A/N: Happy Saturday! Here is Chapter 20. This is the very first chapter I wrote when planning this fic. It came from a short story I wrote about nine years ago just never fit anything else I wrote. Reviews still aren't showing for me (grrrrrrrr) but please still leave them! I love reading them and seeing everyone's reactions.
Enjoy!
September 1, 2004
Angel Grove, CA
"Well, what the fuck is this?" He asked again, walking towards me. "I thought I told you to throw this shit away two years ago."
"It's just some stuff I had when I was growing up I wanted to keep." I said.
"Yeah. I can see. A shit ton of stuff from that wanna be Karate Kid asshole. What? Did you think if you kept them he'd want to get back together with you someday? Why would he want to, you useless whore? Even a desperate guy like Tommy could see you're nothing but used trash." Behind down, he tossed everything off the bed and on to the floor. Raising up his foot, he stomped on them with his boot. I watched as the pictures and letters tore and bent in odd angles, the dirt from his boots smearing on them. Pictures of Trini, Jason, Billy and I as kids. One of Zack and I after our first day of drama club. Aisha and Rocky's prom picture they had sent me. A group photo of all of us. A strip of photos from a photo booth Tommy and I took after our date at the pier.
"Stop it!" I exclaimed. "Please." I bent to pick them up but he shoved me back. I bounced off the wall behind me and my head collided with the door frame. I blinked back the tears of pain that followed it.
"I'll burn this shit right in front of you. I'll make sure that this shit isn't in my fucking house anymore." He spat at the photos and letters, their crumbled remains now scattered across the floor like autumn leaves after a windy day. He turned his body to face me, his fists clenched at his sides. "And I'm going to make sure you remember why you don't fucking lie to me. If you don't listen to that, I guess I'll have to start taking it out on the little whore you're raising across the hall."
On instinct, I felt my hand pull back and it slapped him across the face. I didn't mean to do that. But I couldn't help the image of him attacking Marci that came to mind. I would never be able to live with myself if he did something to her. She trusted me. She was in my care and I couldn't let him do something to her. I realized I had messed up though when he grabbed his cheek where I had made contact and his eyes flashed with anger. He took a step towards me and grabbed me by the hair. I tried to pull out of his grip but his fingers were laced right into the hair connected to my scalp. My purse clattered to the floor, change rolling everywhere.
"You fucking slut." He said, slamming me into the wall. I heard a loud crack in my wrist when it connected and felt pain radiate from it. He tucked my head into the crook of his arm and began to swing at me, his fist making contact with my face and top of my head. Each blow felt like a brick to the side of my head, making stars appear in front of my eyes. At this point, I had probably seen the whole universe from all the blows to my head he's given me. I closed them, trying to find peace somewhere in my mind. It will be over soon. Just like the last time, he'd get his frustrations out and then I would be fine. If I tried to fight back, it would only be worse and I had more than myself to think about at the moment. I needed to play dead, like prey to a hunter to protect the baby.
His next punch blasted me right in the temple and it sent me hurling to the floor where I landed on my knees. I instinctively wrapped my arms around my waist, hoping to protect the baby. He tried to kick me there but his foot made contact with my elbow instead. Pain rocketed up my arm but I didn't move it. He grabbed my hair again, dragging me out into the hallway. I clawed at him, trying to dig my heels into the carpet to stop him. I grabbed the doorframe, desperate to hold on to something to save myself. He just yanked harder and with an abrupt tug, I let go. I managed to get to my feet as he started punching me in the face again. I saw blood fly from my face region, splattering on the walls by the landing of the stairs. Everything hurt. It felt like a sledgehammer to my face with each contact he made. I didn't try to protect it in any manner, my hands still wrapping around my waist.
Protect the baby. I had to protect the baby.
