H&G

1

Lakeisha rolled over against Tremayne as he slept. She was starting to come down and they needed to score again. I am sick of this fucking apartment, she thought to her self as she gently brushed Tremayne’s chest. I am really fucking sick of those two little shits of his, she also thought as she continued stroking the young man’s chest. They needed money to get and stay high. Tremayne’s kids were a waste of time and money. Lakeisha had an idea.2

“Baby, wake up,” Lakeisha whispered in Tremayne’s ear3

“What’s up? What’s wrong?” Tremayne replied sleepily4

“Baby, we need money. We broke.”5

“Yeah, no shit. What the fuck you want me to do about it right now?”6

“Well, baby, I was thinking if we get rid of those kids. We would have more than enough money for us to get high and maybe get some nice shit up in here,” said Lakeisha.7

“Bitch, you must be out your cotton picking mind. I ain’t getting rid of my kids. They my fucking heart.”8

“But, baby, if those kids ain’t here no more, we can get high whenever we want without hiding it and we can do other stuff without having to wait for them to leave for school or fall asleep. Stuff like this.”9

Lakeisha ran her tongue down Tremayne’s chest and stomach and when she finally arrived at her destination Tremayne had no choice but to say yes to whatever she wanted. 10

In the other room, H and G, which is what their father called them, heard everything Lakeisha said. “H, I am scared.” G said to her older brother.11

“Don’t worry about it. I ain’t going let that bitch hurt you or me.” H said with such confidence that G had no choice but to feel reassured. 12

The next morning H & G were shaken awake by their father’s girlfriend. “Wake up, kids. We’re gonna go for a trip today.” 13

“Why? Where to?” asked H. He knew the why, the important part was the where. 14

“It’s a surprise, baby,” Lakeisha said with an overly friendly smile that gave H and G the creeps something fierce. “Now get ready.”15

H and G began to get ready. They had no choice. They had seen Lakeisha get angry before and if their father was not around to protect them they could suffer a fate worse than abandonment. 16

Lakeisha took them both to the nearest bus station and they all caught the first bus downtown. As the bus traveled through the city, H memorized the names of the streets as they passed. He knew he would need to know them.17

Lakeisha kept smiling at H and G and they never felt more scared. Lakeisha had a fury in her that rivaled a pit bull. When her jaws got locked, she didn’t let go. Right now, H and G new they were locked on and they were going to have to be smart if they were going get out of this mean bitch’s jaws. 18

The bus finally reached the end of the line. Lakeisha grabbed H and G by the scruff of the neck and pulled them up strongly enough to make her point. They made their way towards the front of the bus. H and G felt as if they were marching towards their deaths. 19

They descended the three steps to get off the bus and were swallowed by the crows. H grabbed G’s hand. “Don’t let go of me, sis. You hold tight. I got you.” 20

“Follow me, babies,” Lakeisha told them and started off quickly. At first she was holding H’s hand dragging him out of the bus station and out into the crowded street. She walked this way through the crowds for a couple of blocks taking quick turns and heading in no specific direction. 21

They took a turn onto a street that was crowded beyond reason. Lakeisha let go of H’s hand and took of in a walking sprint. H tried to keep pace but Lakeisha’s legs were too long and the sidewalk was too crowded. The current of people caught H and G and pulled them out into the ocean of the world, an ocean in which they were sure to drown. 22

H and G had been roaming the streets for hours. They had lost all sense of what direction they were headed. G began to whine, at the verge of tears, ”Where we going, H?” 23

H remained silent. He was lost in thought. He was in over his head and he knew it. He was also scared shitless, but he couldn’t let his little sister now that. He had to be strong. He wasn’t close to being a man yet, but he knew a man had to be strong. A man can’t cry, even when he wants to. He knew that much. 24

“We going to find our way back home. If we can do that, I know Dad will step up and protect us from that bitch,” H said, wanting to believe it but not sure if he did. 25

H suggested they take a right turn. He had no reason to believe it would bring them any closer to home but it gave him a much-needed sense of control. A man controls things, H thought to himself. 26

Of course, H was wrong in this thought. He didn’t have control, nor did any other man. H was being pushed through the events of his life by forces unseen and unknowable. H was too young to know that control was an illusion. One that keeps men sane, and drives them crazy.27

