Prison: Caldwell Correctional Center, North Carolina
At 7:30 am Chris was taken from his cell at the correctional center and brought down to reception where he was processed, strip searched, completed paperwork and thrown into a holding cell while the completed his release paperwork.
An hour later he was escorted out of the prison with a duffel bag in hand and his usual smirk on his face. He walked up to Spinner who was waiting for him by his car. “Welcome back boss.” He tossed him the keys and moved to open the passenger side door, getting in.
Chris got in the driver’s side and started up the car. “Let’s go to work.” He made his way away from the prison and toward Greensville, North Carolina the town that tried to run him out. Chris had a lot of loose ends to tie up in town before he moved along. There were some people who owed him money, others that wronged him and to get his girl back.
Ah sweet Mackenzie, his most loyal follower. He broke her when she turned 15 and used that power over her to get what he wanted from her; unconditional loyalty. He used her as payment for deals, a punching and his drug runner when he didn’t want to get involved. She was his perfect right hand and he wanted her back. Each month since being locked away, he would send her letters saying how much he missed her and how he couldn’t wait to see her again and now he could.
Chris and Spinner made stops at small town dealers in town making his presence known and collected what he was owed. He made it back to his old safe house and went back to his office and settled in. He sat in his desk chair and placed his hands behind his head, leaning back as he looked over his five more trustworthy men. “First step is to tie up all of my loose ends. Second we need more supplies if we want to move on. Finally we get my girl back. Now you all have your orders get to them and get out of my office.”
When they all left Chris stood from his chair and moved to the window overlooking the streets of Greensville. He placed his hands behind his back and smirked down at the busy streets. Now it was time for the real fun to begin.
“Yes, that was when I knew.” The brunette spoke softly, a small smile gracing her lips as she spoke with the elderly lady sitting near her. She was on a plane, sipping wine, readying herself for what was to come. For some reason she never seemed to be able to be ready when it came to a tall brunette with blue eyes and a smile that shot arrows into her heart every time that she saw it.
“What’s the young lad’s name, dear?”
Alijah immediately smiled. “Steven. Steven Waters.”
“Oh, he sounds like a complete darling!”
“He is. He’s... He’s special indeed.” Special in a way that Alijah never would have dreamed. No man in her life had her in a way that he did. Even if it was only one sided, which she hoped it wasn’t, and even if her past - their past - followed her around, she would regret it if she hadn’t at least tried.
She remembered driving to New York from Connecticut with her friend, Corn, just to find and talk with Steven when he went away for college and had ‘left her’ by text message. As much as she had hurt then and had for the rest of their relationship until the couple’s therapy, Alijah always knew that she could find it in herself to forgive him and she had.
And that’s what she was doing right now. She was flying instead of driving. Asking for forgiveness instead of forgiving. And she was hoping it would come to the same outcome but in a whole new way.
Landing was decent enough, and getting a limo went perfect, but now as she was four blocks away, her heart was in her throat.
“You can do this. You can do this.” Alijah whispered to herself. She was a Barnes for crying out loud. Her mother had built her wedding company from scratch, almost from nothing! If she could do that then Alijah surely could walk up to the door and knock and meet her fate.
As the car pulled up, Alijah looked over through the tinted windows of the vehicle, all fear draining away slowly, before she looked down at her tattoo on her wrist as it all disappeared completely.
“This is it.”
Alijah stepped out of the car, dressed in Alijah Barnes fashion - dramatic and stylish - before making her way up the steps and towards the house. Taking a breath, steadying herself, she brought up her hand and knocked as she usually had knocked when she visited this place all those times long ago when Alijah was happy and so in love, despite under the circumstances, and then took a step back and waited.
The first time she’s ever been heartbroken was when she was seven years old, she wanted her mother and father to attend a play she was in and she was one of the stars. But they never showed up. They never have for anything from then on and she just had to put up with it like it was just a regular thing that happens in families.
The second time was her first crush and almost relationship with a guy when she was fourteen. They flirted and made out but it turns out that he was only using her to show his guy friends that he can ‘get with her’. She was ‘infamous’ and played hard to get. It hurt her so much that she lost trust in most men.
