Set Me Free

Chapter 2

"Dad what are you doing?" I asked, crying and shaking in fear.
"I said not to tell anyone anything Amber. You know what happens if you do."
Amber was speechless. She was nearly scared to death. She didn't deserve this and I won't let it happen to her. I reached over Amber and pushed dad as hard as I could to the ground. I opened the door and grabbed Amber and ran towards my car. As we were running, we looked back and saw him headed our way. We were just a second away from the car.
Pow! One shot fired. Pow! Two shots fired. The bullet nearly missed Amber, but it grazed her arm. Amber screamed to the top of her lungs. Dad froze. He turned around, ran to his car and got inside of it and began to pull off. Amber was in pain, her crystal, light brown skin would now be scarred. Not only scarred with a mark but also scarred with bad memories. Amber screamed louder and louder and louder. I opened up the passenger door and sat her down.
"Baby girl it's gone be alright, I promise you everything gone be alright." I repeatedly told her to ease her mind. "I'm going to run in the house and grab some ice and a rag, stay put."
When I got in the house, I went to the living room to get the house phone and call mom. She was at work so I wasn't sure if she would answer or not, but she did. I told her everything that happened and no surprise, she didn't believe me. It's like I'm waisting my damn breath and damn time even talking to her. She's like a teenager, naive. Why would we make up things like this? God! It makes no sense. This isn't right, it's not.
I hurried to the kitchen freezer to get a bag of ice and to the bathroom to get a rag. Also, I grabbed garbage bags and put a bunch of our clothes and shoes in it. I didn't want to stay in too long just incase dad would come back. I ran outside to the car like I was on the track team. I got in the car and Amber was still panicking.
"Amber put this ice and rag on your arm." I cranked up the car and pulled off, not even looking to make sure it was safe to go. "We wont be coming back here for a while."
"Where are we going to go?"
"I don't know yet but it wont be there."
When i got down the road, I pulled over at a service station and called Chanel back to see if we could stay there for a while. The phone rung about two times and I hung up the phone. I decided not to ask Chanel because my mom could easily find me there. Chanel was my only friend at this point so I had no other friends to ask.
"What about grandma and grandad?"
"What about them?"
"Call and see if we could stay there."
"Hell no. Mom and dad would find us and grandma wouldn't believe us anyway."
"Grandad would believe us though."
"Yeah he would but thats besides the point."
"Just ask them..we're like homeless."
"Amber shut up! We wont be staying with any relatives or friends so dont even ask me."
"What about a motel?"
"That's a good idea but we dont have enough money to even stay there for two nights."
"Shawn works at the motel close to the school, cant he give you like a discount or some?"
"I dont know.."
"Ask and see."
I didnt want Amber to know about Shawn because it's embarrassing but he has been calling me all day and I've been avoiding him. I really need this though not just for me but for my little sister too. So I called him and asked.
"What did he say?"
"He's letting us stay there for as long as we wanted, no charge."
"See I told you, I knew he would."
I went to the motel and unloaded the car. Shawn walked outside already with the key in his hand. He spoke to me but all I did was a fake smile. I still wasn't willing to have things back to normal with him but he is doing us a big favor.
"Hey kiddo." Shawn said to Amber patting her head messing up her black hair.
"Hey Shawn." she replied giggling.
"What happened to your arm."
"My dad was trying to shoo..."
"...Shoot the birds and the bird came back and pecked her arm." I added on cutting her off.
Amber looked at me and rolled her eyes. "Pecked her arm? Really Ari that makes absolute no sense."
"You make no sense. You and Tammy makes no sense."
"So you're just going to hold that against me? We need to talk, this is ridiculous."
"Ya'll two love birds can talk, I'm going in the room to take a loonnggggg nap."
Shawn and I stood outside the motel room and talked. It was quiet for a moment but then Shawn began to speak up.
"I know I was wrong for not telling you about me and Tammy but I swear, we aint do nothin."
"And how do I know that ya'll aint do none?"
"Because I have too much respect for you to do anything like that with that girl. She just needed someone to talk to that's all."
"Anything she had to say to you could of been talked about to me and Chanel, not my nigga!"
"I understand, you're right."
"I know I'm right. What were ya'll talking about anyway?"
