Swapped

Chapter 50

Joy

I sat on the couch curled up in a fetal position. I was exhausted because as soon as I entered the bedroom I could tell Natasha had been through my things. I pulled the blankets off the bed and washed them and walked through my house with sage. It took me a week to feel like that woman's scent and presence was out of my house. Now I lay on the couch relaxing. I knew it was an odd time but I wanted to find something to occupy my mind. I had majored in finance in college and I had done nothing with my degree. Now I found myself applying to local jobs. I needed a life outside of Khalil. I knew he wouldn't be happy but maybe it would draw him out of the shell he was in. I tried to ignore it but it had been three months since Natasha's death and Khalil had withdrawn. Almost like he was going through the motions of life, but not really living. I smelled my pot roast baking in the oven and I knew I should get up and check on it but I didn't instead I felt myself began to doze. It didn't feel right though like something was pulling me into sleep. I started to panic and fight the feeling but it was useless, to sleep I went.

"Wake up!" My eyes fluttered open and everything seemed hazy. "Hey Bitch remember me?" Summer no...Lauren. She looked funny like strange to me. I rubbed my eyes.

"Lauren?" I looked around the room and I didn't recognize my surroundings. Oh no what did this crazy bitch do? "Lauren where am I?" I asked as I tried pulling myself up. What the hell was this a barn or something? It was, it was a barn. "How did I get here?" I said trying to pull myself up but then I realized my hand was cuffed to a wooden slack attached to the foundation. "Lauren let me go!" I said furious. Did this bitch kidnap me? "Why I knew you where off your Rocker but this is crazy Lauren this is criminal. If you don't let me go now!" She walked over to me and punched me hard in the face."Hey bitch in case you haven't noticed you are not in the position to make demands." She hit me so hard I saw stars. I felt the blood on my lip and looked at her like she was insane as she rubbed her fist with her other hand. "Now here is the thing. You killed my sister."

"No I didn't!" I yelled at her. She grabbed my hair and rammed my face into the wooden wall several times. I felt the flesh on my face ripping from the splinters and the brute force.

"Yes the hell you did, and guess what I found out yesterday. Hell why don't we just take a look?" She took my other hand and pulled it behind my back. I tried to pull away then I heard the click. "Fight me please because I so wanna blow your brains out all over the floor." I froze as she cuffed my hands together and then she put a dog collar around my neck and attached a chain to it. "Come on little bitch crawl!"She jerked the chain and I felt myself choke. "Get up and move!" She yelled.

"How am I suppose to crawl with out my hands. I felt I kick in my back and I fell face first. The next thing I knew is I was struggling to get on my knees and crawl because she was pulling the chain hard choking me. When I finally got on my knees I crawled as fast as I could while she laughed at me. When we came to the opening I looked across the field where her house use to be. "Ask me what happen whore!" She demanded. I was afraid though of what her answer would be when I said nothing she struck me with the butt of the gun. I fell to the ground again face first now she was in my face. "My house burned down," she said jerking my head back she shoved the gun down my throat. "Daddy couldn't let that bottle go after Summer died which was whose fault huh huh?" She asked shoving it down my throat until I gagged and then taking a little back and shoving it down my throat again. "He fell asleep in a drunken stupor with a fucking cigarette in his hand. He nor my mother had a chance. Now tell me Joy how is that fair and why should the whore that started this all live?" Oh my God I started to pray as fear gripped my body. I knew that this was too good to be true. You know happiness. Why did my mother name me Joy ? I truly had not experienced the emotion since childhood. My adult life had been complicated. My husband died, My only child died, My parents abandoned me, My sweet Khalil was a lost soul, and my best friend Summer died while carrying her child, that also died shortly after. Where we cursed or am I the curse. Now Lauren looked at me lost and broken with nothing to lose. She looked so hurt that as I lay bleeding with tears and snot rolling down my face mixed in blood, my knees bloody and bruised and my back aching I felt sorry for her. She took the chain and tied it to a pole then she started moving around I closed my eyes for a moment to rest because I was so tired. I stayed tired these days. My eyes opened wide when I smelled the gas. I opened my eyes and screamed "No no Lauren please!" I cried out desperately, but it was to late. She lit a match and the barn instantly went up in flames. My mother's instinct kicked in and I struggled to get loose. Trying to get away I pulled and pulled but it was no use. I screamed and Lauren came and kicked me again. "Shut up! The heat feels good and the fire is pretty." She said