T.O.R.N.: There's Only Right Now

Chapter 3 Asleep

The sound of computer keys clicking as the social worker typed up the case for Asante and Aissa echoed in Asante's mind. It drowned out all the other noise of the busy police station. Officers occupied themselves with paperwork, interviewing witnesses, and questioning perpetrators throughout the station. No one noticed that their world had just been torn apart.

Asante was cold and frightened as she held her little sister's hand who rocked back and forth in her chair as she hummed. The left side of Aissa's face above her eye had bandages, she stared at something that Asante couldn't see. She didn't know exactly what was wrong with her sister, but the glass from the jeep window seemed to have cut more than just Aissa's face. However, Asante did know their lives would never be the same. Momma is...gone. The thought of it made her tremble. How could she be gone? What will they do with us? It had just been the three of them. Asante hadn't seen their dad since Aissa was in Mommy's tummy. She was four then but had stopped asking about him when her mother's answer never changed. "I don't know where Michael is, but I hope we see him again one day," she would say.

"My name is Mrs. Oberland." Asante was brought back to the present. A silver-haired, pale skinned, very slender white woman with an extremely long neck sat across from Asante and Aissa. "I am a social worker and I help children like you get settled again when their world gets turned upside down, do you understand?" Asante, nodded yes, Aissa continued to hum and rock. At this, Mrs. Oberland directed her questions to Asante. "What is your name honey?"

"Asante Argueta." she nearly whispered.

"And your sister?"

Asante cleared her throat, "Aissa Argueta."

"How old are you and your sister?" Mrs. Oberland asked.

"I'm almost seven, my birthday is July thirty-first, and my sister is four, she just had a birthday, March eleventh."

"Wow, she's tall for four and you are quite articulate for almost seven."

"Thank you," Asante replied.

"Can you tell me about what happened this morning? What happened to your mother?" Mrs. Oberland asked cautiously. Asante shook her head no.

"Your neighbor, Mrs. Morrow, said she heard a crash and then you and your sister's screams. She said when she looked outside her window all the cars were parked along the street including yours, but your mother was faced down in the street some fifteen feet from your jeep. No other cars were seen leaving the scene. Mrs. Morrow then called nine-one-one and came to see about you and Aissa. She was with you until the police arrived. Did a car hit your mother, Asante, what did you see?"

Asante's stomach started to feel as it did the last time she looked into her mother's eyes. Like snakes slithering from the inside out. Her forehead broke out in a sweat and her body went from cold to hot very quickly. She thought of the last moments of her mother's life and it all seemed unimaginable. A big truck appeared out of thin air, hit my mother, then vanished as quickly as it came. Isn't that what I saw? She once again shook her head 'no' and began to stare at the ground.

"Do you know of anyone who wanted to hurt you or your mommy?"

Asante looked up, wide-eyed. Up until that moment she had assumed it was some type of accident, although she couldn't explain the truck. She began to replay the morning's events in her mind. "Mommy was scared!" It slipped out of her mouth before she could hold it in. Mrs. Oberland looked at her intently.

"Scared of what, Asante?"

"I don't know." She responded. Asante put her hand over her mouth and started to cry. Mrs. Oberland got up, came around the desk and hugged Asante's limp frame.

"Uh-hum," A tall man in a scruffy brown suit approached the desk. "Excuse me, Sheila." At this, Mrs. Oberland stood up and stepped away from them.

Aissa began to hum louder, making it hard for Asante to hear. "Shhh, Aissa," Asante whispered. Aissa didn't listen and continued to hum.

Asante then heard "hit and run," a moment later, "No family." Aissa continued to hum even louder. Asante held her hand to grab her attention but this time noticed Aissa's hand was even warmer than her own. Startled she touched Aissa's forehead, it burned like fire. She was about to call Mrs. Oberland back over but she and Mr. Brown Suit had returned.

"Mrs. Oberland, my sister..."

"Asante, listen to me," Mrs. Oberland interrupted her in a tone that immediately got Asante's attention. "This is my associate, Mr. Douglas. We just want to confirm; do you have any family that you could stay with?"

Asante quickly answered, "No." Something was wrong, the snakes had returned to the pit of her stomach and Aissa's hand was getting hotter.

"Well, Mr. Douglas has been trying to find a family where both of you can stay temporarily until a proper foster family can be established. However, there doesn't seem...Aissa, honey can you quiet down," Aissa was so loud that the rest of the station seemed to hush and be looking in their direction. Aissa kept humming, Asante's hand started to hurt. "Anyway, we are going to have to separate you, just temporarily, until we can find you a home together, now say your goodbyes."

"But Mrs. Oberland I think my sister is sick, she's burning up!" However, Mrs. Oberland couldn't quite hear her over Aissa's piercing hum. Asante let go of Aissa because it felt like her hand was actually on fire. As she looked down to check it she noticed Aissa's chair was shaking and now so were the objects on Mrs. Oberland's desk. Aissa screamed and at that moment a jolt shook the entire police station. All the glass in the police station shattered at once.

Someone screamed, "Earthquake, take cover!" File cabinets tipped over, while objects flew everywhere. The ground beneath Asante's feet moved as if it were a rolling wave, she looked at Aissa, who continued to scream but the rest of her body was still. Asante tried to get closer to her when she was thrown to the ground by a desk that had shifted. The blow to her head knocked her unconscious for a few moments. When she opened her eyes, her head thundered with pain.

Although her vision blurred, Asante could sense the chaotic scene that swept the police station. She barely could make out her sister who sat calmly in the midst of it all. That's when Asante noticed Mr. Douglas, who was about ten feet from Aissa staring at her. But as the earth moved under his feet, his body seemed to absorb the movement so it appeared as though he moved with it. He walked toward Aissa in a straight line. He stood right behind her and grabbed Aissa's head, then he put his arms around her neck in a choke hold until she lost consciousness.

"No, Aissa," Asante whispered. The shaking stopped. Asante couldn't keep her eyes open. She fell asleep.

When Asante woke, she could feel the vibration of the tires against the road. The smell of leather on the hot seat she lay upon mixed with blood from her head. She was in the back of a car. Alone. Her head ached as the scene at the police station floated back into her mind. Aissa! Her vision still was a bit blurry as she tried to focus on the car door handle. After a few moments, she pulled herself up in the seat to find Mrs. Oberland in the front driving. "Where is my sister?" Asante's voice cracked.

"Your sister is safe and so are you," She continued, "What an earthquake! We're lucky that we weren't really hurt, although you did hit your head pretty bad. Go back to sleep and get some rest, we still have a while yet until we arrive at the Hughes Home for Girls. They have nurses there on staff, we'll get your head looked at."

"But where is my sister?" Asante asked again. A question that would go unanswered.