Lost In Paradise(EDITING)

19. Options

Paradise

"I swear if I sit in this fuckin room for another minute, I'm gon snap! I'll kill Michael's bitch ass myself!" I screamed to no one in particular since Julio was out to get us food.

Its been almost two months since Julio and I escaped and been in hiding. We have no way to contact our family, we can't even walk out side without a hoodie and sun glasses.

I pray every day that God will guide us through this. I don't want to lose my faith but, as each day goes by, I start to question it.

I want my prayers to be answered, I need a miracle to happen because I honestly don't know how much more of this I can take.

I sat on the chair by the window watching the children play in the leaves. Its almost winter but winter here in Atlanta is way different than Ohio. By now it would have been at least 3-4 inches of snow but, here it was barely an inch.

Julio kept us warm by a little space heater he bought a while ago. Our money is running out and pretty soon we'll be without food and water.

I haven't had the desire to wash my hair. It has grown out since I cut it but, I know
Its probably damaged since I haven't been taking care of it. It was curly and sticking to my face due to the heat.

I've been writing more. Writing is the only thing that has been keeping me sane but, not sane enough. It seems like my dreams of a music career are long gone because the way I see it me and Julio only have two options: Stay in hiding and die or come out of hiding and get killed.

Monica

Its been two months since my baby has been gone. I feel like with each day that goes by without knowing her whereabouts, I get crazier and crazier. I'm so close to pulling a massacre and just kill every one on sight but, that won't bring Paradise back. The only thing I can do is pray and wait.

I know I've made some awful decisions but, that does not make me a bad person. I had good intentions then and I have good intentions now.

I just want my baby to be safe.

I miss her beautiful smile, the way she just brightens your day, and that beautiful singing voice of hers.

The day Paradise sung for me was a day I'll never forget. My baby girl has talent and I'm going to make sure she goes after her dreams when we get out of this mess.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Khalil walked in the room throwing a lamp. It was a replacement for the one I smashed a while ago.

"Nigga the fuck wrong with you?! I just replaced that shit!" Josh jumped up getting in Khalil's face.

"Man fuck you and that ugly ass lamp! You wasn't gon tell me about my mom getting killed?! I went up to the hospital to see her just for them mufuckas to tell me she's gone?! Its been two months! Two fucking months and you didn't even bother to tell me ?! You foul for that shit pops!"

This was my first time seeing Khalil cry and it broke my heart. I told Josh that it wasn't a good idea to keep it from him but, he didn't listen. I had the option to tell the truth but he didn't want to go that route, now he has to pay the consequences.

"I'm sorry son. I thought you would have been too much for you to handle. From you getting shot and your girlfriend going missing, I just didn't want you to stress yourself out. There was nothing you could do so why bother?" The only thing I got out of that was "girlfriend" since when did Paradise and Khalil become a couple?

"She's not my girlfriend but, that's not the issue! So what did you do with her body? You couldn't let me see her one last time?! Pops damn!"

Josh grabbed Khalil and pulled him into a tight hug. I can tell this was a very sensitive subject for them so I decided to leave and go off somewhere else

I walked in the kitchen to see Stacy dipping a pickle in a bowl of ice cream. I twisted my face up until a thought came into mind.

She's pregnant

"Stacy have you talked to your mom lately." I can tell I scared her the way she dropped the pickle and pushed the bowl to the side.

"Uh y-yes. She wants me to come home for Christmas so I think I'm going to do that since I missed Thanksgiving."

"That's cool, so are you going to tell her about your pregnancy too?"

Her face dropped when I asked that. I guess she wasn't expecting me to figure it out.

"How did you know?" She put her head down as if she was ashamed but, honestly she had nothing to be ashamed about.

"Sweetheart only a pregnant woman would eat pickles and ice cream together. How far along are you?"

"Almost seven weeks. I was just scared how the outcome of telling my mom so I just kept it to myself. Khalil, Paradise, and Jheri were the only ones who knew."

"Jheri's the father?"

She shook her head yes before bursting out in tears. I gave her a hug, trying my best to console her. I guess today is just an emotional day for everyone.

"Josh! Monica! Y'all need to come here now!" Gina screamed from the top of the stairwell. All of us jumped up, knowing it was pertaining to Paradise. My heart was beating a hundred miles per minute, I need to hear some good news about my baby.

Josh

Today just isn't our day.

First I had to deal with Khalil finding out about his mom. I just didn't know how to tell him. I knew it would have helped him to see her first before I had her body cremated but, if you knew how she looked before, you wouldn't be able to tell it was her. She was beaten that bad.

Now Michael's ass found Paradise before we did. Shit couldn't get any worst for us.

"Mommy! Uncle Josh please help me!" Paradise cried through the camera. Michael FaceTime Gina to show us. She was tied up to a chair with her eyes blindfolded. A man stood behind her with a gun pointed to the back of her head.

"Now Josh and Monica, you guys have only two options. Give me the rest of my money or Little Paradise dies. Sadly either way it goes, she will be killed along with the rest of y'all. He ended the call after that.

I inhaled deeply before speaking. "I have a plan."

Gina was hugging both Stacy and Monica as they cried on both her shoulders. Khalil and Jheri stood off to the side with a blank stare on their face.

"Please tell me its a good one Josh." Gina said, looking at me with pleading eyes. I was beyond ready for this to end. But, I need all my men behind me on this one. Nobody is dying on my watch.

"Khalil call up everyone in the crew. I mean everyone from the west to the east, I need all my niggas to be loaded and ready. Jheri you know more than the rest of us so come with me. Stacy calm the hell the down for yo ass pop out two premature babies. Gina and Monica y'all get y'all shit together too, I know you both know how to use a gun. Meet me back here in one hour." Without waiting for a response, I walked out with Jheri following behind.

Fuck Michael's options, I'm running this shit now.

Excuse all mistakes