~Four Weeks Later~
The park lay shrouded in a gentle morning mist, its usual vibrancy muted at this early hour. Portia felt a familiar flutter of excitement as she strolled the two blocks toward the playground, envisioning herself swinging high above the ground, the wind tangling her hair. However, her eager anticipation was abruptly shattered as she was seized from behind.
"You just don't listen, do you?" Ken's voice pierced the air, thick with frustration as he dragged her toward the towering slide structure, his grip firm against her small frame. He pressed her against the coarse wood, isolating them from the world, the park's silence amplifying the tension.
"What's with you, huh? Why won't you listen?" His voice was a strained whisper, teeth gritted as his fingers dug into the soft skin beneath her arms, forcing her against the panel. He paused, expecting her to respond, his breath hot against her cheek.
"I haven't done anything to you. I don't understand what you're talking about." Her voice trembled, line between fear and confusion blurring. Ken's eyes darkened, frustration morphing into something more chaotic.
"I told you to stay away from me, so what are you doing here?" Her exasperated sigh spilled between them like smoke, fading into the morning air.
"This is a public place!" His exclamation reverberated through the playground, sending an unsettling chill down her spine as he resumed shoving her against the hard surface, his anger palpable.
"Exactly! So if you didn't come here for me, that means you're here for other niggas. Hmm, do I have it right? So who are those guys that got you thinking you can just stroll through this mutherfucka? As I said yesterday, you got me now—I'm the only nigga, thug nigga, hood nigga you need. Whether you want me or not, I'm who you got." His voice crescendoed into a fierce shout, rage lacing his every word, as he struggled to convey the absurdity of their situation.
Realizing she needed to navigate through his delusion if she hoped to escape unscathed, Portia took a deep breath, her heart thumping painfully against her ribs. "Ken, I'm telling you I'm not on any other dudes. Why don't you believe me?" She attempted to soothe him, her tone steady despite the chaos brewing inside him, but he was deaf to her reassurances. The whirlwind of his mind consumed him, leaving no room for her truth.
"Don't lie to me!" he yelled, the desperation in his eyes sending a shockwave of fear coursing through her. She struggled against his relentless grip, her heart racing as she pushed to create space between them.
"Kentrell, this is starting to hurt. Stop!" she pleaded, her voice quivering as the threat of violence lingered in the air. With one final, terrifying shove, her head collided brutally with the unforgiving wall, and she crumpled onto the ground, the soft, crushed velvet mulch doing little to cushion her fall. The world around her spun as she lay there, the weight of his anger pressing down like a dark cloud.
