Chapter 3
Sky's head rested on Leon's shoulder as they watched the sunset together. A moment of peace they both desperately needed. Soon they would head home. "So Leon where are we headed tomorrow?"
"Where do you wanna go?" He said while twirling a strand of her golden hair around his finger.
"Great leave the decision up to me. Hell I don't know. I say we just start driving and end up where we end up." Her only wish was to be somewhere safe; somewhere her mother could live in peace.
"Sounds like a plan."
"I can't wait to see what V did to the car. I'm sure it will have everything. He's kinda into racing and shit."
"Well if the car's gonna be all hooked up, then I'm doing the driving. Your driving scares me in a little 4 cylinder, I don't even want to imagine what you do with some real horsepower."
"Shut up. My driving is a hell a lot better than yours. Least I didn't get a ticket the first time I drove." Sky loved to rub that in every time.
Sky sat up and started to slide off the hood when Leon grabbed her arm, "Not just yet baby girl, I have one more gift for you." He jumped off the hood and pulled a small bag out of the backseat. "Close your eyes and hold out your hand." She closed her eyes slightly. "No peeking. It's supposed to be a surprise." She closed them tightly and put out her left hand. Leon placed the gift in her hand. "Open those beautiful blue eyes and tell me what you think."
Sky looked down at her hand seeing a silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant; in the center of the pendant one single diamond glittered in the sunlight. "Damn Leon, you know I was kidding about the whole "you better get me something nice" thing. This is too expensive."
"Why don't you try it on? Here hand it over I'll put it on ya." She lifted her hair and he placed the chain around her neck. Securing the clasp, he ran his fingers down her neck and placed kisses behind her ear. "Turn around and let me see how it looks." Sky let her hair down and turned to face Leon. "Nice. I like the way it sits between your...ah." He said looking down at her breasts. He ran his finger along the bottom of the pendant.
"Perv." She says hitting him on the arm.
The drive home was quiet. Both of them were nervous and excited. One more night is all they had to get through and freedom would be theirs. Leon turned onto their street and pulled to the curb. Sky leaned over and kissed him, "It sucks that this night has to end." She slid her body over to the driver's side and straddled Leon. "Kiss me." He happily obliged her request slipping his tongue deep in her mouth. With a deep hunger he pulled her body into his. Sky broke away from his kiss and bit hard on his neck. He let out a fierce growl and pushed her down on the front seat. Forcefully, she pulled him down on top of her. Their lips met in a hard and lustful embrace. His hand fumbled with the button on her jean shorts. Just as he undid the zipper a car drove by and brought them both to the reality of where they were. Panic set in. Sky sat up and tried to straighten her hair. "Oh God. Do I look ok?" She saw from Leon's frighten expression that she didn't.
"Shit. You've got scratches all over. Here." He took his shirt off and handed it to her. "Put it on and that should take care of it."
Inside she was screaming afraid of her father's reaction. "I got to go. Can't wait to be far from here. I don't wanna go home, I wanna be with you."
"Tomorrow we'll be gone." They got out of the car and walked hand in hand down the street. They reached Sky's house and he pulled her into his arms. Something just didn't feel right to him. He had never feared for her as much as he did that night. They kissed goodnight and he watched her walk into the house. He turned and headed across the street to his house. His mom was sitting in the living room watching TV. "Hey."
"Did you have a nice time?" He knew she wanted details.
"Yeah, it was great." He was purposely vague.
She was not amused, "What happened? Did she like your gift? Did you tell her how you feel about her?"
"Damn woman. You're nosey. Let see. We went swimming and ate food. Then I gave her the necklace."
"Leon Andrew Davison, you tell me right now." She said with annoyance in her voice.
"She loved it and yeah you can say that we're together now." His mom placed her hands over her mouth and squealed. Leon shook his head at her. "Don't start planning the wedding just yet. We have things to talk about me and you."
"What is it?"
"I need for you to pack a bag. One bag, that's it. We are leaving tomorrow as soon as Sky's cousin brings the car."
"Leon I can't just pick up and leave everything behind."
"Bullshit, you can't stay here and get your ass kicked every time he gets drunk. We leave tomorrow. Mrs. Thomas is coming too. We are going to start new lives away from here."
"I'll start packing right away."
"I love you Mom."
"I love you too."
~Across the street~
Sky's father was sitting in his chair when she walked in the door. "Get up to your room, young lady. I will deal with you shortly."
She ran up the stairs and right into her mother. "What's going on Mom?"
