Kiss My Eyes And Lay Me To Sleep

Chapter 23

Playground school bell rings again

Rain clouds come to play again

Has no one told you she's not breathing?

Hello, I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to

Hello

If I smile and don't believe

Soon I know I'll wake from this dream

Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken

Hello, I'm the lie living for you so you can hide

Don't cry

Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping

Hello, I'm still here

All that's left of yesterday

"Jury, have you reached a verdict?" Judge McConnell asked. One man from the jury stood up, holding a slip of paper.

"Yes, we have your honor. We, the jury, have unanimously concluded, that based on the evidence presented, full custody of Sena Michele Hawks be awarded to Mrs. Carol Akers."

I nearly screamed with joy at what my ears had just heard.

"We deem him unfit to raise this child and we also advise that Mr. John Hawks be put in a anger management and alcoholics anonymous groups." The man who read off the verdict continued.

The judge nodded and looked out at the rest of the courtroom.

"Mrs. Akers is awarded custody of the child and Mr. Hawks is sentenced to a year minimum at both alcoholics anonymous meetings and anger management courses. Court is adjourned." He pounded the gavel and turned to leave the room.

Mom smiled at me and hugged Sena and me tight. It was over. We could rest easy tonight.

We walked out of there, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted and a prayer had been answered. All that was left was for the papers to be signed and everything to be made official.

As John walked passed us, he glared at mom. "You can't take my own kid away from me!" He then proceeded to charge mom, but was intercepted by two bailiffs.

"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to leave or we will put you in custody!" One of the officers said. John stopped his struggling and carried himself outside, but not before giving us his death glare one more time….

***4 days later (Friday)***

"China, you remember this one don't you?" Gran asked me, pointing to a picture of me when I was maybe 7 years old. I chuckled, sitting on the couch with my soda.

"Yep I do. That was when papa decided to take me out on the horses—big mistake."

Just then I heard a car pull up outside and my dogs began barking wildly. Mom's car pulled into the driveway and she had just gotten out.

"Guess mom got off early." I told Sena and Gran.

As I turned my head, I noticed a figure walk up to mom as she walked towards the house. It stopped her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She tried moving past the person, but it stopped her again. This time, brandishing a sharp butcher knife. On impulse I covered my mouth as I watched in horror as the person shove the blade in mom's side. I felt ready to scream.

"Guys, we gotta go." I said urgently. They looked at me confused. "John's attacked mom. He's after Sena!" I spat out, as I urged them to go to Gran's room and hide. Before shutting the bedroom door, I handed Sena my phone. "Call the cops. Tell them that your daddy hurt your Aunt and you don't know if she's okay. If you can't do it, give the phone to Gran, okay?" I told her. She looked up at me, scared. Quickly I shoved her into the room and yelled for her to lock the door.

Once I was sure they were safe, I ran for cover in the closet in my mom's room. I heard the front door swing open and John yelled out for his kid. My large husky, Albert, sprang from his bed and charged the evil man. I bit down on my finger to keep from yelling. Albert gave a startled yelp as John kicked him across the room. My dog didn't look like he was moving. As John searched the house he found door that lead to Gran's room and tried turning the doorknob.

"I know you're in there, Sena! Don't make me beat you senseless! Get out here and unlock this damn door!" he screamed. My two Pomeranians were locked in the room with Gran and Sena. They barked menacingly, but he didn't care. He then started pounding on the door, trying to break the hinges. I couldn't let him do that. I couldn't let him hurt my little cousin or my Gran.

On impulse, I bounded out from my hiding spot with a pocketknife. It wouldn't do much damage, but at least it would buy Gran and Sena some time.

I charged out quickly and shoved the knife as deep in John's back as it would go. Before he dropped his knife he sliced the air, and the blade sliced some of the skin on my arm. I howled in pain and body slammed him. He shoved me against the wall and held my neck in his hand. His grip tightened and I felt my airways being crushed. My head ached and my eyes felt like they were bulging out of their sockets, like on those cartoons. Before I lost complete consciousness, I kneed him in the balls. He slackened his grip and I used all the energy I had left to get him off me and run like hell.

I managed to reach the living room before he caught up with me and knocked me down. I futilely tried to crawl away from the Reaper's soldier, come for my soul, but it was in vain. John had regained his knife and planned to use it on me, I just knew it. A hell of a way to go out. Sliced and diced to death in place of loved ones. Now that I think about it, I wouldn't have it any other way.