Sara found the house with no problem in the dark. It was a nice white house and well kept. It sat back in from the road with a big back yard. Sara threw a pebble to Rainey's window to get her attention. Rainey poked a head out. "Oh Sara!" She exclaimed in a hushed whisper. "Meet me at the back door."
Sara nodded and tiptoed to the back. Rainey came out as quiet as a mouse.
"Rainey what's wrong?" Sara whispered.
There were tears in her eyes and when the light from the back stoop finally fell upon Rainey's face a massive black eye was revealed. "Sare..." She started.
Sara touched her eye and Rainey jerked. "What happened?" Rainey was quiet and looked at the ground. "Your dad?" Sara asked puzzled.
Rainey nodded and suddenly that awful feeling that something wasn't right made perfect sense. Sara started to breath heavily in anger. Someone was hurting her best friend and she didn't even know. She was mad at her dad who did this to her and mad at herself for not realizing that something was wrong sooner.
"Sara look at me." She touched her shoulder and Sara raised her head. "It's not that bad. My mom is a lot worse."
"Your mom?" Sara started to panic. "Rainey we have to tell someone. The police can help us. Let's go to the police."
Rainey shook her head. "No. He'll hurt my mom again. My little brother is too afraid to talk and my mom can't move so he'll know it was me." She started to shake. "He came after us Sare. He was so mad and he kept hitting her and then he took her to the bedroom."
Sara couldn't breathe. "Rainey we have to tell someone."
"Sare no. Please. He is drunk now. I need to get my mom and brother out of there before he wakes up. I need you to help me carry my mom."
Every bone in Sara's body screamed for her to run and get help, but if she did she didn't know what she would come back to. If something happened to Rainey, or her mom and brother, Sara couldn't live with herself. "Rainey you have to promise me that if we get your mom and brother out, we go right to the police."
"I promise." She hugged Sara. "Thank you."
Sara tried to smile. "That's what friends are for."
The two of them tiptoed into the house. Rainey's father was passed out on the couch in a dress shirt and dress pants. Sara noted how unlike an abusive father he really looked. She always thought that bad people were supposed to be dirty, mean, ugly, and disgusting, but Mr. Davis was just the opposite. His hair was neat and he took pride in his appearance. The way he acted with the officer told her that he had manners and was a nice man. How could he be such an awful man?
They made their way to her brothers room. "Johnny." Rainey whispered. He sat in the corner with his ears covered. Sara looked at him closely. He was only six years old and a scrawny little thing.
"Oh Larraine!" He shouted and ran to his sister's arms.
"Shh. Listen me and Sara are going to get out of here and want you to come with us. You want to come?" The boy nodded. "Okay get dressed and put on your coat, then meet us in the backyard."
He didn't let go of Rainey's arm as she turned to walk away. "Where are you going?"
She smiled. "To get mom of course. She wants to go on this trip too Johnny."
"Okay. No daddy?"
"No daddy." She patted her brother's shoulder. "Get ready."
Sara and Rainey walked down the hall and into the bedroom where her mother lay unconscious on the floor. Sara was shocked at the sight. Every time she met Mrs. Davis she was always so happy and nice. Now she looked horrible. Rainey seemed unaffected by the sight. She just went to her mother's side and started to talk to her.
"Mom? Wake up we need to go. Come on." She shook her mother's arm but got no response. She looked to Sara with fear in her eyes. "Sara?"
Sara stepped over and pressed two fingers against Mrs. Davis's neck. "She needs a doctor." She whispered. "But she has a strong pulse."
Rainey breathed a sigh of relief. She was very glad someone knew what they were doing but Sara was playing this by ear also. Anything she knew had to do with what she read in books. Sara and Rainey lifted Mrs. Davis by one on each side of her. They struggled her passed the living room and into the backyard without detection but Johnny wasn't in the yard.
"Damn it! Where is he?" Rainey shouted in a whispered tone. They gently laid Mrs. Davis on the ground.
"I'll get him." Sara said and before Rainey could protest Sara was back inside. "Johnny." She whispered. "Come on." She went to his room where he was busy packing some toys. "Johnny come on, it's time to go."
"Hey Sara. I was packing my favorite toys for the trip." He said brightly.
"Shh. Grab them and let's go."
"Sara!" Rainey shouted and Sara bolted from the house where she found Mr. Davis with a knife in hand and standing over Rainey and her mother. She didn't think she just ran, right into his back at full force knocking him down.
"Run!" Sara yelled.
Rainey got to her feet and began to pull at her mother's arm. "Get up! Get the fuck up!" She screamed. Sara ran to her aid and grabbed the other arm. "Johnny let's go!" Rainey yelled to her brother.
Johnny sprinted through the yard after Sara and Rainey but so did Mr. Davis. He grabbed Sara by the hair and threw her back to the ground. "So you're my daughter's best friend." He said as he towered above her. "Let me introduce myself." He kicked Sara in the side that sent her into a coughing fit.
"Leave her alone you bastard!" Rainey charged him from behind but he back handed her and she fell to the ground. The knife gleamed in the moonlight.
Sara saw him moving towards Rainey with the knife and got up and jumped on his back punching him in the head. Sara jumped down before the knife caught her and ran hoping he would chase her. He did but unfortunately grabbed the back of her raincoat. She twisted out of it and tried to run again. It all proved useless as he tackled her to the ground. Sara screamed at the sudden pain she felt tear through her body as he lay on top of her.
Rainey ran after them to pull her father off of Sara. As she pulled him back he jus reared back and slid the knife into Rainey's stomach.
She looked down at her wound. "Sara..." And she fell to the ground breathing heavily.
"No!" Sara ran to Rainey but Mr. Davis caught her in the action and brought the knife right across the waistline on her hip. Sara felt the pain instantly and fell back to the ground. She looked over to Rainey laying in the wet grass. She smiled. Despite it all Rainey smiled which made Sara cry. It hurt so much to see that her friend was ready to die. She kept her eyes fastened to Rainey's eyes willing her to live but Sara watched those eyes until all life left them.
It started to rain again. Sara lay bleeding five feet away from her best friend. Among the numb feeling as the blood ran from her body, Sara felt her body shake with fear. The rain pelted her face and the tears became one with the rain.
tbc...