The third time was when she was fifteen and she buried her brother. From then on, Harper was just lost in every sense of the word.
The fourth time was when she felt abandoned from all her friends. Shane. Quinn. Mykah. She never felt more worthless then when they disappeared from her life. But she knows they probably have better things to do than deal with her.
The fifth time was when she knew there was no getting back together Hope. She had moved on it seemed and it was about time that she had too. Though Hope was the first person to ever show her that can feel and be in love... it was probably for the best they never end up together. Harper was toxic after all.
And finally, the sixth time.
“Court is adjourned.”
Those simple words echoed in her head now as she packed the last of her things in the uHaul and taking one last look back at the apartment that she had shared with Kyle, and Mykah at one point, before sitting in the drivers seat and starting it up.
Suddenly, she was crying. For the first time in a long time, Harper Hill was crying. It felt like a relief and an annoyance. All at once.
Images passed through of Harper holding hands with Hope, to hanging out with Shane at his grandmothers house, to playing video games with Quinn, to losing her house, to arguing with Debbie, to getting mad at Mykah, to Harper breaking a light bulb with her hand, to kissing Hope, to kissing Mykah, to hugging Shane, and finally tucking Kyle sleep in his bed. And then nothing. Just all black.
She had no hope left, no viable reason to stay in Greensville anymore. Kyle was gone. She had lost custody after trying so hard. All because of her past mistakes. Not holding down a job... Slightly burning Kyle’s arm (how his so called mother found out about that Harper had no clue)... To her anger and anti-social behavior she had displayed all throughout her time in town... and the cherry on top was losing sight of Kyle in a market.
She hated herself. Absolutely despised her reflection as she looked in the side view mirror, tears steadily falling down her cheeks, she tried to wipe them away but they just wouldn’t stop pouring out.
“Just leave!” She ordered herself.
With a forceful foot on the pedal Harper lurched the vehicle forth and decided to never look back. No matter where she would take herself to she had no choice but to keep looking forward. That was the only way that she could survive. The only way that she could live with herself.
“Bye.” She whispered as she turned onto the route that lead her away from Greensville.
And this time, it would indefinitely be the last time.
‘Deah, you’re a real special girl’. ‘Deah, you’re a great fuck’. ‘I only call you when I need a lay’. ‘Your body is fantastic. It’s your attitude that’s the problem’. These all echoed in her head as she stood in front of one of her many conquests. The slight older male had told her that she was crazy and to get away from him. To ‘get out of his house’. They had just slept together for fuck’s sake. It was when his wife came home that she was being kicked out.
“You’re an asshole!”
“Says the easiest lay around town!” “Gerry! You have some nerve!” “Oh shut up Sheila, you knew this was going happen!”
Deah shook her head, feeling all sorts of strong emotion, as she slipped on her underwear before grabbing her bra, pants and shirt then left the room. Going down the stairs she clasped her bra on and by the time she reached the bottom she was already half dressed and seething with rage. Going over to the kitchen, where they had also had relations, she slipped in one leg through a pant leg, before opening the refrigerator, then slipped through the other pant leg before jumping so she could do the zipper and button.
“You don’t need these.” She grabbed bottles of alcohol and slipped them into her purse, afterwards grabbing her jacket and heading out the side door.
Taking that first gulp of liquid was like fireworks going off in her brain. Wiping her mouth after, she got to the bottom of the steps before falling back onto them to sit down. She felt all used up. Again. She felt disgusting and gross and unwanted. Worthless. Unlovable. “Fuck.” Came the words from her lips as she ran a hand through her hair, biting her lip. “Fuck.”
After several more mouthfuls of alcohol she reached into her purse to grab the knife that laid within before rounding the corner of the house and jabbed angrily at the first car’s wheel. Hearing a pop was enough satisfaction but she wanted more. More. So she popped the other wheel and then the next and next and next and so forth before all three wheels were flat and/or releasing air to be flat. Just like her heart was in the moment.
“Hey, get outta here! Get outta here, you crazy bitch!” Came a call from the window. Flipping him off she threw the bottle she had in her hand in the direction of the window only to hear him yell again before turning around and leaving. She’d deal with consequences later, right now she had to get away. Find something or someone to get away with. Deah just wanted this feeling to disappear.