Mrs. Thomas took Sky's hand in hers, "Don't worry baby. He's just in a bad mood. Go to your room and get some sleep." She started down the steps, "Oh and I put the rest of your presents under your bed."
Sky whispered, "Thanks Mom." She walked into her room and closed the door, plopped down on the bed and began searching underneath. She pulled out the largest box and tore off the wrapping. Inside she found a beautiful homemade quilt with white lace edging.
Outside her room, she heard her parents arguing. Really nothing unusual in that, she ignored them and went back to the packages. As she reached for another box, her door burst open. Her dad grabbed her by the hair and pulled her into the hallway. He held a gun to her head. The cold steel was pressed hard against her forehead. She wanted to scream, but couldn't find her voice. She sat frozen in fear. Mr. Thomas pulled her shirt off and released her. "You wear his shirt. Look at yourself marks all over your body. You had sex with that boy tonight didn't you? How many others? How many? Tell me now." He said as he smacked her across the face with the butt of the gun.
"Oh God, Daddy I haven't been with anyone. I promise." She said holding her cheek.
He hit her again across the face with the gun, "Lying bitch. You are going to hell." He cocked the gun and looked into her eyes. "Do you deserve to live you filthy whore?" Mr. Thomas squeezed the trigger. Sky's mother jumped in front of Sky as the gun went off, striking her in the chest.
"Mom," Sky screamed, but there was no response. Mrs. Thomas' limb body lay across Sky's lap. "Mom open your eyes. Don't you leave me. Please." Sky got up and tried to make for her room. As she reached the door a burning pain tore through her back and chest. Sky touched her chest. Blood flowed into her hand. Her knees buckled. She saw the radio out of the corner of her eye lying on the floor of her room and began to crawl towards it. Her father stood over her and fired another bullet into her back. It felt like fire rushing through her chest. She was choking and could taste blood in her mouth. Everything was dark. Faintly she could hear laughing. She heard another shot and then nothing.
Leon bolted through the door of the house, "Sky........where the hell are you? Girl you better answer me." He climbed the stairs and found the three bodies lying in the hall. "Shit. Shit. What the hell?" He raced back down the stairs and called 911, "Yeah um I need an ambulance. My friend and her mom are.........I think they're dead. There's blood everywhere and no one's moving. Just get here now."
Sky's head rested on Leon's shoulder as they watched the sunset together. A moment of peace they both desperately needed. Soon they would head home. "So Leon where are we headed tomorrow?"
"Where do you wanna go?" He said while twirling a strand of her golden hair around his finger.
"Great leave the decision up to me. Hell I don't know. I say we just start driving and end up where we end up." Her only wish was to be somewhere safe; somewhere her mother could live in peace.
"Sounds like a plan."
"I can't wait to see what V did to the car. I'm sure it will have everything. He's kinda into racing and shit."
"Well if the car's gonna be all hooked up, then I'm doing the driving. Your driving scares me in a little 4 cylinder, I don't even want to imagine what you do with some real horsepower."
"Shut up. My driving is a hell a lot better than yours. Least I didn't get a ticket the first time I drove." Sky loved to rub that in every time.
Sky sat up and started to slide off the hood when Leon grabbed her arm, "Not just yet baby girl, I have one more gift for you." He jumped off the hood and pulled a small bag out of the backseat. "Close your eyes and hold out your hand." She closed her eyes slightly. "No peeking. It's supposed to be a surprise." She closed them tightly and put out her left hand. Leon placed the gift in her hand. "Open those beautiful blue eyes and tell me what you think."
Sky looked down at her hand seeing a silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant; in the center of the pendant one single diamond glittered in the sunlight. "Damn Leon, you know I was kidding about the whole "you better get me something nice" thing. This is too expensive."
"Why don't you try it on? Here hand it over I'll put it on ya." She lifted her hair and he placed the chain around her neck. Securing the clasp, he ran his fingers down her neck and placed kisses behind her ear. "Turn around and let me see how it looks." Sky let her hair down and turned to face Leon. "Nice. I like the way it sits between your...ah." He said looking down at her breasts. He ran his finger along the bottom of the pendant.
"Perv." She says hitting him on the arm.
