Fallen Angels///9

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A small light came flooding through my bedroom door. I could hear my mother and father arguing again to the sounds of my crying baby brother. I moved my head under the covers and drifted off back to sleep...

An hour later, I heard cars pull up onto the driveway outside my window. More of daddy's friends had showed up. I looked at my Cookie Monster alarm clock. I had just learned how to tell time in class, and the blue numbers read 12:30 am. I looked around the room and decided that I wasn't sleepy anymore. I walked out of my room and into the kitchen to be greeted by daddy's new friends Oscar and Juan Shooter. "Hey 'lil Cat, what you doin' up this late?"

I walked over to the kitchen table where everyone was seated. "Come here mija..." I looked to my father, a tall, bright-skinned man with jet-black hair and bright brown eyes. My mother moved pass me and into her bedroom. She too had bright skin, but her light brown hair curled and fell to her shoulders like it does in those Pantine commercials. I sat on my fathers lap as Oscar placed a stack of money on the table. My father picked it up and began to count. "You're twelve short... Shooter, I told you about this, tu no sabes de-"

"Mira Cat..." Oscar stood up from the table, his goatee shining from the light just above the makeshift table. "I think its time for someone else to take charge... you're getting older now, and you have a family. You can't keep up with all this, especially since Raphael's crew is moving into the territory."

My father slammed his fist against the table. "I don't care about him! This has been my game since before that vato was born. I will not be thrown down by some punk."

Oscar sat back down and Shooter took the money back and put it in his jacket. "Cat... man, you know we are by your side through whatever goes down, but the thing is..."

I looked over to Oscar as he pulled out a small pistol and twirled it in his hand. Shooter stood up. "... We've decided to go over to Raphael's side... the kid gave us a deal... and part of it is to take you out."

My father took out a pistol from his back pocket. "I don't want anything to go down. Not here, in my own home, in front of my oldest child, my only daughter. Have some decency." He moved his hand to hold me tight against his chest. I was used to daddy's friends showing him guns and money, so I just watched.

Oscar stopped twirling his gun. "We are giving you a choice Cat, step down, or be taken down."

Daddy smiled. "You should know better than that. You know that if I die, there will be people out there, looking for you. They will kill you. My wife will take control until Carmen is old enough. Raphael can't win. Turn around now before I shoot you both and feed you to my dogs."

"I'm sorry Cat," Oscar stood up from the table, "But there's a new Don in town, and lil Cat won't ever take that back once your gone. Now put the gun down, and we will leave you, and your wife, and your kids alone."

"Sorry, but I don't make deals with traitors." He pulled the latch back and a shot rang out as Oscar hit the ground. Mommy and brother started screaming in the other room. Daddy threw me across the room against the refrigerator. Shooter pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. I stood there in shock... my body wouldn't move and I started crying... I wanted to go back to bed. Shooter looked at me and said, "Sorry lil Cat, but it's either you, or your papi... and he said no..."

He quickly pulled the trigger, but daddy was faster... he ran over to me... and I heard the loud shot. Daddy hugged me tight, and I hugged him back. I looked behind his should to see mommy come out of the room with a long gun and then Shooter fell down on the floor. Daddy was getting heavy and I tried to move away, but he wouldn't let me go. I stopped crying and mommy came over to me, crying. She pulled him off of me... my pajamas now warm and red...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Carmen, wake up..."

I felt the cool stone floor against my body and a shiver ran down my spine.

"Carmen, get up..."

I heard someone calling my name, but I was warm... I didn't want to move... I was so warm...

Adrian called again. "Carmen, wake... up..." She began to shake my body and I opened my eyes.

The fires around the floor were still lighting the room and everyone was now gathering around the door. I turned on my back to face Adrian. "Finally..." She shook her head and poked me in my stomach.

"Hey!" I sat up and poked her back. We immediately began a poking war until Carlos came over and helped me off the ground. "It's time."

I breathed in, stretching my body awake. "Ok, ok, lets go..."

I walked towards the door were everyone now stood, looking well rested and relaxed. Sam walked forward and grabbed the handle to open the door. He pulled it open and we all looked to find...