Wiping at her tears that had fell down her cheeks, the girl forced herself to not be vulnerable as she walked down the road all the way back to her Dad’s, knowing full well that a couple days later she would be in the same situation, feeling the same emotions, dealing with it the same way as tonight, and not knowing what had to change. It was the way of life with Deah for as long as she could remember and she didn’t find it to be any easier. In fact, she was so sure she had to feel this way, that she wouldn’t even realize it until it was being done. This was life for her.
After cheerleading practice, Kenzie was ready to blow off some steam and party the night away. She texted some guys from the football team and saw that there was a party tonight. Perfect. She went home and got all dressed up and went to the party fully intended on getting high, drunk and laid.
The party was in full swing the time she got there and she immediately went in for the drinks. After downing a beer, she went to dance with anyone she felt worthy. As she stood in the middle of the dance floor, she moved her hips and arms to the music, leaning against some guy who was eyeing her up. She glanced up at him and saw what looked up he Shaw, a old runner for Chris. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since Chris was put away. She just assumed he left town in order to stay safe from the cops. Looking down, Kenzie thought to herself. She then looked back up and saw that he was gone. “Get a grip.” She said to herself as she chalked up the vision of Shaw to the alcohol she had consumed.
After 15 more minutes of grinding with some guy, they went to get a drink before going upstairs to seal tonight’s deal. Going toward the kitchen, and grabbing a mixture of sprite, coke and Brandy. She sipped it slowly enjoying the burn she felt in the back of her throat. Kenzie placed her cup on the counter as the guy she was with pulled her closer and started to kiss her. She soon forgot about her open drink and ran her fingers through his hair. Soon they were broken up by some kids coming in the kitchen and shooing them away. Kenzie grabbed her forgotten drink and downed the last of it before following the guy up the stairs. On her way to the room, she started to feel woozy and noticed how all the walls seemed as if they were caving in on them. She braced her hand on the wall and the guy before looking up at him and being shocked by the fact he had the face of a dog but the ears of a bunny. She looked at h confused, touching one of his ears and giggling because it stood up straight as she did. Kenzie then looked behind his shoulder and saw A small purple bear walking into one of the rooms. She followed it slowly, stumbling the entire way. “Come back boo bear. I wanna pet you.” She slurred as she fell into a bed. She laughed as the bear flew across the room. It turned into different animals and shapes as it flew back and forth. Kenzie got up from the bed and followed the purple bear outside as it left the room and she danced along the hallways and bedrooms of the two story house. At some point she ended up outside and was in the pool before going back up to the room she was in and was shocked to see what was there. There was a field of bright green grass and lilies. She began to skip in it and realized that she was in a white dress and had a flower crown upon her head. Laughing Kenzie skipped until she fell in the lilies. She rolled around and pulled at the grass and smelled the flowers for what felt like hours before she finally surrendered to sleep, not realizing that someone had walked into the room and closed the door, clicking the lock. Kenzie woke up still in a high faze and blindly noticed the outline of a man above her with an evil smile and bright green eyes. She closed her eyes once again, thinking it was apart of her high. She then fell to sleep completely.
After saying waving goodbye to Eva, Mariam hopped into her car and drove out of her parking spot, which became very familiar to her in her two years in Greensville, and headed out onto the road. She was nearly close to tears when she looked in the rear view mirror. Damn. She didn’t think this would be that hard, saying goodbye to such a small town. It was home, after all. Or, should she put it, one of her homes.
Boston had always been her home, ever since she could remember. More importantly it was where she had her fondest memories of her father.
Her father.
Only Hoyt knew fully well of what the death of her father had done to the girl. And even then, he couldn’t help that much. She smiled fondly now, though, as she recalled their weekend out at the cabin. Hopefully, one of these days, she would bump into him. She missed his face and his babbling of technology facts.
Feeling a tear slide down her cheek now she wiped it away with her finger. It was then that she saw how low she was on gas. Remembering that there was a gas station nearby she headed on route towards it. She still had enough money saved up. Because no way was she going to become stranded out on the highway, she saw too many tv shows and movies about that. And she wanted to live, thank you very much.
