring at me with worry.

"Did you hear me?", he asked raising a brow.

"Oh… what?", I asked, confused. I guess I was so deep in thought that I ain't hear him calling me.

"I asked you if your arm was okay..", he said looking over at my wound.

I was sitting in the back of an ambulance with my shirt off and my hand wrapped up in an ace bandage. My arm in a sling. The guy who dragged me out of the building had bandaged my wounds. He said that the bullet ain't cause any serious damage. But that I probably needed to go get stitches or something. He even said something about me braking two of my fingers. At least I think that's what he said…But I don't know…. I was hardly listening to him anyway. My mind was focused on something else..

I squeezed my eyes shut when a thought crossed my mind…

Don't do it… Don't think of it….

After a few seconds of getting my head together, I finally looked over at him. "Chill, nigga. It ain't like this is the first time I got shot.."

"BB guns are different from lead bullets, Riley." He said rolling his eyes. He then jumped in the car and sat beside me. We was both silent as we watched the officers force the kids into one secluded area. Probably trying not to freak them out more than they already was..

"Wow, I'm shocked.", I heard Huey say.

"Why?"

"Normally, if I sat this close to you, you'd holler out, 'Eww… you gay!'", he said, poorly imitating my voice.

I looked back over towards the kids and shrugged my shoulders. He was right. I would normally say that… but I ain't think that the time was right. Plus… I ain't really feel like it. When you go through as much shit as I went through, trying to get your brother to admit his true sexuality was the last thing on your mind.

She's strong… Really strong… Don't worry….

I rubbed my eyes and sighed. "Where Granddad at?"

I wasn't looking at him, but I could feel him staring at me, shocked at my response.

"Where do you think he is?", he replied, pointing towards my left.

I looked into the direction he was pointing in and saw Granddad talking to one of the news reporters. He was grinning from ear to ear. Probably cause the reporter had a short skirt on and was wearing a shirt that showed a lot of her chest.

I shook my head… but had to smile.

"Same old Granddad…", I mumbled under my breath.

I had to admit. Even though they really got on my damn nerves at home, and even though they really pissed me off for showing up so fucking late… I knew that I couldn't ask for a better family than them.

They were bitch ass niggas… but they were MY bitch ass niggas…

"Look..", Huey said pointing towards the hole.

I looked over and couldn't control the grin that was spread across my face.

There, walking out of the building in a single file line, was all of Scott's guards. Twenty-three in total. And all of them were in handcuffs. They were being escorted to four huge police vans by dozens of officers. I found it funny that these niggas was passed out the entire time from Huey's bomb. They completely missed me and Huey beating the shit out of Scott's crazy ass.

Then again, if they was awake, we probably never could've done it.

I chuckled a bit when they all was pushed inside separate vans. They looked like some shit. Their hair was fucked up and they was all covered in the darkness of the soot. But that wasn't what was so funny.

What was funny was that they was going to jail.

And I watched a lot of police shows to know that other prisoners hated child molesters.

I couldn't resist..

"AY! DON'T DROP THE SOAP!"

Some of them looked over in my direction and scowled. But I ain't give a fuck. Lets see how much they liked it when some big nigga rapes their ass.

Literally.

I probably would never admit this shit out loud. But part of me did feel sorry for all those kids that the guards had their way with. I mean…. that was some sick shit. Not only because grown ass men raped little girls… but that I knew that it ain't just stop there. I knew deep down that those fuckers messed with the little boys too.

I felt my stomach turn at the thought.

I mean… what if I was one of those trouble making boys that my parents just 'dropped off'? There was no fucking doubt in my mind that I'd be put in the same position as the others. Being fucked every night by grown ass men just so the nigga in charge could keep the place up and running. What kind of shit was that? There ain't any other ways Scott could've thought of to keep the workers here? Hmmph. I guess money talks. Too bad all these kids had to suffer because of it. Including his own daughter..

Now don't get me wrong… I hated that bitch with a passion. Caused me hell here since day one when she tried to grind her ass all over me. But even I ain't think she deserved to suffer every night by nigga after nigga.

But someone did…

"You know you loved every minute of the rape…. Seven years old and you're already a slut!"

