The Only Witness

2

He beated Jasmin until she can't move.
"You are a liar!" He yells at a unconscious Jasmin. "I needed to do this. I can't have you running and yelling. People will know you are here and I can get into trouble."
He kneels next to Jasmin. He pets her hair away from her face. Her cheek is getting swollen and turning blue. "Let's fix you up."
....
Erick is helping Mr. Mayer clean the front yard. Both men have a similar white t-shirt and blue jeans with their military boots.
Jasmin is helping Gregory do lemonade for their dad and Erick. Their mom is at her work as a piano teacher.
"Is Erick going to stay with us forever?" Gregory asks jasmin. Jasmin shrugs as she mixes the ingredients in the glass pitcher. "Mom said he needs our help so he is going to stay a while," she answers.
Gregory places two cups with ice on the counter next to Jasmin. "Dad told me Erick will help him with the house chores and is going to take care of us when he takes mom out."
"I don't need a babysitter," Jasmin says.
Mr. Mayer and Erick come in the house. They are sweaty. "You are a kid," mr. Mayer overhears Jasmin as he goes into the kitchen.
Jasmin rolls her eyes, "I'm not."
"We made lemonade for you guys," Gregory smiles.
Erick smiles, "Cool thanks. It's getting hot outside."
"Here," Jasmin fills the glasses and hands them to the men.
"Yum," Mr. Mayer says. "Good job."
Erick nods in agreement as he drinks the lemonade.
"So, are we going to go out?" Jasmin asks.
"Yeah, let me just shower," mr. Mayer finishes his glass. He excuses himself and goes to shower. Erick burps out loud as he sets the empty glass down inside the sink.
"Eww," Jasmin says. Erick smiles, "Sorry."
"Are you going with us?" Gregory asks.
Erick says no. "I'm going to water your mom's plants and shower as well."
"Okay," Gregory walks to the living room. Jasmin leans against the sink counter in the middle. She puts her hair behind her ears and crosses her arms against her chest. She has a simple blue spring dress with white wedges.
"What?" Erick asks as he leans against the refrigerator. "Do you have something to say?"
"Why are you here?"
"I need to get away from my parents,"
"Why?"
"Because they are impossible to please,"
"Why?"
Erick chuckles, "Wow, kid-"
"I'm not a kid!" Jasmin exclaims. "I'm 15!"
Erick steps foward towards Jasmin. "Really?"
She stands straight. "Yeah, my dad hasn't seen me in a year, he thinks of me as a little girl."
"So being 14 is a little girl?"
"No, but he hasn't been in my life entirety, when I was 4 he left, then came back when I was 6. After that he has been in and out for months. He sees me as a little kid because of that," Jasmin says.
Erick lightly frowns, "Sorry. I guess you're right. But hey, you can be 40 and your dad will still think of you as his little princess."
Jasmin shrugs, "I guess."
"Look, Jasmin, I will just be here for a while. I won't try to bother you or worry your parents. Are we cool?" Erick extends his hand.
Jasmin looks at him. "Under one condition."
"What?"
"If you do babysit, Gregory and I can sleep late, and you won't tell my parents,"
Erick nods, "Okay."
Jasmin grins, "Cool." They shake hands.
Erick smirks, "You look cute."
Jasmin blushes, "Why did he say that?" She thinks.
Erick suddenly frowns. He gets his hand back and reaches into his pant pocket. He takes his cell phone out. "Hello?" He asks in somewhat fear.
Jasmin can hear someone yelling or bickering. Erick keeps a serious face and walks out of the house.
Jasmin goes to the living room and watches Erick in the window. She sits on the couch and looks upon. Erick seems nervous and upset.
"I wonder who he is talking to," Jasmin whispers to herself.
Erick paces back and forth but isn't yelling or talking too out loud since Jasmin can't hear.
Seconds pass, and Erick finally hangs up the call. He turns to the house and sees Jasmin looking at him. She quickly dodges and sits next to Gregory.
"Darn, he saw me," Jasmin thinks.
The door opens and Erick comes in. "Jasmin?"
Jasmin closes her eyes, "yeah?"
"Can you come over here,"
"Darn, darn, he is going to tell me to stop eavesdropping on him. How embarrassing!" Jasmin thinks. She stands and follows Erick towards the hallway that leads to the rooms. "What did you hear?" He asks. He gets her hand and she is in front of him.
"Nothing," she answers. "I was just looking."
"You sure?"
She nods. "Can I have my hand back?"
He let's go of her hand and sighs. "It's okay, everything is okay, don't worry."
His blue eyes look at Jasmin. "Everything cool?"
She nods, "Yeah."
A door opens and Mr. Mayer comes out with new clothes on and his brown hair wet. He has a white towel around his neck. "Oh hey, do you guys need to use the bathroom? I took long?"
"No sir, but I do need to use the bathroom," Erick goes inside the bathroom and closes the door.
"Let me put on my sneakers and we can go," mr Mayer says.
"Sure dad."
....

"Yes, oh my god," Mrs. Mayer whispers. Mr. Mayer kisses his wife breasts. They are in a passionate embrace on their bed. It is night time.
"I missed you," Mr. Mayer says. "I love you Natalia."
Mrs. Mayer smiles, "I love you Calvin."
He touches her breasts and looks at her. "I will make love to you all night baby."
"I want you to. I was so lonely." They kiss.
Jasmin suddenly wakes up. She hears something hitting the wall beside her bed. "What the hell?" She asks as she sits up. The hitting on the wall stops and she walks towards the door. She walks out into the hallway and sees nothing. But as she walks to Gregory's room, Jasmin sees a light coming from Erick's room.
"He is still awake?" Jasmin asks. She stands in front of the door and puts her ear against it.
She hears moaning and grunts.
"Hello? You okay?" Jasmin knocks on the door. The door opens and it is her dad. He has his jeans only.
"Hey, you okay?" Mr. Mayer asks.
"Wait, isn't this Erick's room?"
"No, we switch,"
"Oh, well, I heard weird sounds-"
"It's nothing dear," mrs. Mayer exclaims. Jasmin sees her in her robe laying on the bed.
"Just go to sleep," Mr. Mayer says and closes the door. Awkward.
Jasmin goes back to her room. Soon the house is silent.
Then, there's lots noise coming from the living room.
A scream of a young boy is heard.
A door is kicked opened and a gun shot is heard.
Jasmin wakes up panicked. She quickly runs towards her parents room. She almost trips, it is so dark. A man is standing on top of her father's body. Jasmin yells to him. He stands and turns around. Her father gasps for air. But suddenly Jasmin's eyes are covered and her yell can't escape from her mouth.
She struggles to get out of this body's grip.
"What's going on?! Who is this?" Jasmin thinks.
"Let her go!" Erick yells. Something hits Jasmin in the head and she blanks out.
....
It is a breezy Sunday morning. Charlotte enters a gasoline store to fill her car's gas tank. "Morning, I would like $30 on the aisle 4," she says to the register. She gives her the money and begins to walk out. The television hanging besides the door gets her attention.
It is one of the local new station channels. The female newscaster begins to talk.
"At the 5'o clock news, Jerry will keep you posted about the terrible break in at a house in the Ranch valley. A family was assaulted, shot, and robbed in the middle of the night by someone who knew the family's guest. No one was killed but there are reports stating one family member is missing."
Charlotte quickly calls Jasmin. "Please, don't let it be you," she whispers. Jasmin doesn't pick up.
Charlotte walks towards her car and puts the gas in. She dials Jasmin house. No answer.
"Oh god!" She begins to whimper. "Why Is she not picking up?"

....