Climbing out of the car, she reached and stuck in the gas pump before leaning against her car. It was something the blonde had a knack of doing, every since her teens years. What she wasn’t counting on was that her phone was in her hands, looking through pictures on it, ones that made her laugh. This was new. So new that she hadn’t noticed a guy standing in front of the hood of her car before she caught whiff of that musty scent that she knew all too well.
“Leave me alone! I don’t want any trouble.” She stepped away from the car now and was moving towards the rear, noticing that wasn’t exactly the smartest plan. But she had something that her ex didn’t know about, something that was up her sleeve on a dime’s notice.
“Mary...”
Mariam would have winced or cowered at that stupid nick name he had given her long ago, but that girl was no longer with her. She grew up. Ever since he violated the safety of her home she had vowed never again to allow him to have that much control over her, which was one of the reason she took up boxing. It didn’t help that she had an excellent coach of one time. (Baekhyun, who else now, c’mon!)
“I’m serious! Leave!” She insisted strongly. He didn’t seemed moved by it as he proceeded forth over to her.
Before she could even take a breath, and seeing as his hands reached to touch her, her leg went back, as did her right arm, and the sheer amount of force she put in the punch, which surprised her - she didn’t know she was that strong - was enough to send his head back with a loud cry.
“What the hell, Mary! --Mary?!”
Her other hand now did the same thing. Punching the side of his face, hitting him with a loud smack! She was on a roll. Almost proud of herself, she was about to ease her body from attack stance, when he retaliated - dumb move on his part - only to hit air as she ducked and jabbed his stomach, before holding him downwards, as he leaned forward holding where she had struck him, and brought her knee up to meet his face.
Final blow. He went down.
Relief overcame her and she immediately phoned the police. They were there to take him away fifteen minutes later, with a arrest for a deadly weapon on him, a gun on his ankle, and three accounts of stalking. Seeing him get put inside the back of the police cruiser, Mariam felt a wave of stress finally released off her back. The dark clouds that had hung over her for years was now dissipating, she no longer would have to worry about him for years to come, she could finally be free.
“Finally.” She whispered. Mariam could already see her future becoming more happier as she drove out of there and back onto the highway, and she could only hope to find new possibilities that no lay ahead for her, and she would open her arms to them this time around. Mariam was finally beginning to learn how to live. She would be okay.
As she glanced up at the sky, the familiar sting in her heart throbbed as she thought of her father, before she smiled. That was what he would want for her. To be happy, to move forward. It would take a little bit more time, but she would get there. Mariam knew full well that she would never forget him, but her constantly being sad about it... that would ease up. It had to.
No longer being able to see to town anymore, Mariam turned onto the route that would lead her on to Boston, hope filling her, before she finally allowed herself to break down. This time, it being for a happy reason.
"One month, Ches, can’t you fucking believe it? Christ, soon this whole mess will behind us - me.” Chester looked up from his spot on the leather swivel chair in his room. He was playing Resident Evil when his sister had stopped into to chat. Pressing pause on his game, he placed the controller to his left and placed his feet on the ground and off the foot stool. “Think we - you - can make it until then?” He watched her shrug her shoulders, her blonde hair falling behind her. He missed his friends back home, sure, but they were guys, guys could go for days or months without talking. Girls on the other hand. “Stacy had her baby, I heard.” Chester grinned. “No!” Chantal exclaimed, “How’d you get online? We’re not supposed to! Sneaky bastard.” Chester was all laughs, as he expected this reaction. “I have my ways.” Ways meaning his butler back home. Sir Gregor was loyal as loyal can be. It didn’t help matters how much he was getting paid, he was a friend to Chester whether he liked it or not -- from the age of four is how long they have known each other.