"I should have just killed you when I had the chance. You're nothing but a fat, useless whore that every guy in this town has fucked." Nick said, pulling my hair as hard as he could. He blasted me right in the temple and I lost my sight for a moment. When it returned, I saw he was still trying to drag me towards the stairs. I pulled back, not wanting him to take me where his bag was. I had a gut wrenching feeling that his gun was in there. If not, I knew it was in the bedroom last. I needed to be away from either location if possible. He let go of my hair and wrapped his hands around my neck, cutting off my air. I grabbed his wrists, trying to pull them off of me but his grip was tighter. I tried to stay calm, using the air I had slowly. But the longer it took, the more fear took over. If I wasn't getting air, neither was the baby. "I'm going to kill that fucker. Then I'm going to kill all your friends. Every last one of them. Then, it's just going to be you and me. You're going to be mine. No one else will ever love you again."
The baby. I had to protect the baby.
Picking up my feet, I was able to kick him as hard as possible. My heels made contact with his midsection and it tossed him off balance. It was enough for him to drop me, air flooding into me like water in a desert. I landed on my hands and knees, gasping for air. He didn't fall, only stumbling a bit. He was able to regain his footing as I stood up. He brought his hand back and back handed me across the face. The force of the hit sent me backwards. I no longer felt the carpet underneath my foot as I fell. My now probably broken wrist hit the banister as I fell backwards down the stairs. It was like I was moving in slow motion, Nick growing farther away as I headed down the stairs. Half way down, I hit them. I heard another crack and felt pain in my torso. My feet went over my head as I rolled, my knee actually going through the drywall in one section. I let out a muffled scream as I rolled all the way down the stairs, landing on the hardwood floor at the bottom in the hallway right on my stomach.
I was conscious but barely as I laid there. I could make out dark colored liquid pooling around my face as I tried to lift it. Nick's figure swam in front of me as he stood over me. He knelt down, rolling me over to my back. It hurt with intense pain when he did that. I cried, feeling tears slip from my eyes. He stood back up, kicking me on my right side. I cried out loudly, blood sputtering out of my mouth when he did. I rolled on to my side, turning my back to him to hide my stomach. He kicked me in the back, twice, as hard as he could. Then he gave me a sharp kick to the back of the head. This made my vision blur and I could just make out his silhouette walking over to his backpack. My eyes closed as I heard him walk over to the door. I blinked, turning to look up at him.
"I'm going to go take care of the problem. Get your ass up and clean before I get home." He said. I watched him reach into the front pocket of his backpack and pull out the gun. The silver gleamed in the light coming from the window and he cocked it. "I have a bullet with each of your friends' names on it. And I think I'm going to start with that squinty eyed bitch and her cocksucker boyfriend."
"No." I choked out, reaching a hand out to him. He laughed, shaking his head.
"Face it, Kimmy. I won. There's no other end game for this story. We're going to be together forever no matter what I have to do to make that happen. I'll kill everyone in this god forsaken town if I have to to prove to you that I mean what I say. And this will all be your fault because your slutty ass just couldn't listen the first time. Remember, you wanted to move here. We could still be in Miami right now. Your friends could be perfectly safe and our lives would still be normal. But you just had to have your way, didn't you? Well, you're gonna regret that. I promise." I tried to grab his arm but he pulled away. I tried to crawl towards him, my fingers digging into the rug under me as I pulled myself forward. I didn't move far, my body not allowing me too. Nick looked down at me as he opened the door. I felt myself losing consciousness as he walked out the door.
I ran. I ran as fast as I could, trying to get to Jason and Trini's house. Every step I took though felt like I was going backwards. By the time I finally reached their street, it was dark. No one else was out and the street lights were off. I called out their names but no sound came from me. As I ran to their house, I heard loud bangs. I went to the door but it wouldn't open. I pounded on it, screaming out their names but nothing came out again. I pulled on the door knob, asking God to let it open. It moved like rubber, bending in my hand instead of turning.