"She told me not to tell anyone."
"I'm done, I'm so done. That's it."
I walked off and Shawn pulled me back and kissed me. When he kissed me, it's like I forgot about everything and it made me love him again. I forgave him, like I always do. I gave in. I don't know what it is about him but somehow I always seem to come back into his arms when he fucks up.
Out of nowhere, my phone began to ring. I reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone. It was mom. I'm not answering her phone calls. She better not try and get us to come home because we wont be for a while. I walk into the motel room and see Amber passed out on the bed. She really was tired. After all she's been through today, I would be doing the same thing she is doing right now.
Amber's phone was ringing and it was mom calling. Well that phone wont be getting answered either.
It's only 1:13 p.m. time has been going by super slow this day. I haven't eaten all day and I doubt Amber has too. Since she was sound asleep, I went to Mcdonalds to buy us something to eat. I ordered us both the number 15 and went back to the motel. When I arrived, the motel door was cracked open. That's strange. I opened the door and Amber was gone. I dropped the food and checked everywhere in the motel for Amber. Where could she have gone? I went to the check-in desk and asked the lady at the desk if anyone had been back there. She said no one should have been in there.
"Is Shawn still here?"
"No he got off of work around 1:00, sorry."
"I'm looking for my sister, she was here when I left and I haven't even been gone for a long time. Now I come back, she's gone."
"You should call the police and file a Amber Alert."
I ran to the car to grab my phone. I had 6 missed calls from Amber and I didn't even know. I called back and she answered.
"Amber where in the hell are you?"
"I'm at home."
"What are you doing home? How did you get there? Amber!?"
"Mom called when you were gone and I told her where I was and she came and got me. I don't want to stay at that motel anymore, I want to go home."
"Really Amber? You're pathetic." With that, I hung up.
She gives in too fucking easily. Part of me is telling me to stay here, and away from dad. Other part is telling me to go home and be there for Amber for when something goes bad. So I went. No matter how much I want to be away from dad, I cant leave Amber alone. I went back to the room, ate and relaxed for a little.
Boom. Boom. Boom. "Open the door."
That sounded like Chanel and Tammy. I looked through the peek hole, and it was them. I really didnt want to be bothered but I opened the door anyways.
"How did ya'll know I was in here?"
"From Shawn of course." Tammy replied.
"Mmm." Rolling my eyes.
"Umm Okay so why are you here at this piece of shit ?" Chanel wondered.
"Sit down, let me tell you."
"What about telling me too?" Tammy questioned.
"Honey I don't fuck with you."
"Over that Shawn thing? Really? Girl please, aint nobody finna argue with you."
"Bitch get out then!"
"Hold on Hold On! Ya'll supposed to be best damn friends and arguing over a nigga? Come on now. Yeah Tammy you had no right to be out with her boyfriend anyway and Ari Shawn told you what was up. You need to trust him. You don't have any proof that he was lying or not so just chill. Damn, not even that deep."
"Okay you're right." Tammy reached over to hug me and apologize.
"But back to the question, you're here because?"
"Okay well I don't know how to say this but I don't want to be around my dad. He's been sexually abusing me and Amber. He tried to kill Amber today, that's why we're here. Well that's why I'm here. Amber went back home when I left to get us something to eat. So I'm going to go back."
"Oh my..Are you serious?" Chanel asked in shock.
"Yesss." I cried out.
Chanel and Tammy hugged me and patted my back. This was very emotional for me, but it has already happened. It's already part of a memory.
"You should tell your mom."
"I did but she doesn't believe me."
"Well maybe if Amber tells her she will."
"Yeah I think she'll believe you then." Tammy joined in.
"Amber told too, she got slapped for it."
"This shit is ridiculous. You need to go to the police with this. You cant be on the run forever. You're going to have to see your parents one day or go back home." Chanel stated.
"But I need a witness or evidence and I have neither."
"Yeah you don't have either but you have something better than that...Amber, a victim."
"You're right, you're absolutely right. I'm going to talk to Amber to see if she will confess to the police with me, hopefully she will."
"Well of course she will, why wouldn't she?" Said Tammy.
"Ehh..I suppose you're right."
