Save Me ( Keith Powers)

54

Omniscient
"Ashly are you going to tell me the truth or are you going to continue to lie?"

"Pat for the last time I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I'm talking about Michael putting his hands on you that's what I'm talking about."

When Patrick mentioned that name it sent chills down Ashly's body, and it wasn't the good kind.

"W-what are you t-talking about?"

"Your ex Michael, that worthless piece of crap after Rodney, another piece of crap, and before Keith."

"I'm sorry, I still have no idea what you're talking about."

"Maybe this might help you then."

He pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket. When he unfold it Ashly's eyes went wide and her heart start racing. It was a page from her journal that she was using as a personal diary.

"Give me that." She leaned up trying to reach for it but Patrick moved back and held the paper up.

"January 2, 2018
  Dear Diary-"

"Pat I'm serious. Give it here."

"I ran into someone I thought I'll never see again, my ex boyfriend whose name is Michael. Seeing him brought back horrible memories that I thought I had buried a long time ago."

"Patrick that's my privacy. Give it here!"

"Ever since I've come to McComb, every where I go he seems to pop up out of no where. At first I thought it was just a coincidence until it happened again for the fifth time then that's when I became scared. One day when I was in the parking lot of a restaurant he was there, just like the other times. When I tried to get away he grabbed ahold of my arm and he-"

When Patrick got to the middle of the paper he stopped and Ashly had tears in her eyes. When he read the paper before he never read the whole thing, he just scanned it. He looked over at Ashly and saw she was biting her bottom lip.

He went back to the paper and began to read, this time to himself.

"He grabbed ahold of my arm and he wouldn't let go. His grip just got tighter, tighter and tighter until he caught a glimpse of a couple not too far away from us looking over at us. He let go of my arm but when he whispered in my ear he kept a tight grip on my neck digging his nails into my skin."

After reading that Patrick didn't want to read any more. He held his hand over his mouth and then went to go sit on the bed next to Ashly. When he sat down Ashly scooted closer to him and cried into his chest as his arms were around her. No words were said, Ashly just cried and Patrick rubbed her back as the tears slid down his cheeks.

Here he was thinking that his cousin was just hurt over a break up but it was something much more than that. Something that was deeper than that. It was abuse. Physically, mentally,verbally and emotionally. And the sad thing about it is that this isn't her first time going through this.

After crying for almost an hour Ashly finally laid down and went to sleep. Patrick took that moment to go into his room and make an important phone call. He dialed the number, put the phone to his ear and took a deep breath as he rubbed his forehead.

"Hello."

He took another deep breath before answering.

"Whomever this is playing on my phone you're about to get a call from the police because I don't have time for this."

"Come down to McComb, MS THIS Saturday and be here no later than 5:00 p.m. Once you get here go to Wal- Mart and I'll let you know the rest when you get here."

Patrick didn't give the other person a chance to answer due to him hanging up right after he was done explaining. He placed his phone down on the night stand and ran his hands down his face and sighed. He was a big brother to Candace, Miracle, Ashly and their other cousins and right now he felt like he failed his duty. He was supposed to protect her from all harm and he didn't.

•••
IT'S SHORT FOR A REASON

As always be patient and bear with me.

If someone is hurting you multiple times and they tell you that they're sorry and they won't do it again, please do not believe them because nine times out of ten they're not telling the truth. I know it's easier said than done but if you are a victim in a abusive relationship please get out of it and accept help. If you know someone that is a victim of it please, please, please help them get out of it, even if they deny it still help them. (I know a lot of people say you can't help people that doesn't want to be helped) but in this situation you CAN. They want it but they might be afraid to ask. So if you can, PLEASE help them and if you are a victim PLEASE accept help. I'm not sure what the number is but I know there's a hotline you can call and this might sound crazy but I believe it'll work, if you're not comfortable with talking then putting it on social media should help. Whatever you have to do, DO IT... do it before it's too late.

P.S: the ONLY times your significant other should be putting their hands on you are 1) when they hug you, 2) when they're comforting you/giving you massages and 3) loving on you. Other than that their hands shouldn't be on you. ALSO being called: beautiful, handsome, baby, babe, bae, baby girl, baby boy, sweet heart, hubby, wifey, honey, my love, etc is so so so so sooooo much better than being called: hoe, female dog, mf and any other curse word in the book. Being abused is not love..it's torture.