The door slammed open and the drunken grunts of my stepfather filled the house. He screamed my mother’s name but thankfully she’d gone out for groceries earlier, but that didn’t mean he’d give in. Nights like these, he wouldn’t give in until he had someone to slam his fists into. I turned off all the lights in my room, grabbing my switchblade from my nightstand and stood silently against the back wall. I could hear his heavy footsteps stumbling through the hallway and I knew how this would go.
This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence in this household. Ever since my mother met Leo, he acted like he’d been a godsend to us. He’d met my mother about 10 years back, I was 15 at the time and she was bartending at some strip joint he owned. She didn’t have anywhere to keep me so he’d let her bring me to work and keep me in the dressings rooms while she worked. Up until that point we’d been hoping from one dump to the next even living out of her car for a while, but when Leo set his sights on my mother, he lavished her with gifts. After only a month of “dating”, as she liked to call it, he moved us in with him. Things had started off so well. He seemed like the perfect guy. A gentlemen with money, power, and respect from everyone he worked with, but I knew he was no good.
Growing up on the streets of New York, I’d met my fair share of assholes, and Leo had something seriously wrong with him. I tried telling her, but she’d always brushed it off to my trust issues. Could she blame me? My father had left us and every man she’d ever brought home was scum, some even going as far as trying to sneak into my bedroom late at night when they were done with my mother. Needless to say, I learned to defend myself at a pretty young age, but she kept insisting Leo was different. He’d made her quit her awful job, put us up in his expensive condo, gave us everything we needed, but the gentleman act didn’t last. Before long he was doing the same shit they all did. He’d slapped her once and apologized profusely, even buying her a new car and promising to never do it again. That was bullshit. Soon the beatings became regular even for me. When he’d come home drunk and couldn’t find her, I was his next stop.
At 25, I could’ve moved out a long time ago, but the thought of her being alone with him crushed me. She wasn’t the best mother, but I wasn’t the best kid and she’d always put up with me. She’d dealt with all my school fights, my rebellious runaways, my smoking, my tattoos, my drinking. She dealt with all of that. I owed her this much. I owed her a good life because she always fought so hard to give me one even though she couldn’t accomplish it.
“One day, Allie. One day, we’ll be out of this. We’ll buy a home, you can go to college and get a good job and we’ll get out.”
I wasn’t going to college, she knew that, school wasn’t my strong suit. I had a genius IQ but classes weren’t my thing. My principles were constantly calling her, letting her know I’d tested at the top of my class, but my attendance was shit. I’d only go enough to pass and after getting that diploma, I was done. That didn’t stop her from saying it though. I felt like it was more for her than for me. It was her sense of escape – dreaming of a better life for the two of us, but I on the other hand was more of a realist.
I knew we had to get out. I’d been saving money since I got a job at 16. I had more than enough saved to leave and take her with me, but she wouldn’t budge. Now with Leo at my door, rattling the doorknob, I knew I had to get her out of here. He’d kill her one day and there was no way I was going to let that happen. I don’t care if I spent the rest of my life in jail, he was never going to hurt me or my mother again.
He kicked the door open violently and I couldn’t help but jump back. Nerves and adrenaline were on full gear but I knew what I was up against. Leo was a big man, standing tall at 6’3 almost 260 pounds, he was hefty compared to my slim 5’6 figure. All I had on my side was speed and the slight advantage of being sober. If I could just get around him, it’ll be all over. I had already had a bag for my mother and I in my car, all I needed to do was wait for him to get home so I could get to his car.
“Allie, you little whore, where’s your mother?”
His words were slurred as he stepped further into the room. He reeked of whiskey and cigarettes as he swung an arm out to grab me but I moved aside quickly. I was supposed to be out of this house by now, but he got home a lot sooner than I thought he would. I could feel my heart pounding quickly in my chest, my anxiety getting the best of me. I knew I should make a run for it, but my anger had my feet at bay.
“She’s fucking gone, Leo. She’s finally done with your shit!”
I screamed. I knew deep down I shouldn’t provoke him but at that very moment I wanted nothing more. He growled in anger and lunged at me. I moved away again but this time he caught my foot, causing me to trip and slam my head off the ground. I groaned, feeling like the wind had gotten knocked out of me but I didn’t have time to regain myself before he was on top of me. Before I knew it, his fist struck my cheek and another on my lip. My face felt like I was on fire but his hands soon wrapped around my neck, forcefully trying to squeeze the life out of me.
Shit, this was not supposed to get this far. I slammed my fists into his chest but it did nothing so I looked around, finding my blade next to my side and without hesitation I grabbed it and jammed it into his right side. He screamed in agony and his grip on my neck loosened. Before he could swing at me again, I swung my arm up, slicing down his face. With him distracted, I slide out from under him, giving him a hard quick in the groin and causing him to topple over, groaning loudly in pain.
I was going to need time to rig his car and right now, I was pretty sure he’d chase me down. In a panic, I looked around and grabbed my heavy metal jewelry tray from my dresser. This was a gift he’d gotten me for a birthday years ago. Solid steel, thick, with a good weight to it. I didn’t hesitate to slam his head with it. After two blows, he was out. I wiped my knife on his shirt and headed out of the door.
One of the dealers on my street knew my situation and he’d suggested rigging his car to explode on start. It’d be quick and untraceable. I couldn’t say no to that. I’d never killed anyone before but I had made peace with my future if mom finally got a good one. It cost a little bit of money for his help but it was well spent.
