gangs

Twenty-one

three days later.

The guys were at work, my mom and I stayed at their house with a police officer, who was bored out of his mind.

I did my online school, making sure I had everything in order and completed.

"Is it cool if I go on a thirty minute lunch?" The officer asked.

They normally leave us for thirty minutes and no longer with more than enough signals and plans for what to do if someone suspicious even looks at us.

We were always more than safe.

"Sure" my mom spoke with a smile, making him leave.

"Let's go ride, we've been cramped up in this house for too long." She spoke, standing and grabbing keys.

"We shouldn't leave without an officer" I told her.

"Come on, we won't even get out of the car, and we have the emergency button in the car so if someone is following us, we push the button and in three minutes cops will be with us" she spoke.

And she was right

"A ten minute ride, that's it,"

So we left.

I rode in the passenger seat, humming to the music lightly as she drove, silent.

"What's wrong?" I asked, noticing that she was biting her lip anxiously.

"Nothing"

About ten minutes into the ride, I noticed she was taking oddly specific roads that we wouldn't normally take

"I think it's time to go home" I told her slowly.

Silence

"Mom" I spoke after a moment, hearing her hum.

"The officer is going to be at the house any minute, we need to go back-" "I know," she whispered.

We pulled up to a house.

"Where are we?" I put my hand close to the button, prepared to push it.

I had bad feelings.

"You know I love you," she whispered to me,

"Mom, who are they?" I asked as two men came out of the house, looking straight to my mom.

"Those are two men that your dad owed money to" she mumbled.

I stared at her

"And they're willing to trade you for the owed money"

I hit the button.

And I panicked.

My mom was panicking- the men were opening my door and I was kicking.

"Mom- don't do this to me!" I screamed, hitting the men as they held my legs down, making me stop kicking them, trying to get my arm at an angle,

"You have three minutes, the cops are tracking my car" she spoke to the men as I saw a needle.

I screamed

My mouth was covered

"Mom" I begged her as I felt the needle break the skin of my arm

"Mom please don't do this- we can find money" I begged her, feeling my body instantly wearing out

A lethargic feeling taking over.

"I love you, Andrea"

I couldn't speak

I could barely keep my eyes open as I was pulled out of the car and put into a completely different one

And I took a nap

Mom.

I watched them drive away with my baby.

Six more to pay off.

I stayed in the drive way and I cried.

I knew my back up story, I knew what I had to do.

Within seconds police pulled up,

I got out, screaming and crying

"They took my baby" I screamed to them.

"Help me, they took my baby"

I gave them my baby.

They comforted me

They made me tell the story

We were going out for a ride, a car was following us while a second car blocked the road, forcing us into the driveway where the men came up and forcefully took my baby.

I told them what they drive, which way they went and what they looked like.

But they wouldn't be able to find them

That was the last time I'll ever see my baby girl

But maybe soon, I'll be free enough to live for all three of us.