I remembered Chris' words perfectly. At the time I thought she just said that to piss her and Scott off… but now that I've had a chance to clear my head… I'm thinking that maybe it was more than just a taunt.. Did Maria really …enjoy that shit? Did a seven year old really lovedbeing taken advantage of by grown ass nasty men?

Maybe… Maybe I'll never know.

Stop it, Riley…. Don't think about her…

I shook my head.

But despite all that… I was kind of grateful that Scott didn't allow any of those niggas to touch Chris. I knew for a fact that whatever he had for her wasn't the type a love an uncle should have for his niece… But despite my hatred for him… I guess he did care..

..a little bit.

Not a lot.

..but a little.

"You don't understand! You'll never understand!"

All the random yelling finally brought me out of my trance. My gaze followed the direction of the voice.

Speak of the fucking devil!

Even though I knew who it was, it sounded different to me for some reason. More… out of control and slurred. Like he had finally went off the deep end. I watched as he was being rolled over towards another waiting ambulance. I guess he wasn't… stable enough to walk on his own, so they had to keep him strapped to the metal gurney. Good thing too. Seeing as though he was thrashing around and shouting nonsense. I knew that jail would be too good for this motherfucker. If they asked me, they should put his crazy ass in an asylum where he belonged…

…As a patient himself.

Hmmph. But there was still part of me….-most of me, that still wanted him dead.

"This isn't over! I SWEAR it!"

My eyes went wide and my heart sank when I heard his words. I would've listened more, but they had already closed him up into the ambulance. If he was still yelling… I couldn't hear any of it.

Part of me thought that his… 'threat' was just the ramblings of a crazy fucker who's time was up. But I knew for a fact that I couldn't completely ignore it. Like I said before, crazy people always had a way of getting what they wanted. I was sure they was gonna lock Scott's ass up for good. But that still ain't mean that he had no way of getting out. I balled up my fists at the thought. If he were to get out… there would be no telling what he'd do…

..who he'd come after.

Stop it…

I watched as the ambulance sped off as if in a hurry. Maybe the driver couldn't stand to hear all the crazy shit Scott was yelling either. I just wish I had time to talk to someone…. anyone who had power over Scott's fate. So I could tell them how fucked up this bastard really was. How he had to be guarded at all times. Shit, if I was lucky, he'd be given the death sentence. Then he'd be nothing but a fucked up memory…and I wouldn't have to worry about him coming after me… or her..

You're losing it.. You're losing it!

I looked down in shame and squeezed my eyes shut. Every time I fucking thought of her, everything inside of me seemed to sear with pain. No matter how hard I tried to focus on something else. To get her out of my mind… I just couldn't do it. I just… I just couldn't believe I was so fucking stupid! It was my fault… all my fault. If I wouldn't have… If I wouldn't have left her there… If I would've just been there… she… she..

"Shit!"

I buried my head in my hands. I just couldn't hold it in anymore. Just couldn't pretend that since I was finally out, everything was okay. Because it wasn't. It fucking wasn't.

"Riley… what-"

"She ain't come out yet…", I said, cutting Huey off.

"Riley…. they-"

"She ain't come out yet, man… They ain't take her out of there yet…", I shook my head back and forth; burying my nails into my forehead in the process. I couldn't do this shit anymore! I was… I was losing it and I couldn't get a hold of myself. I wasn't crying… I was just…. Just…. I.. ain't know what was going on with me.

"She ain't out of there yet… What the fuck are they doing to her in there?"

"It's okay, Riley… They're just working on her. Getting ready to move her, that's all. I'm sure she'll be fine…", Huey said, nearly whispering. I guess even he didn't believe his words.

"Fuck that, man…", I said taking my head out of my hands and looking over at him. "You really think that she's okay? After all that fucking time?!"

"I think-"

"Don't fuckin' lie to me, man…", I said, looking him right in the eye.

He looked away and sucked his teeth. Not because he was mad, but because he was trying to think of some bullshit excuse to tell me. So I just sat there and waited. Waited for whatever this nigga was gonna tell me to try and make me feel better. But he ain't say nothing. He refused to look at me.

And right then, I knew I had my answer.

Without thinking about it, I hopped of the back of the ambulance and began to make my way towards the building. I just couldn't sit there and pretend that everything was okay. And that Chris wasn't in there fighting for her damn life. I mean…. what the fuck was I doing just sitting there like a little bitch! Would Chris do that shit? Seriously! If it was me lying on that fucking floor, would Chris just sit out here doing nothing! No! She wouldn't.