Hi, you’ve reached Vivian. Sorry I can’t take your call. Leave a message!
“Goddamnit, Ma.” I muttered after hanging up and dialing again for the 8th time.
Hi, you’ve reached Vivian. Sorry I can’t take your call. Leave a message!
Her message played again and I squeezed the wheel of my dodge charger.
“Ma, It’s me. Call me back right away, it’s urgent.”
I tossed my phone in the cup holder and made a left turn at the light, pulling onto the street of my best friends apartment. The street was empty but I still put my car into the alley behind her house. I couldn’t leave without my mother and I couldn’t risk getting caught before I talked to her. I pounded my fists against her door until she opened it. Her face immediately twisting to that all too familiar look of worry and concern as she looked over my face.
“Allie, Jesus Christ. What happened now? It was all planned out.”
“I can’t get a hold of my mom.” I told her quickly, pushing past her to go her bathroom. “I did it. I rigged his car. I just need to get a hold of her and we can get out of this fucking city.”
I tied my long black hair into a messy bun on top of my head as I washed the dried blood off of my face and dried it off with a towel. The split on my lip had stopped bleeding by now but my cheek was still pounding. I looked in the mirror to see a black bruise already forming against my olive skin. Aside from eyeliner and mascara, I hadn’t put on any makeup today. I thought about it as I watched the bruising on my cheekbone growing darker but there was no way to cover that.
Cara soon came in with a blunt in one hand and two Advil in the other. Letting my hair back down, I took the Advil and the two of us headed up her fire escape to her roof where she lit up. I sat down on the ground and laid back to look at the stars as she passed it to me. Her face was expectant but she never pushed. I knew she wanted to hear the rest but I needed to get a hold of my mom.
Taking a long pull, I grabbed my phone out of my back pocket and dialed again.
Hi, you’ve reached Vivian. Sorry I can’t take your call. Leave a message!
“Fuck, ma. Answer the phone, we need to talk now!”
I yelled at the receiver before leaning my head back on the ground. Cara took a pull and handed it back to me.
“He wasn’t supposed to be home yet. I was just making sure I got everything when he showed up. I couldn’t get away in time.”
“Damn, Allie. At least it ends tonight.” Cara blew out smoke as she spoke.
I inhaled slowly, feeling my system responding to the smoke, like a warm blanket wrapping around my lungs. My nerves were starting to relax as urgency started to fade.
“Yeah.” I nodded, blowing out little rings into the open night sky before turning to face her. “It all ends tonight.”
I don’t know how long we were up on that rooftop before my phone started ringing. I answered it quickly hearing my mom’s frantic voice and was instantly snapped out of my serene state.
“Allie! It’s mom. Where are you?”
“Mom, we need to talk.”
I tried to interject but she was to distraught to listen.
“Allie, honey, something happened. Leo’s car exploded in the garage. He wasn’t in it yet, it went off when he pushed the start on his key fob but he’s pretty badly burned. I just left the hospital. Someone had sliced his face and they said he’d been stabbed. He says it’s you honey, was this you? Did you do this? He says you’re dead when he sees you, I really think he means it. Allie, what did you do!?”
“Ma, it was me. I’ve been trying to call you all night. We need to get out of here. Where are you now?”
“Allie, for fuck’s sake! Why?!”
“Mom, we’re not talking about this right now, where are you?”
“On my way to the apartment -”
“No!” I shouted into the phone. “Meet me the Steve’s corner store about 3 blocks up. Leave your car there.”
“Allie, you don’t know the kind of power Leo has. He’ll have half the state looking for you!”
“We’ll we’re not going to be here. I’ll meet you there in 10, I already packed overnight bags for us.”
The phone cut off and I stood, Cara stood with me, concerned and tearful. She knew this meant the end for us. I don’t know the next time I’ll be able to get in contact with her. I know Leo has connections, but from what my mom said, I’ll be dealing with a lot more than just the law.
I pulled my best friend in for a tight hug, feeling the tears finally falling as they soaked through her shirt and hers in mine. Reluctantly pulling away, I moved a wet piece of hair from her face and cupped her cheeks in my hands.
“You take care of yourself, alright?”
“You too.” She sobbed silently trying to control herself. “Call me as soon as you can.”
“As soon as I can.”
I promised before pulling away to make my way down the fire escape. I put on my over sized wayfarer glasses and grabbed my blade from my purse, sliding it into my black leather boots and rushing to my car. Mom might never understand why this had to happen but it did. I just need to keep my fingers crossed that she’d be on board.
The street corner was dark. Most of the streetlights on this block were out but I spotted my mother. Her frail figure standing on the corner, only her purse in her hands. She got in my car and looked at me. Anger, confusion, and conflict written all over her face, but I didn’t have time for this. Not right now. Right now we needed to drive off into the sunset. This was supposed to be our happy ending – or a least a path to it. So far I can admit that I failed miserably but that didn’t mean I was going to sit around and wait for Leo’s goons to find me. No, we were getting the fuck outta dodge.
“We’re going to the California.” She said firmly. Her voice leaving no room for discussion but of course that didn’t stop me from asking.
“California? Why?”
“I called in a favor. It’s about a 45 hour drive non-stop. We’ll drive straight through. Once we make it to Illinois, we’ll be escorted the rest of the way.”
“Escorted?” I raised my eyebrow as I pulled out of the street parking spot, continuing down the street.
“We’ll be safe once we get Illinois and we’ll have protection once we get to California.”
“Protection? Who do you know with all this pull?”
“Your father.”