The drive home was quiet. Both of them were nervous and excited. One more night is all they had to get through and freedom would be theirs. Leon turned onto their street and pulled to the curb. Sky leaned over and kissed him, "It sucks that this night has to end." She slid her body over to the driver's side and straddled Leon. "Kiss me." He happily obliged her request slipping his tongue deep in her mouth. With a deep hunger he pulled her body into his. Sky broke away from his kiss and bit hard on his neck. He let out a fierce growl and pushed her down on the front seat. Forcefully, she pulled him down on top of her. Their lips met in a hard and lustful embrace. His hand fumbled with the button on her jean shorts. Just as he undid the zipper a car drove by and brought them both to the reality of where they were. Panic set in. Sky sat up and tried to straighten her hair. "Oh God. Do I look ok?" She saw from Leon's frighten expression that she didn't.
"Shit. You've got scratches all over. Here." He took his shirt off and handed it to her. "Put it on and that should take care of it."
Inside she was screaming afraid of her father's reaction. "I got to go. Can't wait to be far from here. I don't wanna go home, I wanna be with you."
"Tomorrow we'll be gone." They got out of the car and walked hand in hand down the street. They reached Sky's house and he pulled her into his arms. Something just didn't feel right to him. He had never feared for her as much as he did that night. They kissed goodnight and he watched her walk into the house. He turned and headed across the street to his house. His mom was sitting in the living room watching TV. "Hey."
"Did you have a nice time?" He knew she wanted details.
"Yeah, it was great." He was purposely vague.
She was not amused, "What happened? Did she like your gift? Did you tell her how you feel about her?"
"Damn woman. You're nosey. Let see. We went swimming and ate food. Then I gave her the necklace."
"Leon Andrew Davison, you tell me right now." She said with annoyance in her voice.
"She loved it and yeah you can say that we're together now." His mom placed her hands over her mouth and squealed. Leon shook his head at her. "Don't start planning the wedding just yet. We have things to talk about me and you."
"What is it?"
"I need for you to pack a bag. One bag, that's it. We are leaving tomorrow as soon as Sky's cousin brings the car."
"Leon I can't just pick up and leave everything behind."
"Bullshit, you can't stay here and get your ass kicked every time he gets drunk. We leave tomorrow. Mrs. Thomas is coming too. We are going to start new lives away from here."
"I'll start packing right away."
"I love you Mom."
"I love you too."
~Across the street~
Sky's father was sitting in his chair when she walked in the door. "Get up to your room, young lady. I will deal with you shortly."
She ran up the stairs and right into her mother. "What's going on Mom?"
Mrs. Thomas took Sky's hand in hers, "Don't worry baby. He's just in a bad mood. Go to your room and get some sleep." She started down the steps, "Oh and I put the rest of your presents under your bed."
Sky whispered, "Thanks Mom." She walked into her room and closed the door, plopped down on the bed and began searching underneath. She pulled out the largest box and tore off the wrapping. Inside she found a beautiful homemade quilt with white lace edging.
Outside her room, she heard her parents arguing. Really nothing unusual in that, she ignored them and went back to the packages. As she reached for another box, her door burst open. Her dad grabbed her by the hair and pulled her into the hallway. He held a gun to her head. The cold steel was pressed hard against her forehead. She wanted to scream, but couldn't find her voice. She sat frozen in fear. Mr. Thomas pulled her shirt off and released her. "You wear his shirt. Look at yourself marks all over your body. You had sex with that boy tonight didn't you? How many others? How many? Tell me now." He said as he smacked her across the face with the butt of the gun.
"Oh God, Daddy I haven't been with anyone. I promise." She said holding her cheek.
He hit her again across the face with the gun, "Lying bitch. You are going to hell." He cocked the gun and looked into her eyes. "Do you deserve to live you filthy whore?" Mr. Thomas squeezed the trigger. Sky's mother jumped in front of Sky as the gun went off, striking her in the chest.
"Mom," Sky screamed, but there was no response. Mrs. Thomas' limb body lay across Sky's lap. "Mom open your eyes. Don't you leave me. Please." Sky got up and tried to make for her room. As she reached the door a burning pain tore through her back and chest. Sky touched her chest. Blood flowed into her hand. Her knees buckled. She saw the radio out of the corner of her eye lying on the floor of her room and began to crawl towards it. Her father stood over her and fired another bullet into her back. It felt like fire rushing through her chest. She was choking and could taste blood in her mouth. Everything was dark. Faintly she could hear laughing. She heard another shot and then nothing.
Leon bolted through the door of the house, "Sky........where the hell are you? Girl you better answer me." He climbed the stairs and found the three bodies lying in the hall. "Shit. Shit. What the hell?" He raced back down the stairs and called 911, "Yeah um I need an ambulance. My friend and her mom are.........I think they're dead. There's blood everywhere and no one's moving. Just get here now."