The door dissolved away, letting me enter. The house was dark, a flashing light coming from the living room. I ran in there, seeing a crumpled heap on the floor. It was Jason. His eyes were wide open and blood dripped from his mouth as he laid there. Blood pooled on his shirt and on the floor from the three wounds on his chest. Bullet wounds. I screamed out his name but silence came. Behind him in the doorway, I saw someone standing there. It was Nick. He was smiling at me as his right hand was extended down, pointing at something. I saw the gun in his hand and at the other end of it was Trini. She was knelt on the floor, tears flowing down her face as she looked at Jason. Blood was on her clothing and her hands.
"Just in time, Kimmy." Nick said, causing Trini's eyes to raise up to look at me. I tried to run forwards to stop it but I tripped. Nick laughed as he pulled the trigger. Trini's eyes widened as a bullet struck her in the chest. He pulled the trigger again and again, bullets slamming into her slender form. I crawled on my hands and knees through Jason's blood, trying to get to her. When I finally reached her, she was laying on the kitchen floor, bleeding profusely from her gunshot wounds. I grabbed her hand, shaking my head.
"Kim." She whispered, looking up at me. "Kim." I tried to speak but I couldn't.
"This is your fault, Kimmy. You just couldn't stop yourself." Nick's voice said. "Now you can watch Trini die."
"Kim. Kim. Kim. Kim." Trini said repeatedly. The color was draining from her face and her blood was soaking into my clothes.
"No." I whispered. "Don't die, Trini. Please."
"Kim. Kim. Kim." She said as her eyes drifted shut.
"Kim! Kimberly! Wake up!" A voice said as I felt someone tap me on the cheek. Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw that Marci's face was floating in front of mine. "Oh my god. Please, Kim. You need to wake up. Saw something."
"Marci." I mumbled, blinking my eyes. She came in clearer now and I could see the horror on her face. Everything came back to me. The pregnancy test. Nick finding the box of pictures. Him attacking me. The gun. What he had said. Seeing Trini and Jason dead. It had been a dream. I was at home, still laying at the bottom of the stairs. I wasn't at Trini's and I hadn't just watched Nick shoot Trini in front of me. That is when the pain came flooding back to me. My entire body was throbbing, like I had been dropped into a blender on high. My wrist and my ribs hurt the most but it was hard to tell where one pain ended and the new one began. "Is he still here?"
"What happened? What did he do to you?" Marci asked. I shook my head, trying to sit up. It didn't work well, my body refusing to move. I didn't know how long I had laid here for. Marci must have come home from school and found me here. Her backpack was on the ground next to us and she was kneeling in front of me. My blood coated her knees where they were on the floor. There were also smears on her shirt. Guilt filled my chest as I looked at her but it was quickly replaced with panic and fear. Was Nick here? Had he come back? Was I too late? I needed to get to Trini and Jason. I had to warn them. There wasn't any time.
"I have to get to Trini." I whispered. I managed to roll onto my side and sit up slightly. That caused a new ripple effect of pain through me that made me want to vomit. I swallowed it down though, the taste of copper strong in my mouth. I spit, blood dribbling on the floor.
"You have to get to a hospital!" She exclaimed, grabbing my elbows. When she touched my one arm, it felt like an electric shot. I gasped and she drew her arm away. Glancing down, I saw that my hand was going in an odd angle from the rest of my body. It confirmed my suspicion that it was broken. I shook my head, lullying to one side. It felt like I was using all of my energy just to move my head.
"You have to help me get to Trini's house." I said. I tried to stand but fell back on my behind.
"Kim, I'm going to call an ambulance. She can meet us at the hospital." She went to stand but I grabbed her arm with my good one.
"No. Help me walk. We need to get to their house now." It was draining me to talk. I wanted to explain everything to Marci but I couldn't find the strength. I just needed her to get me to Trini's house. I had to warn her. I had to let her and Jason know that Nick was going to be coming after them.
