Going Nowhere Fast

31. Alright

I woke with the concrete floor against my head to the sound of a loud banging on the door. I opened my eyes but my vision seemed really foggy and I had a bit of a migraine.

"Hello?" I called out. I didn't even care who was behind that door at that point. I just wanted my suffering to end any way it could.

"William Stephens?" A loud, deep voice called out. Fuck yeah, I was getting rescued.

"Stay calm, we are coming to get you. Are you injured in any way?"

"No, I don't believe so," I said as the door swung open with brute force.

About a dozen cops flooded the room. Some of them were searching the room while others waited for the all clear and rushed over to me.

They told me to stay on the ground and to not move as they cut off my shackles. When they finally broke loose, I put my hands on my head in pain with my growing migraine.

A paramedic handed me a water bottle and took my blood pressure while another checked my eyes with a flashlight and examined my body for any injuries which was kind of awkward.

"Do you think you will be okay to walk out?" one of the paramedics asked me.

"Yeah, I think so," I said as I stood up. They had also given me pain killers for my headache.

"We have to take you downtown to discuss what happened here today, but I can promise you will be safe at home by the end of the night," the officer reassured me. I'd never thought I'd be so happy to talk to a cop.

I just smiled and nodded my head as we walked up the stairs and outside of the church.

There were flashing lights everywhere and more police cars than I could count.

I looked across the parking lot and saw two smaller figures. My mom and Scarlet.

My mom started running towards me, holding out her arms. I broke loose from the officer's assistance and ran towards her, meeting her halfway.

She hugged me tightly, nuzzling her nose into my neck. "I'm so sorry, Ba-..," was all that she said before a loud 'pop' went off. My eyes widened as I felt all of her weight shift onto me. My arms felt warm and slimy.

My mother's body fell to the ground below my feet and dozens of shots went off around me. I sunk to the ground and looked at her to try to make out what had just happened. I heard Scarlet screaming as I saw the bullet hole in the side of my mother's head. My mind went blank and my heart crumbled.

--

I couldn't speak a single word. I watched them zipper my mom's body up in a bag and wheel it into a car. Some of the officers were trying to get a response out of me but I didn't say anything.

I watched them wheel Lester's body away in the same kind of bag they put my mom's body in.

My mind tried to go over everything that had just happened. Lester had just killed my mom apparently aiming for me. Then he was killed by police retaliation. They found a note in his pocket in which he professed his love and allegiance for Brian.

The officers took Scarlet's statements and sent her home before I could even talk to her.

My eyes were swollen with tears.

"Please," I started with a shaky voice, "please just let me go home tonight."

"Do you have any adult that can stay with you there until we can figure out a permanent situation for you?"