Because she's my friend.

Not my 'homie'.

But a true friend. Someone who had my back the minute all this shit started to happen.. And I wasn't gonna just sit here and play dumb like I ain't know all that.

No matter what happened to her… I knew she'd hate me if I wasn't there.

"Riley!", Huey yelled, grabbing my good arm.

"Get off me, man!", I said trying to yank him off me. But his grip was too strong. He made me stop right in my tracks.

"Don't go in there, Riley…"

I looked at this nigga like he was crazy. "The fuck you mean 'don't go in there'! I can do whatever the fuck I want!"

"You may not like what you find in there..", he said, looking at me with worry.

"I… DON'T… GIVE A FUCK!"

My voice seemed to carry throughout the Asylum's grounds. It was so loud, that it even surprised me. Some people was looking in our direction, but I ain't care. All I cared about was seeing Chris. Even if that meant seeing her in her final moments. And no one, not even Huey, was gonna stop me. And he knew it. Because his eyes were as wide as dinner plates…

…and he let me go.

…and walked away.

So without wasting another second, I turned around towards the hole..

..only to be met with something I wasn't expecting.

…blue eyes.

"Maria!"

"I…. DON'T… GIVE A FUCK!"

Riley's voice seemed to echo throughout the whole area.

I could feel a lot of eyes on us, but I didn't care. All I cared about was protecting my brother. I knew deep down in my heart that the girl was…. was….

I couldn't even say it..

But despite his outburst… I think even Riley knew it too.

I had to just.. Stand there… staring at him for a moment. I knew the look on my face showed my surprise. And I had to admit… I was… definitely surprised. Never in my ten years of life have I seen Riley react this way towards someone else. Especially a girl..

I kind of… I kind of felt bad that I didn't get a chance to get to know her myself… Anybody who could bring out Riley's true feelings was definitely someone I had to get to know…

But… I knew it my heart that I'd never get the chance..

I let go of his arm just as a girl was walking out of the building. She was making her way towards us. Probably another one of Riley's friends. But I knew she didn't have the same impact on him like Christina did..

Riley… wasn't the same Riley I knew before this whole thing…

He had changed…

And I knew it was for the better..

I turned around and walked away. My hand in my pockets.

I sighed a happy sigh.

Go on Riley…. Go see her…

As soon as I saw her, my blood began to boil.

I clenched up my fists. Oh GOD I wanted to hit this bitch. To beat the shit out of her for what she put Chris through. I knew that she technically had mental problems too, but I ain't care. She had the common sense to know what the fuck was right and what was wrong. And helping Scott to keep us locked up was definitely wrong as shit. But I ain't have time to deal with her right now. I had to go see Chris… because I knew she needed me. And anything I had to say to Maria was something that could definitely wait until later… So without a second look, I pushed past her and began to make my way inside of the near empty building.

"She's dead, you know…"

I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard her. Her voice was nearly above a whisper. But I still heard her clearly. My back was facing her, but I knew from the sound of her voice that she had a smile on her face.. I wanted to turn around right then and pop this bitch dead in her mouth.. But I wouldn't.. Because I knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to distract me from seeing her. She was telling me a bunch of bullshit to get my mind off track… But it wasn't gonna work. My mind was on one person… and it definitely wasn't her. So ignoring her, I started towards the building again..

"She was Daddy's favorite…"

She spoke a little louder this time.. But I continued walking, trying to drown out her words. It wasn't gonna work. She wasn't gonna stop me from doing what I had to do.

"..but I guess she won't be his favorite… not anymore…"

Keep it together, Riley..

I had to keep telling myself that. I couldn't let her get to me.. I had to get my anger under control. I continued walking..

"I'll finally be the special one… Not Chris.."

Keep walking, nigga… Keep walking..

"….Because she's DEAD!"

I don't know how I got to her so fast.

But what I did know… was that I lost it.

All I could make out was all the blonde hair that was gripped awkwardly in my bandaged hand. It took me a few seconds to realize that somehow I had yanked her to the ground and held her in place. I ain't need my other arm to punch her because my foot was already doing the job.

