Searching

chapter 2

Elise ran as fast as her feet would carry her. She had to get away. She dipped behind some bushes thanking God when the flash lights ran pass her. She began walking in the woods praying for somewhere to rest when the lights came back she took off running again.
   "Hey!" The voice yelled. "Hey stop!" She began to panic even more. The person begin to get closer. “Gotcha!”
   Waking up Elise let out a deep sigh. Pushing the blanket off she slowly sat up noticing that she was drenched in sweat. Every night it was the same dream. She's running and she wakes up as someone grabs her from behind. Even though she tries her hardest to forget about her past whenever she slept it always came back. Sliding out of bed she looked at the time to see that it was five-thirty in the morning. Not even trying to go back to sleep she decided to jump in the shower.
    As a baby she was taken away from her father was snuck across the border  to America from Haiti. She never knew the reason why she was taken. All she knew was at the age of four she never seen him again after that. Her mother had passed away while giving birth to her. She only remembered bits and pieces of her father. She couldn't remember what he looked like just the sound of his voice. She was raised by a women who enjoyed beating her. If she did one thing wrong she would be whipped for it so she learned to be invisible. She only spoke when spoken to and she cooked and cleaned damn near all day. Her life as a child was something she definitely did not want to remember. She hated her childhood and if there was a way that she could forget it she would.
   Her prayer for any kind of form of a normal life was answered when she tried to steal Maxine's car. Max was only seventeen and was just getting off work when she caught Elise using a rock to break her window. Being hungry and dehydrated she was unable to fight when Max snuck up on her pushing her against the car so hard that her face was smashed against the window unable to move.
   "Who the fuck are you trying to steal my car!" Max yelled. Her forearm  was now pressed against the back of Elise neck. "Who the hell are you?" She snapped again.
   "I can't breath." Elise said and fell to the ground once Max let her go. For some reason once Max got a look at her face instead of turning her into to the cops she forced her in her car and took her home to her mother. From that point on they were friends. She stayed with Max and her mother until she was sixteen and she moved out on her own not wanting to be any more of a burden than she already was.
   They would ask her where her family was and she would always tell them that she didn't know because that was the truth. She didn't know where her father was or if he was still alive. They looked her up in the system and couldn't find anything on her. When Max mom threatened to take her to the cops because she basically didn't exist she cried and begged her not to turn her in and when they seen how afraid she was they decided not to.
   Barbara knelt down in front of young Elise and declared her as her daughter from that point on. She had put her in the system as Elise Watson. She had given her her mother's maiden name. From the age twelve on up she knew what a true family was. She knew what the meaning of love meant. She was included in everything they did as a family. She was no longer afraid.
   Now at the age of twenty-six she had her own place a good job and could now take care of herself. She lived in a two bedroom house all to herself. She didn't want for nothing except for one thing and his name was Jonathan. She met him a few months after she moved in with his mother. He was visiting from college for a few days before he had to leave. From that day on she let him know that he was cute and at that time he thought her crush on him was cute and innocent. It would be another four years before they seen each other again and at the age of sixteen when he came back home her crush only grew stronger. She held her hand out to him introducing herself to him again.
   "Hello I'm Elise your future wife." He just laughed it off.
   "Hello Elise we met before already.”
   "Yes but that was four years ago. Are you home for good now?" She asked.
   "It seems that way."
   "That's good. I've been saving myself for you Handsome. I'm ready when you are." She's been waiting for him for thirteen years and still nothing from his part.
  She came to at the sound of her phone ringing. She knew it could be only one person at this time.
   "What's the news Sam?"
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John listened to the commotion around him as he sat at his mother's kitchen table. She was known for her many cookouts she had during the summer and just like any summer day in hot Georgia she was cooking on the grill, and everyone and they momma was invited. She loved these kind of things. She lived for them. It was nearly seven in the afternoon and the sun was still shining and the laughter and music was still strong. He enjoyed the cookouts just as much as anyone else but he had a long day today and just wanted to go home and go to bed. He was one minute from falling asleep at his mother table.
   "You know you can always go to my room and take a nap." His mother said noticing him nodding off.
   "Or you can go to my place and sleep in my bed with me beside you." He sighed at the sound of Elise voice.
   "When did you get here?' He asked sounding anode.
   "Just got here. Miss me?"
   "The day I miss you is when the world comes to an end." He said and his mother shook her head. She did not understand the relationship Elise and her son had.
   "Well I suggest you dig a hole and jump in that shit then because I know you want me Handsome." He just shook his head as he chuckled at her words. And now he was wide awake. Leave it up to Elise to perk him up. He stood.
   "I'm out of here mom." He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
   "Where's my kiss." Elise asked as she watched him grab his keys and put them in his pocket.
   "Never will I ever kiss you." He said empathising the word ever. As he began to walk pass her she placed her hand on his chest stopping him in his tracks.
   "Come on Handsome what could it hurt."
   "You have no idea." He said pushing her hand off him.
   "One of these days you're going to regret not kissing me."
   “I doubt that.”
   “I know you want to kiss me. You better act on it now before it’s too late.” 
   "The day we kiss is the day when I'm dead and gone and laying in my coffin and you give me a goodbye kiss." He retorted.
   "I'll take that." She said and Barbara snorted.
   "You two are too much." She said enjoying the encounter happening between them.
   John just continued to the door. If he didn't just walk away then Elise would continue to go at it with him. She always did.
   "He loves me." She said to Barbara who just laughed as she made her way to her yard.
   John sighed when his phone began to ring. He just stepped out of his mother's house. Trying to keep his company afloat was taking a toll on him. Now before taking his nap that he so needed he had to make his way back to his office. The day couldn't end soon enough. He dug in his pocket for his key and sighed when they weren't there. He looked around on the ground but still did not find them. He knew for a fact that he put the key in his pocket. That was the last time he remembered touching them. He suddenly stopped and sighed.
   "That damn women. Elise!" Storming back into his mother's house he sought her out and motioned for her to come to him.
   When Elise seen the anger in his face she just smiled not allowing that angry look to scare her. Although he was a big guy she knew that he would never put his hands on her. She stepped into the kitchen and slid the glass door close.
   "Yes Handsome? You change your mind about that kiss?" She asked as she smiled up at him but that angry look was still on his face.
   "Give me my key."
   "What key?"
   "My car key dammit."
   "I don't have your key. Why would I take your key?"
   “I know you did Elise. This isn't the first time you've done this. Now give me my key I'm not going to say it again."
   "I don't have your key Handsome, but I'll help you find it."
   "I know you have my key Elise. Stop playing games I have to leave now."
   "Handsome how long have you known me? When have I ever lied to you?" He paused at that question. He didn't remember her ever lying to him.
   "Then where are my keys?"
   "I don't know. If I did take them I would have given them back by now. I didn't pick pocket you this time Handsome." She patted his chest. "Relax we'll find them." She began helping him look around the house for them and just a minute into looking she found them right next to the door. They must have fell out his pocket when he answered his phone. "Found them." She called out and went and handed them to him. He had an apologetic look on his face.
   "Thank you. Sorry I yelled at you."
  "A kiss will make me feel better." She said smiling up at him.
  "No." He said walking past her to the door.
   "You're welcome." She called to his descending back.