“Stay put girls. I’m just going to step out and pump the gas, alright?”
“OK.”
Emorey couldn’t respond because she’d already fallen asleep. My little baby was out for the count. She could never hang. The princess definitely needed her beauty rest. My Essence, however, was always up for the adventure.
“Be right back, Es.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I circled the truck and made my way to the pump. My card slid into the small slot with ease. I waited for the screen to request its details, but instead, it insisted I went inside to see the cashier. I felt like my day was still doomed as I knocked on the window that Essence was closest to. She rolled it down and waited for me to give her instructions.
“Lock the doors. I need to go in and pay for the gas. Is there anything you want out of here?”
“A bag of hot chips. Can I have that?”
“Of course you can.”
Essence was the sweetest and always had been. She reminded me much of the present me. She was the chillest kid one would ever meet. Essence didn’t give me any issues. She did what she knew she was supposed to and kept out of trouble.
“Make sure you get Em something. Or else she’ll be upset when she wakes up.”
Just like me, she was always putting other’s feelings before her own. Emorey would definitely fuss if she didn’t get anything out of the store but I didn’t need Essence worried about that. I’d worry about Little Miss Feisty.
“Don’t I know.” I laughed. “Roll up the window and lock the door. Stay away from the front seat.”
I absolutely hated going inside of the gas station when I didn’t have to, and I hated it even more when the broken card system on the pump was the reason.See Cashierwere two words that made me cringe when they popped up on the screen becauseI’d use the same card in the store to get the gas that I was trying to get outside. It made no sense.
Ding. Dong.
The bell sounded to alert the cashier that a new customer had walked in. My first stop was the chip aisle where I grabbed Essence a bag of hot chips and Emorey a bag of Cheetos Puffs. When I made it to the counter, the cashier had his face planted in his phone.
“Uh. Um.” I cleared my throat to get his attention.
“My bad. Will this be all for you?” He grabbed the chips from my hand and started ringing them up.
“Uh, no. Actually, I need eighty on pump…” I started, but then stopped to look back at the pump to find out exactly what pump I was on.
Because I couldn’t see over the large racks, I was forced to get a little closer to the door. The swift movement near my truck caught my attention. My brows furrowed as my eyes squinted, trying to figure out what was happening. When I saw both Emorey and Essence’s tiny figures being loaded into the black Yukon that I was far too familiar with, my heart sank.
I pushed the door to the store open as my vocal cords completely shut down on me. The screams that were in my head simply didn’t come through my mouth. As fast as I could, I put one foot in front of the other, speeding through the parking lot to get to my girls. By the time I’d made it to my vehicle, they’d already been stuffed into the other truck.
“HELP!” I found my voice. “HELP!”
WHAM!Dewayne’s fist slammed into my face, dazing me upon impact. I could feel the blood rush from my nose and mouth instantly as my world began to spin. Still managing to keep my balance, I ran toward his truck where my girls were.
I didn’t make it far. His hands wrapped around my hair. I could feel strand by strand being torn from my head as he pulledme backward and in his direction. Once I was close enough, his arm went around my neck, and he began to squeeze the life out of me. My airway was almost completely restricted. I clawed at his arms, face, and head, trying anything to get him to let me go. He wouldn’t. Killing me was his intention.
“If I can’t have you, nobody else will. You stupid bitch!”
Those were the only words that came from his mouth before he squeezed even tighter. I managed to shove my thumb into his right eye, forcing him to let me go. Before I could make it to my girls, I felt him grab me by the hair again. This time, he didn’t wrap his arm around my neck; he punched me square in the face while holding my hair in his left hand.
WHAM.
WHAM.
WHAM.
WHAM.
