Imagine That (Woody McClain Chronicles)

1936 ( 2)

The lone street lamp illuminated their skin as their tongues wrestled for dominance. They didn't care if the whole house saw them. Woody'd waited far too long to be a gentleman now and the way his hands caressed her body dissolved any "ladylike' manners AB once had.

Their intimate moment was disturbed by the loud rev of a car engine. Woody and AB both looked towards the road to see a black pick-up truck speeding towards them. 4 White men leaned out of the back of it screaming racial obscenities at the two while flailing steel pipes and shotguns in the air. Woody grabbed AB's arm and quickly turned to run back into the house. If they were going to have a fighting chance of making it back home tonight, they'd have to do just that-fight and that could only be done if everyone in the house united.

"Oooh no no no..." The chilling cock of a shot gun accompanied one of the White men's menacing voice.

"Don't you move." He pointed the gun directly at Woody whose grip tightened on AB's arm. He stared back at the man with a stone face. HE was preparing to fight for his and AB's lives.

"We don't want no trouble." Woody said as he cautiously side-eyed the man.

All the men burst into laughter as they got out of the bed of the truck and walked towards the couple.

"Well, neither do we, boy. We just lookin' for a good time...." He began circling Woody and AB, purposely grazing the barrel of his gun against AB's back side. She flinched, shutting her eyes tight, praying they'd live through this night. She couldn't help but think she should've stayed home, like she always did.

"...and it seemed like you and ya gal here....were havin' a good ol' time." He taunted them, standing uncomfortably close to AB. She grimaced catching the strong stench of tobacco, Gin, and sweat.

AB glanced at Woody and could see his jaw clenching. His fist balled up at his side as the rest of the men circled them. Woody slipped his arm around AB's waist and pulled her close.

"The party's in there but ya'll out here gettin' fresh. Shame on ya." A taller white man teased with a smirk.

AB silently wished someone would look out the window or come outside to save them but it was to no avail. The music was too loud and the people were probably too drunk, including her sister.

Eva. AB's eyes began to gloss over with tears as she thought of her sister being without her. She was completely oblivious to the fact that she just might be an only child by the end of the night,

"Tell ya'll what, why don't you take a ride with us? Let's have some fun." The ringleader who'd violated AB spoke again, showing off a toothy grin that made her skin crawl.

"Naw, we just fine here....but thank you." Woody spoke slowly through clenched teeth, trying to contain himself. The man's smile fell. AB screamed as he used the stock of the shotgun to strike Woody in the face, making him fall to his knees.

"I wasn't askin', boy." He shrugged carelessly.

AB knelt down next to him and took his face in her hands as she sobbed. Woody gave her a reassuring nod that he was okay even though blood poured from a fresh gash on his face. The men snickered as Woody winced in pain before spitting out blood and standing to his feet. He stared daggers into the men and pulled AB to his side once again. Woody wasn't afraid to fight any man even though the law would never be on his side. He'd done it before and barely got away with his life but he had to play his cards carefully in this moment. Right now wasn't the time to be a hot head.

"Move." One of the guys shoved them towards the truck, pushing them into the cab with the fattest man driving. The man tried to force AB to sit next to him but Woody slid in first, making her sit near the window. He'd be damned if he watched the woman he was in love with be touched by some dirty redneck.  The man laughed and shook his head before pulling back on to the dark road.