As the hours passed, H and G continued to roam the streets aimlessly. It began to get dark. When dusk fell, the streetlights came on and released their piss-yellow glow. H noticed the light reflecting off something lying in the patch of grass that separated the curb from the sidewalk. He walked over to it and bent over to get a closer look. He had hoped it would be some money or jewelry. Instead, H saw a black lighter. The light was reflecting off the metallic top of it. H was disappointed. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a cheap plastic lighter that you could by at any convenient store. H picked it up and pressed down on the flint and a flame ignited. H put it in his pocket. He thought it might come in handy, maybe he could get a buck or two for it from some guy smoking butts or something. 28

“Oh, baby. I don’t know if this shit’s right. My kids are out there without me. They must be so scared,” Tremayne said. He grabbed both sides of his head and crouched down. He felt like he had been kicked in the stomach when he imagined H and G out roaming the streets. 29

“Tre, don’t worry. I took care of it, sweetie. Come over here and take a hit of this. It’ll make you feel better.” Lakeisha held the smoking pipe up to Tremayne. He took it and put it to his lips. As he inhaled, Lakeisha could see his pupils dilate and knew the problem was solved. Thankfully, Tremayne didn’t ask how she got the drugs. She could still taste the three guys from this afternoon. What a fucking idiot, she thought as she watched Tremayne take another hit.30

It was well past dark. H was starting to get nervous. He had no clue what he should do. If he tried to find a cop, him and his sister would end up in a home. He had heard shit about those places and he did not want G ending up in one of them. If they found their way home, there was still that bitch Lakeisha to deal with. He thought if he could talk to his dad and let him know what Lakeisha was all about they might be safe. 31

He needed to figure out what they were going to do for tonight. It was starting to get cold and they needed to get off the street. All sorts of awful things could happen to G if they didn’t find some shelter. 32

They trudged on. The streets blurred together. He could not tell one from the next. Eventually, they came upon a deserted street. There was some boarded up factories and high chain link fences all along the street. H did not like the looks of this street one bit. 33

“Come on, G. Let’s pick up the pace and get out of this neighborhood quick. I don’t like it around here. This a creepy ass street.” H told his sister.34

“But I’m tired, H. My legs hurt. We been walking for hours. I want to rest,” G whined. 35

All of a sudden, they heard a laugh behind them. Both children turned around and saw a group of dark figures moving towards them. They were laughing and pushing each other. Then they heard a bottle smash and there was yelling.36

“I’m gonna rip your fucking head off!” They could hear a deep voice yell out in the distance.37

“Come on, G. Let’s move.”38

“I’m scared, H.” 39

They started to run down the abandoned street. They passed by dilapidated buildings and factories for what felt like hours. Then, they came upon a house in the middle of this industrial wasteland. It was all different bright colors. It had a trampoline, a swimming pool and a playground in the yard.40

“They must have kids. It’ll be safe. Let’s head over there and ask if we could spend the night,” suggested G.41

“Yeah, ok. We need to get off the streets,” H agreed42

H and G walked up to the gate. H stopped. The place gave him a creepy vibe. Even though it was dark out, he could tell the house had been painted a strange color. It looked like it might be a really bright, blue or purple. The yard was immaculately mowed and trimmed. What the hell was it doing in this neighborhood, thought H. The whole area was deserted and broken down, except for this house. 43

“Fuck your mother!” someone yelled. H looked over and saw that two of the men had been fighting and the rest of them were all riled up. 44

“Come on, H. Let’s go knock on the door.” G whined45

H walked through the gate and headed up to the door.46

Tremayne looked down on the woman in his bed. He was coming down of his high and was starting to think clearer. He didn’t even now this woman and he had just sat by while she doomed his children to death. They had been dating all of six months. He felt a pang of self-hatred as the depth of his own weakness hit him. What kind of a man, am I? He thought to himself. My babies could be dead or in the trunk of some fucking pervert’s car and I am sitting with this cunt getting high. An image of G being grabbed by some pervert in a Grand Prix flashed in Tremayne’s mind and he was gripped with an intense anger. He shook Lakeisha awake. He shook hard.47

“What’s your fucking problem?”48

“Where’d you take em?”49

“Who?”50

“My babies, you fucking bitch!” Tre yelled. 51

“Not that shit again. I took care of it, baby. Now calm down. You just need some medicine.” Lakeisha started rifling around for their drugs and paraphernalia. 52

