Down Below (S4S)

Chapter 16

! ! Sex Scenes In This Chapter ! !

Josiah POV

Flashback

"Emmanuel! Stop hurting him!" My mother cried as she tried to get my father off of me. "Not til you get me my money!" He yelled as he whipped his belt against my skin, "Papa!" I screamed and all I felt was hopelessness. "Okay okay! I'll go look for some, please don't touch him." She went into her room and I heard drawers opening and closing. "Here! Take it!" She scrambled her pockets and gave him her leftover money.

"That's what I thought bitch." He dropped the belt to the ground and began counting the money. My mother dropped to the floor and hugged me, "I'm sorry, Josiah."

"Mama what are you doing?" I followed her around her room as she threw clothes into her bag. She paused and looked at me, "Baby I have to go. He hates me and he's hurting you because of me." "No mama don't go! I'll be alone!" I cried.

She hugged me, "Hey. Listen. You'll never be alone okay. When I'm gone, he'll love you. Don't miss me baby okay?" I questioned her, "But how?" She got up and grabbed her bags, "You'll know how. I love you. If he asks where I am, tell him I'm at work okay?" I nodded as tears flooded my eyes. She left the room and I cried until my head began to pound and I finally fell asleep.

Ashanti walked up to me over the gravel, holding onto her other arm, "Hey."

I leaned forward against the steel fence, looking up at the night sky swirling with the moonlight and the stars. I looked down at the murky water then chuckled, "Remember when we used to come here every night in middle school?"

She laughed, "Yeah, every fucking night. It was nice getting away from everyone once in a while." She stopped laughing.

There was just silence, a comfortable silence.

"Josiah?"

"Wassup?" I turned to face her, still leaning on the fence. "Why did you call me here?" She asked, but I just looked back at the sky and ignored the question.

"Josiah, are you mad at me?" She grabbed my hand but I pulled back, "No."

"Tee, there's something wrong with us." I looked at her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Think about it. I hurt you today and you forgave me." She cut me off, "So you're blaming this on me??" She yelled and I turned around. "No, no Ashanti. That's not what I'm saying." I held her head up, "Look. The path we're going down, if we don't kill each other we'll end up killing ourselves." A tear trickled down her face and she looked down.

"You know that right?"

She nodded and she wiped the tear off her face, "So what are you trying to say?"

"Ashanti, me and my dad are moving. But that'll be a while from now. But like- I don't t-think we can do this anymore. Not now at least." She looked back up at me, "So what? It's over now?" I nodded yes. She began speaking, "Everyone in my life, my aunt, Jazz, they're there but they're not really there. You're the only one who knows me, who can see right through me. I'll have nobody, I'll have nothin-!"