A Past Life

A chill rushed through me as I rubbed my crossed and bruised arms in the rain. My torn clothes didn’t help ease the chill of the rain Tears mingled with the rain on my face. I glanced back at the dilapidated brick apartment building. I clutched the locket around my neck wishing for some kind of comfort or release. My father stormed out of our door on the second floor. My heart raced as I looked out to dark open road in front of me. His stomping rang through the parking lot. I bolted into the darkness.

“Malena, get your ass back here,” he said.

I let the darkness hide me. I didn’t stop running. I will never stop running, I thought. The road curved back towards town. I jumped off the shoulder into the ditch below and climbed the other side into the forest. Branches scratched me as I stumbled through the darkness. The screeching of tires echoed above the trees. Deep black shapes fluttered around me and cawed in protest at the sudden screeching. I paused and stared behind me. My breath caught in my dry throat. My heart pounded in my ears. My eyes darted across the darkness but nothing moved. The roar of an engine reverberated through the trees.

I released a slow breath as a car door slammed somewhere in the distance. I stretched and felt the popping of all my muscles unknotting. Leaves rustled in the night breeze. Small critters called to each other in the void of the forest. I leaned against a tree enjoying the calm of the forest. I slowly breathed in as I slowed to catch my breath. The forest was soothing. The snap of a branch startled me out of my revelry.

“Malena, my honey-bee, I know you’re out here,” he bellowed. I snapped to attention. He’d followed me. I darted through the trees. My legs aching for me to rest. He crashed through the forest like an angry bear behind me. I can’t stop. He’ll take me back to that horrible apartment. The wind howled around me. Wait, not the wind. Red eyes darted around me. I froze and licked my cracked lips. I glanced behind me at the tumultuous noise behind me that was my father. I gulped and looked back at the red eyes. There were so many of them. They stepped closer. In the dim light of the moon through the trees I saw them. I stopped breathing as coyotes circled me. I winced, bent down trying to protect myself, and closed my eyes as one of them pounced.

BANG. Several loud cracks reiterated around me. I looked down. The coyote was dead. I glanced around. All the red eyes were gone. Crashing through the trees came from in front of me. Blood rushed through my veins. What am I going to do? A pair of gentlemen wearing night vision goggles, large boots, and suits walked towards me with rifles in their hands.

“Oi, girl, what you doing out here?” The large one asked. I clutched my locket again and stepped back.

“Malena, get back here or else,” my father’s voice echoed through the forest. I shivered and tears slid down my face. I hiccuped as I stepped a little closer to my saviors.

“Eh, Jorgen, we should take her with us,” the younger one said. The rummaging and snapping of forest matter echoed between us.

“I think we should stay out of it, Moe.”,

“I disagree. Look at the state of her, Jorgen, she’s traumatized by whatever that guy’s done.” Moe said. Jorgen flashed a small light onto me. He stopped at the bruises and bite marks on my legs and then at my torn ruddy-colored clothes. His eyes flashed with anger when saw the wide-eyed fear and pleading in mine. Jorgen stepped forward but Moe stopped him. Jorgen seemed to understand something, slung Moe’s rifle around him, and pumped his own. He aimed it behind us.

Moe handed his rifle over to Jorgen, took off his jacket, and walked closer. I flinched. A small light framed me from behind. I froze and gulped. Jorgen put his fingers to his lips and motioned for me to come closer. I glanced back to see my father bursting through the shrubbery. I bolted towards the two men and landed right into Moe’s arms.

“He won’t bite, girlie. We got you,” Jorgen said. The younger man wrapped his suit coat around me. I burst into sobs of relief and fear. My father barreled into the small clearing. He glanced down at the dead coyote and then up at the two men. His eyes narrowed when he noticed me in one of their arms.

“You little…” he hollered and spat on the ground. My father stomped towards us. His nostrils flaring and hands in fists. His veins popped as his face and neck turned red.

“Back. Now,” Jorgen shouted in low rumbling tones. His warning reverberated across the clearing like thunder.

“You think you can keep me from my own daughter?” My father said, stepped a little closer. He looked at Jorgen with a sneer.

“It’s okay. You’re one of us now,” Moe whispered to me as he stroked my hair.

“Moe, take her to the car. I’m going to stay behind and make sure we aren’t followed.” Moe picked me up and nodded. I clutched his jacket to me with one hand while the other curled around his neck. His pace quickened as he clutched me to him. A shot resounded through the forest. Moe’s steps in the forest were slow and purposeful. The slight swing lulled me into a stupor. Distraught and exhausted, I fell asleep in Moe’s arms.

The car was a dark SUV. Moe opened the door and set me down. My eyes fluttered open a little. Moe was moving some guns, that were on the seat next to me, to the floor. A green fleece blanket covered the seat. He grabbed it and threw it over me. He closed the door and ran around to the front. Moe hopped into the front seat and started the SUV. The warm air made my skin tingle as I drifted off.