Since You Been Gone

Since You Been Gone: Chapter 17

The ride to Donnie's house to pick up Destiny was dark, quiet, and suffocating. Clear crystals streamed down Dawn's face as the two-year flashback blinded her vision for five seconds. It rewound so quickly Dawn couldn't even fathom how she'd even remembered it all, let alone saw it. The bright white car lights lit up the dark abyss that streamed in front of her, threatening to swallow her whole, threatening to pull her and her memories under. 'Why did he have to call me? After all these years why would he choose to call me now?' Dawn shook her head to try and clear her head of the last memories she had of her ex-best friend Justin. It just made everything seem so much more surreal, like it was meant to be this way, like God had planned for things to go awry between her and Justin.

Dawn turned left and pulled up to Donnie's house. She slammed the car door and walked in front of it to get to the sidewalk porch. It was lined with all sorts of flowers of all heights, sizes, and colours. Dawn's brown pumps clacked against the gravel as she walked towards Donnie and Aubrey's lit front door. Dawn knocked on the front door three times and waited. The curtain moved as she saw her precious Destiny's face cheesing extremely hard and showing those set of pearly white teeth. Destiny waved enthusiastically and dawn waved back. The front door swung open and Aubrey stood there.

"Hey Mami!" Aubrey exclaimed. "How ya doin'?"

Dawn stepped over the threshold. "I'm fine," Dawn replied in the fakest joking voice she could manage.

The door slammed behind her and Nas, their three-year-old male German Shepard tried jumping on Dawn.

"Nuh unh, honey! Not in these shoes," she warned.

"Down, Nas! Down!" Aubrey shouted.

Destiny screamed, "Mommy!" Dawn grinned and watched as destiny ran as fast as her short legs would take her. Dawn bent down to Destiny's level and gave her a tight hug. "Hey Des! How's mommy's baby? You ready to go home?"

"Yes," Destiny responded.

"Okay honey, go get your coat and we'll leave okay?"

"Okay, Mommy!" Destiny ran off into the living room and Dawn stood up back to full height.

"I hope ya'll haven't been spoiling her!" Dawn said with stern eyes.

"Oh, you know Donnie," Aubrey replied, rolling her eyes and waving a petite hand in Dawn's face. "He's a pushover!" They both started giggling until Destiny and Donnie returned with her coat and shoes.

"I wanna go home, Mommy!" Destiny whined. "I wanna see Daddy!"

"Okay, we're going now, honey! I'll see ya'll tomorrow," Dawn said, waving goodbye to them both.

Dawn and Destiny walked to the car and after she strapped Destiny in her car seat, she slammed the door and began walking over to the driver's side. But something in her peripheral vision caught her eye. She looked to her left and gazed out into the pitch blackness. Dawn shook her head and reached for the door handle. "Dawn!" someone whispered. "It's me! Justin!" Her arm froze at the handle and turned around slowly...

Dawn's heart dropped when she heard the words being whispered. She glanced at Destiny in the backseat for a split second, and then slowly turned around. The cold air brushed against her face and the porch light went off, surrounding her in darkness. Still, Justin's looming figure emerged from a nearby rose bush with a smile on his face. He obviously though his little tactic was a little comical, following her and randomly calling her.

Dawn's frightened expression clearly read on her face. She began to slowly pull the handle open on the driver's door, but she couldn't yank it open without looking too obvious.