Soul - Colby Brock

Sixty-One - Octavia

After Colby and I had made out for a while, I finally got ready for the day. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I saw Gracie sitting on the counter eating some cereal. A backpack I'd bought her the last time I saw her was sitting next to her. She didn't even see me as she continued to eat. I walked up to her, finally allowing her to look at me. "Mommy!" she exclaimed, hugging me. 

"Hey, Gracie. What do you want to do?" I asked. She didn't even have to think about it.

"Spend time around the house!" she exclaimed. "I want to shop later."

"What do you want to look for?"

"Hair stuff," I just nodded. Footsteps approached me until arms wrapped around my waist. I turned to face Colby, pecking his lips.

"Hey," I smiled.

"Hey," he replied. We were looking into each other's eyes.

"Are they always like that?" Gracie asked from behind me.

"ALWAYS," Corey yelled, "you DO NOT wanna third wheel them, it's the worst!"

"Thanks, Corey," I said.

"No probs. It's the truth, though," I rolled my eyes. 

**********

It was quite dark by the time we'd left the store. All of the roommates had come to do a little shopping themselves but Colby, Gracie and I were the only ones who stuck together the whole time. Colby and I had walked hand-in-hand while Gracie walked a little ahead. Luckily it was quite quiet so I could see her at all times. We walked out of the mall, meeting with the rest of the group We all hugged each other just because. I trusted that one of them could see Gracie. That trust was shattered the moment I heard the blood-curdling distressed scream of my five-year-old daughter. I whipped to look at her. A woman, again from the same gang that stabbed me and shot Colby, stood with a knife to my daughter's throat. Rage built faster than ever inside me. "Let. Go."

"I have no reason to. You keep escaping us every time we try to take you. I should just kill your daughter right now,"

"Touch that little girl and you'll have more than Octavia and her gang to deal with," Colby said, coming to my side. The others joined, even Devyn.

"Isn't that sweet," the woman cocked her head to the side.

"Let me handle this," I whispered. I took a step forward.

"Ah, ah," the woman warned. "Come closer and she's dead," she lifted the knife ever so slightly.

"Just hold your horses. Let's talk," I said.

"I don't want to talk. All I have to do is get you to the gang," she said. "The only way I know you'll come is if we have this little one," the woman looked at my child emotionlessly. That's how I used to be. That's how I sometimes envy being.

"You touch her..."

"What are you gonna do? You come closer and I slit her throat. You don't come closer and I take her to the gang. I'm leaving you a choice here. I kill her or I kidnap her," the woman shrugged. "Neither bother me," I clenched my jaw, taking a breath.

"Why do you need me?"

"Torture. Revenge. Closure," the woman shrugged. "Many reasons," I took a small step closer.

"Right, we can't just form a treaty?" I asked, taking another small step; she hadn't noticed yet.

"No, dumbass. Of course, we can't," another step.

"Why not?" another step.

"Because that's not how being in a gang works. You know this," another step, I was close enough to just about reach Gracie but I didn't wanna risk it.

"But gangs kill other gang's members all the time then form treaties," another step. I could now grab the knife with ease. She still hadn't noticed.

"We can not have a treaty," she repeated. Her eyes were furious.

"I know, bitch," I said as I ripped the knife from her hand, grabbing Gracie's arm and pulling her behind me. "Go to Colby, OK sweetie?" I heard her running away.

"It's on, bitch," the woman held up her hands in a fighting pose. 

"I'm not gonna fight you while my daughter watches," I stated.

"Yes you are..." the last word was strained as she threw a punch. I dodged with ease. 

"Nice try," she tried again. This time I grabbed her wrist, twisting her arm around behind her back then kicking the back of her knee so she fell to the ground. "I'm better than you," I said.

"Funny," the woman said. "My colleague wouldn't agree," I looked up. A heavy-set male stood in front of me. I leaped up, backing away from the woman. My hand reached for my gun, successfully pulling it out.

"We just wanna talk," the man said. He mocked me. I looked back at Gracie. She stood guarded behind Colby's arm and half of his body. I looked back at the man.

"No, you want to torture," I corrected. He lifted his gun, aiming it at me. "Try me, bitch," I said, aiming my gun at him. He smirked, aiming the gun away from me. It was right at Gracie. "You dare do that," I warned.

"I have nothing stopping me," the man shrugged. By now the woman had stood up again. 

"We also don't have all day so come with us or one of your most prized possessions gets killed," the woman said. She now suddenly had a gun, too. I pictured them both in my head. Colby being the sweet guy he was and Gracie being the funny, charismatic little human being that I gave life to. 

"Fine," I said.

"Octavia!" Colby yelled. I didn't look at him.

"But you can not touch anyone in any way close to me, understand? That includes every damn person behind me. And Callum," they both nodded. I sighed as I threw the gun backward. I wasn't sure who'd pick it up. 

A few moments later: "get away from my mom!" Gracie suddenly said. She was close, too close. I looked at her. She held the gun pointed at the man. 

"Gracie, get back," I said.

"No. Get. Away. From. Mom." Gracie almost looked scary.

"What are you gonna do? Miss?" the woman asked, laughing.

"No," Gracie said. She pulled the trigger. I remember looking in the direction she shot in only to see the woman fall back. "Leave mommy!" she yelled louder this time.

"You're gonna regret that, little girl," the man's face distorted angrily and he pointed the gun at her but, by instinct, I lunged forward, ripping the gun from his hand and flipping it to point it at him. A quick check of the safety being off lead me to threaten him more with it.

"No, she is not gonna regret that. Thank you for your time here but you need to leave," I smiled innocently at him.

"You're both gonna regret it!" he picked the woman up then ran away at a fast pace, jumping into the black van that sat on the parking lot. I dropped the gun and hugged Gracie. She hugged me back, dropping my gun onto the floor. 

"I wasn't gonna let you die, mommy," she said.

"How did you know how to shoot?" I asked. She smiled sheepishly, looking at the ground. "Did Callum teach you?" she slowly nodded. "I'll kill him later, then," I smiled at her. I pulled away, standing up straight. A different, more muscular set of arms wrapped around me. I could see Colby's hair just before I closed my eyes to hug him back. 

"You keep scaring me!" he whispered.

"I know I'm sorry," I chuckled.

"You're crazy," he whispered.

"I know I'm sorry," I chuckled. (See that repetition?!)