“ I need my kids and you’re going take me to them.” Tre said forcefully53

“I ain’t doing shit” Lakeisha replied54

Tre darted across the room and had Lakeisha by the throat before she knew what hit her. A combination of fear, anger and withdrawals had worked Tre up into a murderous rage. 55

“You’re going start singing little birdie or I am going start squeezing.” Tre applied some pressure to Lakeisha’s throat and her eyes bulged slightly.56

“Ok. Calm the fuck down. I took em to South Station and we walked a little down Broadway. That’s where I lost ‘em.”57

“I’m going to find my kids. When I get back, don’t be here.”58

Tre turned to start walking away. Lakeisha grabbed at his shoulder. Tre swung around with a right hook that had been able to break a man’s jaw before he got strung out. It had lost some since his boxing days, but Lakeisha was small and a woman. 59

The blow met the small black woman’s face with a sickening crack. She went tumbling across the room. Her foot caught on the small stool they used to pack their pipe. When she fell, her head hit the radiator. She let out a small squeal. Then did not move.60

Tre walked over to the now dead body and stood over it.61

“Fuck!” 62

************************************************************************63

H knocked on the door. He was full of dread. He had no other options. When the door opened, he was hit with a wave of relief. The woman who answered the door was at least seventy. She was a white woman. She looked like she was about 5’2 and ninety pounds. This woman would help them, H thought.64

“Hello, child. Are you OK? What are you doing out this late?” the woman asked.65

“We’re ok, I guess but we are lost and we don’t know what to do. The men at the end of the street started fighting and my sister got scared. We hoped we could use your phone and call our dad.” 66

“Sure, baby,” the woman said gently. ”Look at you two. Aren’t you adorable? You must be terrified. Come on in. We’ll get you taken care of.” The women gestured for them to come in. 67

“The phone is in the kitchen. Go on down the hall and you’ll see it.”68

H and G walked down the hall. H noticed the pictures on the wall. It seemed the woman had a son, but she saw no pictures of any grandchildren. Why all the toys? H thought.69

When they got to the kitchen, H saw no phone. All of sudden he felt his feet lift off the ground. He heard G scream out. He looked behind him and he saw the old woman had him by the back of his collar.70

“What the fuck?” H said71

“Watch your language, sweetie,” the old woman said. She carried both children over to the open door at the other end of the kitchen. She is freaky strong, H thought. He weighed at least 100 pounds and she was holding him up in the air like he weighed nothing, with one hand. She was holding G up in the other. 72

When she got them to the door, H saw that there was stairs leading down to a cellar. She threw them both down the stairs and slammed what looked like a jail cell door behind them. 73

H and G tumbled down the stairs. H’s head slammed off the concrete floor and everything went black.74

“Wake up! Oh god! Please, WAKE UP!”75

H heard his sister crying and felt her shaking him as he came to consciousness. “I’m up. I’m Ok.” 76

The day’s events came rushing back and H was hit with a shot of adrenaline. He looked around the cellar that they were now locked in. It was a typical cellar for the most part. There was a lawnmower and some tools in one corner. There was a grill for barbecuing in another corner. In the far corner, there was a mattress with some sheets and a blanket on it. The blankets were crumpled in a pile in the middle of the mattress. There was a tripod with a video camera set up in front of the mattress. 77

H ran up the stairs to the barred door. “Hey! Hello! Old bitch!!!”78

“I told you to watch your language, little one,” the old woman responded from somewhere H couldn’t see.79

“What is this? Why are you doing this to us?” H called out.80

The old woman came into the kitchen where H could see her. “Calm down, child. Everything’s going to be fine. Tomorrow, my son is going to come over and we are going to make some movies. You should be happy. You and your sister are going to be movie stars, sweetie.” 81

H thought about the camera and mattress down stairs. Then he thought about his pretty little sister. He felt like he was going to puke. He had heard about these types of freaks. 82

“Fuck you! That shit ain’t happening!”83

The old white woman started to cackle. “HAHAHAH….Oh, its happening.” She lifted up a large kitchen knife. “It is definitely happening.” She smiled, revealing her yellow teeth, and walked into the other room.84

