Black Romance CH -1

"Let her go! Don't do this! Please, you don't need to do this! Just let her go!" Her mother pleaded to the man with a gun to her head, her nails digging into the lower part of his pants .

"Don't need to do this—maybe you should have told your husband that from the start," he said, pulling back the hammer . "It's too late for begging . "

"Take me, take me instead . Just let my kids go and I'll go with you . "

The young girl's body bobbled and bounced against the man's shoulder as he approached the car . "Mom! Mom!" the girl screamed, reaching her arms out in the direction of the only safety she knew .

"Please, I'm begging you, don't take my children . "

Advertisement"Are you fucking deaf? Was I just talking to myself?" Cocking his head, his lip turned into a snarl . "What's done is done . It's nothing personal, business is business . Don't act like you didn't know this was coming . . . " Chuckling, the man smirked . "Your husband knew what would happen if he didn't hold up his end, obviously he didn't give a shit—"

"He's not here, I don't know where he is," her mother said, cutting him off .

"We'll see about that, but it still doesn't change shit . The message needs to be given, he needs to know who's in charge . "

Her mother's head dropped into her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably .

Slipping the girl off his shoulder, the man pushed her inside one of cars and shut the door . She sat alone for what seemed like eternity . The car was hot inside, the air thick and salty, smelling of metal and thick, sour cologne .

The girl's ears were ringing from the change of air, silencing the world around her . Her disconnect with reality and immature mind was trying to grasp what was going on, but there was no way for her to fully understand it .

The man who grabbed her climbed into the front passenger seat as another one of the men slid into the driver's side . The engine roared to life, vibrating her ribs, but the girl couldn't take her eyes off the window .

Her eyes met her mother's . "I love you . " Her mother's lips moved in soundless words as she closed her eyes and lowered her gaze to the ground .

The girl could see two other men grabbing her brother and sister from the car and walking off to the other vehicle with them . The man who had gone into the house, came out shaking his head .

That small signal, the subtle 'no' he said without words, it was the nail that sealed the coffin .

The man in the front seat pulled a yellow rag from his pocket and wiped the sweat off his forehead before tucking it away . "You're going to want to look away, little girl, I don't think you'll want to see this . " His voice was scratchy and thick, reminding her of her grandfather who used to smoke those unfiltered cigarettes .

The car jerked forward as it pulled away from her home, forcing the girl to turn back to the window . Resting her palm against the glass, she heard a loud pop as the distance grew between the car and her house . She watched as her mother's body fell to the ground, laying motionless .

She was too young to really dissect exactly what had happened, but deep in her heart she knew she would never see her mother again . Tears filled her eyes as the car turned and her home was no longer visible .

And as she wept alone, without the comfort of a hug and someone telling her everything would be alright, as she slowly began to see that her entire life had just changed, that little girl still held on to hope .

Hope that her father would come to save her .

Hope that he would find her and punish the men for hurting her mother .

Hope . . . A hope that would soon fade when none of that happened .

A hope that would be replaced by hate .

I wish that was just a scary story, a tall-tail about men who come and steal you away from your mother's arms if you don't follow the rules or disobey your parents . . .

But it's not just a story . It's my reality .

I was nine when they took me away, nine when I saw my family last, nine when I watched my mother die .

I was nine when my life changed forever .

My name is Jessie, and my life is no longer my own .

Chapter end