Her screams weren't that loud, seeing as though I kept bashing her mouth in with my foot, but we did eventually attract the attention of some paramedics. The whole ordeal lasted a total of 15 seconds before they yanked me off of the crying girl. I heard a few, "What the hell is wrong with you's" as they let go of me and rushed to the bloody Maria's aid, but that's not what caught my attention..

No… what caught my attention was the three bloody paramedics rolling a small gurney out of the building… with a small body on top of it. My eyes went wide and my heart seemed to stop mid beat.

Could it… could it be?

It took me a few seconds to realize that my feet were already moving in their direction. And as I got closer and closer, I slowly began to realize that I had a chance to be by her side after all..

It was her..

It was really her…

I couldn't believe it..

Without even thinking about it, I quickly grabbed the side of the gurney to get a closer look, only to have one of the paramedics hold me back.

It was her alright…

She was covered in a bloody white blanket from the neck down, but it was her… She also had an oxygen mask over her face…

Or was it a breathing tube…. to keep her alive….

"Hey kid! You can't be over here!"

"Move, man! That's my friend!", I said, trying to get past him. But he kept blocking my movements. I watched as the other two paramedics continued to roll the gurney towards a waiting ambulance.

I was running out of time..

But I had to see her!

I just had to..

"Hey, wait a minute…", he said, looking down at me with a raised brow. "You're the kid from earlier, right? The one that was sitting near the girl?"

I looked up at him, desperation in my eyes. "Y-yeah! Is… is she okay?", I asked, nearly out of breath.

What if I ain't wanna know the answer to that?

The man looked towards her gurney and back down at me with a sigh.

No…..No…..

"I… really shouldn't be telling you this…", he started, rubbing his head.

Tears began to well up in my eyes. I couldn't take this shit anymore! "Just TELL me! ….Please…"

He kneeled down to my eye level and put both of his hands on my shoulders with a sigh.

Bracing me for bad news..

"Your little friend is…."

No…. please no…

"She…. was in… a terrible state…"

No… It can't be…

"We knew we just…. We couldn't do much…."

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I don't wanna hear it… I don't wanna hear it….

"But somehow… we got her heart started again…. and got her stable… but we don't know for how long.."

I opened my eyes…

"W-what..?"

"Shit, I have to go..", he said, as he looked over towards her ambulance. The other paramedics were waving at him frantically. Probably telling him to hurry up.

He stood up, and ran towards them. He jumped in the back of the truck and looked back at me one last time.

"We'll do everything we can, kid!", he yelled, just as the door slammed shut.

And then the truck sped off…. leaving me there…

…alone.

I… I never got to see her.

I fell to my knees.

My mind was blank.

I couldn't even blink.

I just stared blankly in the direction that the truck was headed in.

I ain't know whether to be sad…. Or devastated…

I just… I just ain't know.

"Hey, Rick…. Was that the girl? Y'know, the one that stabbed up her parents a while back? That wacko's crazy niece?"

Shut up….

"Yeah… it was! You know they found her bleeding to death on the floor in there, right? She got shot…"

"Yeah, I saw all that blood…. You think she's gonna make it?"

Shut up… Just shut up….

"Pssh! Naah. I heard one of the paramedics sayin' that she was gonna be dead before they got to the hospital… They just got her stable for the trip.."

You're lying… you're fucking lying!

"Geez man, that's rough. Well… I guess her dying is better than having to live with the memory of being raped by all those men. You know those guards did that to them, right?"

"Yup… the little blonde girl told one of the other officers all about it…"

"Yeah… I feel bad for those other kids, though. They have to go through their whole lives with that memory. Death has to be better than that.."

You don't know what the fuck you're talking about..

"Wait…. What makes you think she was raped too? That was his niece, right? He couldn't have treated her the same as the others.."

"Yeah, I thought that too. Until I heard one of the paramedics saying that they found all types of bruises and scars near her…. private area…"

No… No.. Shut up! She was beaten.. It's just a coincidence.

"Really? Damn… I guess death is better than that…"

"Yeah… Well… lets go see what the chief wants us to do with these kids. It's gonna be hell trying to figure out where to put 'em all.."

"Ugh… Don't remind me.."

Then the two cops walked past me..

...without another word.

My face was moist with tears by this time.

I was so weak that my body just… collapsed on the ground.

I was weeping… sobbing… crying out her name…

Christina… it can't be true….

It just can't be true..