Seeing Chantal’s eyes cloud over, Chester went and placed his hand on her knee and gave it a squeeze. Since the courtroom and lawyers, Chester had tried to protect Chantal as much as he could but there was only so much he could do. Emotional scars from that night would always be there, no matter how much he wished they wouldn’t be. Seeing someone kill someone else wasn’t all that common after all. Chester could only imagine how that felt, even playing video games he knew it had to be different. So having only a month left in the witness protection program, he knew it would be weighing heavily on her now. To stand up there and put away a guy who had killed how many others was a tough thing to take on. “You okay?” He asked cautiously, as to not make her more upset but allowing her to know that she can talk to him if need to be. And he always would be, there was no doubt about that. He watched her look up at him and he smiled a little.
“What’s her name?” Was all he heard her ask. He was about to answer her when they heard a loud crash. It came from the back window downstairs. Alarmed he watched Chantal move to stand behind him. At that moment he swore his heart ran more than it was supposed to as his heart rate elevated each second. “What was that?” He asked out loud knowing full well what it was. Someone had smashed their backyard patio window and was now walking around downstairs. They stood there out of fear but as soon as they heard the person climb up the stairs they ran out of the room and toward the balcony. “Climb down, Chan, climb down.” Looking back he saw someone big macho guy storm their way. It was too late. Pulling Chester back hard enough to make him slam back into the wall, Chantal yelled. As she was pulled up over the banister and to the floor, Chester charged but it was no use. The guy didn’t budge and it only earned him a mighty hit to his back.
Falling the ground on his other side, Chester watched Chantal start to cry. “Chester!” The pain seemed to travel everywhere. The guy was strong, too strong for Chester, who had only been in two fights in his life. Once when a guy was picking on Chantal and the other time was because he was foolish enough to think this incredibly hot girl was into him when really she was using to him to make her biker boyfriend jealous. “Leave him alone!” He could hear Chantal yell. What could he do now? He got back up and went to punch the other guy... only to get punched in the gut and a knee to the face. He almost blacked out as he fell back to the wall. Chester shook it off and went at him again only this time he had dodge a punch but hadn’t expected the other to quickly use his other hand to grab his throat. Hands immediately going to the other’s wrist he kicked his legs as he was lifted. “Chan..tal...” He barely managed to get out. He wanted to say run but it looked like Chantal was already on that.
But another man had stopped her, as he appeared almost out of nowhere. Hitting her, Chester seethed as he watched from the corner of his eye as she fell to the floor and not get up. “I’ll.. kill you!” He began moving and reaching to hit his captor’s shoulder. It didn’t seem to make any difference. “Finish him.” Spoke the other, who was now lifting Chantal up and was turning to head back downstairs. Chester was about to shout when he was slammed against the wall. He fell to his side, breathing for air. He barely got a gasp in when a strong kick to his stomach stopped him. It didn’t fully stop him from wanting to get up and go after the other guy, though, and he almost did if it weren’t for the kick to the head which made him go in between consciousness and unconsciousness. After hearing Chantal scream one more time and seeing blood near his hand, Chester finally gave into the darkness and went limp as he passed out, tears drying as he lay still.
Lianna felt her heart race as both her and Scott’s mom drove to the airport, Bill silently sleeping in the backseat. She knew this would be good, for her to go back to California. There was nothing left for Lianna here except for Scott’s family. Not even her own family was worth staying here, though. The red head sighed, thinking about her parents, wondering what the two of them were up to now...If they regret all the choices they made in life.
The red head bit her lip, smiling as Scott’s mom grabbed her hand, knowing that in only one hour she would be on a plane back to be with the love of ehr life, the man she was going to marry and having children with and then grow old together.
Lianna smiled, thinking about the future. Although her thoughts were quickly dispersed as Bill whined towards Lianna, feeling the car slowly come to a stop. It felt as if a new rush of energy hit the young woman and soon enough she was holding a crate with her dog in her window seat, her bags checked in and loaded onto the plane.
‘Maybe I should’ve told Scott that I was coming this early...And that I found a place to live. Shitty place. But affordable. And that I had to work three jobs to get the mone-’ Lianna shook her head, smiling at the amount of work and shit she had to go through to make it this far. After all of that, she never even bothered to tell her soon-to-be husband that she was coming. She never told anyone in Greensville that she left. Only Scott’s mom.
Maybe that was for the best.
Maybe that’s what Lianna needs.
A new start. A clean start where she can begin her life with Scott, Bill, and California.