After a long talk, Tammy and Chanel headed out and left me to myself. I gathered all of me and Amber's things and put it inside of my car. I had a bad feeling about going back to my house but it is what it is. I'll have to face my parents one day and this may be that day.
I pulled in the drive way and both my mom and dad's car were outside parked. I took a deep sigh and headed to the front door, legs shaking harder than ever. Before I could even open the door, Amber ran to the door and hugged me tightly as if she hadn't seen me in years. I pushed her out of my way and headed to my room. I still had an attitude with her for coming home so I wasn't in the mood for hugs. Amber followed me to my room and shut the door behind her. She stood in front of me with her hands on her hips, waiting for me to say something. I looked up at her and still didn't speak.
"What's your problem?
"I don't have no damn problem."
"Yes you do, I can tell."
"We need to talk."
"About what?"
"I need you to come with me to confess to the police."
"Confess?"
"Yeah confess. Tell our side of the story of what dad did is what I need you to do."
"I aint snitchin' to no police."
"It's not snitchin'. It's protecting."
"You can go, I'll pass."
"Do you want dad to keep doing this to us? He needs to be punished for his actions and this is the only way to get someone to listen to us. You really need to back me up here. Please!"
"Okay fine. When are we going?"
"Come on we can go now!" I grabbed her by her arm and ran to the car. Mom was telling us to come back to the house but I just ignored her and kept going. The sheriff's station was just a few blocks away from the house so it didn't take much time to get there.
When we arrived at the station, Amber wouldn't even get out of the car. I basically had to drag her out in order for her to come inside with me. We went inside and signed in and waited anxiously for someone to assist us. About 10 minutes later, an Officer directed us to a room where we would talk to him at. The room was cold and dull. There was a small table in the middle of the floor, surrounded with 5 chairs. I was a bit nervous to speak because of the big recorder at the end of the table, made it seem as if another set of eyes were secretly watching us.
"Hey Ari and Amber Hines. I'm deputy Jones. This conversation will be recorded due to the policy. What has brought you two here today."
"For the past month now, our father has been sexually abusing us. We told our mom but she didn't believe anything we said. We left home and stayed at a motel because we were scared and didn't want to be near him. My sister has a bruise on her arm for being grazed with a bullet earlier today by our dad when he tried to shoot her. "
"When was the last time he sexually abused you two."
"Mine was last month."
"What about you Amber?"
"Umm he never did."
"What!? Yes he did."
"Wait let her speak. So are you saying that what your sister stated was a lie?"
"Yes she is lying. Dad didn't try and have sex with me or shoot at me."
"Amber are you.."
"Hush Miss Hines."
"So where did that scar on your arm come from?"
"I scraped up my arm at the end of the kitchen counter when I was running in the house."
"And what exactly were you running from?"
"I was just playing around in the house, that's all."
"Okay well I think we're all done here."
"No we are not deputy Jones, she's lying."
"Well without any evidence or witness, I cant accuse your father of any crime. When you come with evidence or witness then we may have a chance of taking this to court. Other than that, I cant do a damn thing bout it."
"But..."
"Ma'am have a nice day." He shook my hand and walked away. I cant believe that Amber said that. She could of confessed but she didn't even do that. She embarrassed the hell out of me. After all I have done.
The walk to the car was quiet until we pulled off from the station.
"Why did you lie to that police?" Amber didn't reply. "Huh!? I know you hear me little girl. You embarrassed the fuck out of me and I dont appreciate that, so tell me why."
"BECAUSE I LIKE IT!"
"You like it? Like what? Lying?"
"No I like what dad does to me."
"What the hell do you mean you like it!?"
"I like the feeling of it. I like how it makes me feel appreciated. Gives me good attention that I'm not getting. I like it."
"You're sick. You can feel appreciated in many other ways. Not having sex with your own father. "
"You're just jealous because dad is giving it to me when Shawn isn't giving it to you."
Don't reach over this seat and hit this bitch, don't do it. My mind had to keep reminding me over and over not to because I started to do it.
"Don't you EVER in your life tell me that again. You're too young to be thinking and doing what you're doing. I don't approve of that and I don't like it."
"You cant tell me what I can and cant do. I'm tired of you bossing me around. If I like having sex with dad then let me do it. Just worry about you for now on."
I was speechless, what's gotten into her.