"Are you clinically insane? You look like Mike Tyson took you for a few rounds and then a semi truck hit you. You are in no condition to walk four blocks. Please, let me call the police. You need to get to the hospital to make sure you're alright." I shook my head. "Fine. We will call her, okay?" Marci stood, walking over to the phone. She picked it up and tried to dial. Nothing happened though. She brought it to her ear. "There's no dial tone."
"Nick." I breathed. She bent over where the phone cord was and picked it up. The end was sliced clean off, looking like someone had snipped it with a knife. I hadn't seen him do this but I knew he had. There was no other explanation. "Trini." I said, pushing myself up. Marci dropped the phone, helping me to my feet so I wouldn't face plant.
"C'mon." She said, draping my good arm over her shoulder. I tucked my broken one into me, the pain a constant throbbing now. On the floor, I saw there was a tremendous amount of blood that had soaked into the rug and the hardwood floor where I had laid. I stared at it as Marci moved. She helped me walk towards the door, opening it. It was a slow process but we went out of it and down the porch step. It was like walking through fire, my body overheating with the effort needed to walk and keep myself alive with the loss of blood. I suddenly wished that either of us owned a car. The thought of walking that far was equal to that of 100 miles. I knew it had to be done though.
I weaved in and out of consciousness as we walked. Marci looked for anyone to help us as we walked but no one crossed our path. I could hear her talking to herself and me as we walked, her telling me to hang on. "We're almost there. Just a bit longer." She repeated over and over again as we walked. I clung to her like a raft out at sea, praying that she was right. From the sun and the distress I was in, everything blurred and looked the same. I didn't know how close we actually were and if she was just trying to give me hope to keep going.
"Trini." I whispered.
"I can see their house!" Marci said, her breathing labored. She was basically carrying me now, my legs unable to hold my weight. I did my best to not drag them behind me and to help her walk. I squinted, focusing my vision. She was right. I could see their house. I could see their cars in the driveway. I frantically searched to see if Nick's was there but I didn't see it. Did we make it? Or was I too late? Had he already left?
"Is he here?" I whispered.
"Who?" Marci asked.
"Nick." She shook her head.
"I don't see him. They are on the porch. Thank god. Trini!" Marci yelled. I felt dizzy and it was getting harder to breathe. I saw she was right though. I could see three figures standing on their porch. I could tell one was Trini. Jason stood next to her. And next to him was Tommy. They were alright. They were all safe. They are all alive. "TRINI!" Marci called out again. Trini turned around this time, a coffee cup in her hand. She dropped it when she saw us though, her hands covering her mouth. The boys turned to look to see what was happening. Tommy flew over the railing of the porch in a second and I could see him running towards us. Jason and Trini were behind him. Marci's legs buckled and we fell forward. Tommy slid towards us, catching me before I could hit the asphalt under us.
"What happened, Marci?" Trini's voice asked as she reached us.
"I don't know. I came home from school and found her. Nick's gone though. She kept asking to come here." Marci replied, letting go of me so that Tommy and Jason could take over.
"Talk to me, Kim." Tommy's voice said and I could feel a hand on my cheek. My hands and feet felt numb now, the tingling sensation coming over my body. I did it. They were okay. Now, I needed to make sure the baby was fine.
"The baby." I whispered.
"What did she say?" Marci asked.
"The baby." Jason replied. Tommy looked down at me and I brought my hands to my stomach.
"Oh my god!" Trini gasped. Tommy scooped me up into his arms before he stood up.
"Hang in there, Beautiful." He said and I could feel him walking quickly. I knew Jason was there but my vision was beginning to darken again. I heard a truck door open.
"Bellview is the closest. We'll meet you there." Jason's voice said.
"C'mon, Marci." Trini spoke. I thought of Marci. Was she going to be alright? I needed to check on her. I felt something soft and firm underneath me. Arms wrapped around me. They were warm and strong. It was Tommy. I knew it was.
"Kim. Kim, you need to stay awake." His voice said. I couldn't see him. I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't. "Jason, we gotta go."
"On it." I could hear an engine rumble before darkness consumed me.