H ran down the stairs into the cellar. He couldn’t believe this shit. He was filled with hatred and disgust for his father. How could he let that woman put them in this situation? He was ready to burst with anger. He hated his father. He hated this sick bitch that had trapped them. He hated the world and he was done being a victim. He was going to get them out of this. 85

His eyes roamed around the cellar for some way to escape. There was no windows. No doors. There was no way out. He was going to have to fight. He thought back to how the old woman had picked them both up with no problem. He was going to need a weapon.86

His thoughts went to the tools in the corner. H walked over to them and started sorting through them. There was a hammer, a screwdriver, a saw, a bunch of screws and nails. Again, he thought of the freakish strength of the woman. These weapons would require overpowering her. H did not think he would be able to do that.87

He put his hands in his pocket. He felt the lighter that he found earlier in the night. He looked over at the barbecue grill and then to the tank of gasoline by the lawnmower. A plan was formed in H’s head. 88

“What are we going to do, H?” G asked.89

“We gonna have a barbecue, G.”90

Smoke billowed out through the bars of the jail cell door of the cellar. The crone was up in her bedroom, preparing to go to sleep when the smoke detectors went off. What is going on, she thought to herself as she walked down the stairs. When she got downstairs, the living room was filled with smoke. Her eyes stung and her lungs burned as they filled with the black smoke.91

She could sense that the smoke was thickest towards the kitchen. I see, she thought, an escape attempt. Usually, the children were too scared to try anything as bold as this. No matter, thought the crone, there had been a few attempts in the past. They were handled, but there was always a financial loss as a result. This angered the old woman. She would probably have to finish off the boy, but the girl could still make her some money. They could film her and then sell her. She would have to skin the boy alive in front of her sister. The girl would learn her lesson then. After witnessing that, she would be easy to handle.92

“Oh, children,” she called out as she headed towards the basement. “You have made a huge mistake. There is no escape. I was going to make you movie stars but now things have to be different.”93

The old woman unlocked the cell door and walked down the stairs. She could barely see a thing when she got to the bottom of the stairs. “Little ones, this is my home you have disrespected,” she called out. “You can not hide from me. I will find you and I will eat your hearts.” 94

“Leave us alone,” said the little girl.95

The crone looked to her right and saw the source of the smoke. There was a huge flame in the barbecue grille she had put down here years ago. All of sudden, she felt a splash of liquid up against her back. She swung around and saw the boy putting down a bucket. 96

“Out of the way, G!”97

The little girl ran under the stairs away from the grill and away from the crone. The old woman then saw the young man’s arm go back and then fling forward. By the time she saw the hammer flying towards her end over end, it was too late for her to duck it. 98

It smashed into the middle of her face and sent her reeling backwards. She lost her footing and fell onto the top of the grill. She went up in a blaze. 99

“AHHHAHHHAHAHHHH!!!” She bellowed. 100

“Run up stairs, G.” H said101

The little girl did as she was told. H hesitated and stood and watched as the evil woman burned. Then he ran up the stairs and joined his sister. 102

By the time, the two children got outside. The entire house was ablaze and there was a police car sitting in front of the house. They ran towards it. 103

“Help us, officer,” H said. “ We were kidnapped by this woman on our way to the corner store. We just want to get back home and see our dad.” 104

After meeting the crone, all fear of Lakeisha and group homes was gone. They needed some kind of home, H realized, even if it was totally fucked up. There were worse beasts in the forests than Lakeisha. 105

“Ok, son. I’ll get you home. Let me call this one in.”106

H and G got in the back seat of the cop car and waited while other cops and fire trucks showed up. The first cop got in the front seat and asked them where they lived.107

“Whoa,” the cop replied when he heard their address. “You sure you want to go back there.”108

“Yeah, we sure.” H said.109

The cop drove them back to the housing project that was their home. He didn’t even walk up to the door of their apartment. Cops didn’t care that much about two little black kids from the projects. 110

H and G walked in the door of their apartment to find their father mopping up the floor.111

“ Oh thank God!” Tre yelled112

G ran to him and gave him a great big hug. “Oh my babies! I am so sorry!”113

“Where’s Lakeisha?” H asked114

A strange look passed over the man’s face and he answered, “Don’t worry about her. She won’t be back.”115

With that, H walked down the hall to his room.116

“H, what’s wrong, little man?” his father called after him.117

“Fuck you, dad,” the son replied and he slammed the door to his bedroom.118