I'll Never Let You Go

Chapter Seven

"Thy grace, thy more than beauty,
Shall be an endless theme of praise,
And love—a simple duty."
- Edgar Allan Poe

Morticia changed quickly. It was early in the morning - still dark out. She decided that she wasn't coming home until she could bring him home with her.

Pugsley was waiting for her in the hall. She pulled him into a tight embrace and kissed the top of his head.

"Mother, I'll come with you," he said, bravely.

"No, darling," she replied, shaking her head. "I need you to stay here where it's safe. You can take care of your sister, grandmama, and uncle while I'm gone."

He hugged her tightly, then walked her to the door. As she walked outside, he waved goodbye. Then, he closed the door behind her.

She stepped outside and took a deep breath. She tried to remember what her husband looked like when she saw him in her dream. Maybe his appearance could give her a clue as to where he was. She remembered dirt and mud. There were some abandoned buildings on the edge of town that she knew Gomez admired. He had taken her there on a date once. If he needed to hide out from someone or something, he may have gone there. Since their car was also missing, she had no other option than to walk. She began her journey with the first hope that she'd had since this whole affair began.

- Gomez -

Gomez awoke with a start. He sat up and saw that all three of the thugs had fallen asleep. He rubbed his eyes and took in the situation. He quietly opened the car door, stepped out, and closed it behind him. Then, he took off running. He knew that they weren't far from town. If he could just find someone and get them to help him, he could return to his beautiful wife and family at last.

- Morticia -

At about noon, Morticia finally arrived at the group of abandoned buildings. The ground was muddy and littered with broken glass. She stepped inside the first building and was transported back to that lovely date. He had set up a picnic for her. She remembered rats running across their picnic blanket. They danced together, and she remembered the sound of broken glass under their feet. The fond memory made her smile, and for one second, she forgot the troubles of her situation. However, in a moment, they came flooding back to her.

She walked through the building, looking for any sign of him. Alas, the building looked much the same as it had the last time she had been there. There was nothing to indicate that anyone had been there, much less Gomez.

Just then, she heard the crunching of glass under someone's foot. She turned around and found herself faced with several police officers.

"Hands in the air!" one officer commanded. "This is private property. You are trespassing."

Morticia put her hands in the air, and another officer came around to handcuff her. They escorted her out of the building, and into their squad car.

- Gomez -

Gomez made it quite a ways before he heard the car behind him again. The thugs had woken up and discovered he was gone. He could see the town before him. He used all of his remaining energy to run even faster.

"Help!" he screamed. "Someone please help me!"

He finally reached the closest building, which turned out to be a convenience store, and ran inside. He heard the car tires screeching behind him. He hid behind a shelf, panting. He heard the door burst open.

"Where is he?!?!" he heard the thug yell. Customers started screaming and crying. Gomez ducked lower to the ground and prayed that they didn't come down this aisle.