Missing Star

chapter 17

Marissa

In a flash, I went from seeing Miss Mary to in front of the trailer park. My head felt like it was in a glass jar. But then a voice drew my action to the front of Miss Mary's trailer. She was so much younger.

"Please don't leave. You are making a mistake," She pleaded with someone. "This is not the answer, Jean."

It had been ages since I heard that name. And then a teenage version of my mother turned around. "I'm sorry, mother, but this is what I think is best for me and my family."

"MOM!" I yelled and ran for her. But before I could get to the porch, I slammed into something. I hit so hard it sent me, stumbling back confused. That was my mom, but I couldn't get to her.

She was getting off the last steps to the porch with a suitcase in hand. She walked to a truck parked feet away. Inside was a man that I couldn't make out. I watched her open the door and hand the suitcase to him and look back one last time at Miss Mary. She has years in her eye, but her chin was set, and her head held high.

Then she hopped up and closed the door. Within seconds, the truck was put into drive, and she was gone. Looking back at Miss Mary, she was leaning against the porch post tears streaming down. She was heartbroken.

Then, this glass ball that I was trapped in shifted. I went from in front of Miss Mary's to an old ranch house that belonged to my father back in the day.

It was odd seeing my mother so young and so happy. She was handing something to my father. He was the one in the truck. Pieces were starting to come together. Then, from across the table, a glass went flying, and he struck her so hard she fell back.

I tried to go to her, there on the floor crying silent tears and he stood over her. But I couldn't reach her. At my feet, a stick landed. I bent to pick it up. As I turned it over in my hand, it had a plus on it, and it had pregnancy listed on it.

Before I could react, there was another shift. This time, my mother was at least 7 to 8 months pregnant with me. She was crying again.

"HOW COULD YOU?" She yelled. "YOU PROMISED, YOU SAID THAT THINGS WHERE OVER WITH HER!"

Then she grabbed a plate that was on the counter. She notched back and let it fly with all her strength. It went flying past my father, who was standing in the entrance to the kitchen. It landed in the other room with a crash, sending thousands of pieces flying in all directions.

Rage flashed over his features and ran forward. My mother took off running, but she was half his size. He took her by the arms, turned her, and slapped her once, twice before my eyes. Then he cooked his fish back and hit her in the side of the ride cage. She dropped down and huddled to protect her belly as he kicked her!

I hit my knees, hiding my face in my hands and yelling, "DADDY STOP PLEASE, PLEASE STOPPPP…."

Then, after what seemed to be forever, I heard his bone-chilling voice "Your mine, Jean, and I can do what I want. Remember, I have control, not you. It's by my grace. I'm letting you have this kid. At the end of the day, you are mine and will do what I want." He stood leering down at her. Then, he walked away like nothing happened. My mother was there on the floor holding her belly and just crying.

And before I could register what was happening, the ball was shifting to what I was coming to know as a new memory. It was me as a tobbler running the the flied next to our small home. There I was, running to her arms open, and she left me in her arms and circled me. She was happy, I think was around the time that she left, and we were renting from an old framer. It's sad to say that she fought like h*ll to get full custody, but the courts failed both of us.

Just as a small sad smile appeared on my face, the ball moved and tilted. All I could see was his back. Then he shifted. In his arms was my mother, who passed out cold. Red marks slowly appearing on her neck like she had been strangled. He placed her in her old mustang and light a match after closing the door and threw it in, then pushed the car over the edge of a drop off. I ran to the edge of the drop off yelling, “NOOOOOO!”

This was how my mother's so-called accident took place! Only this couldn't be an accident, I turned and faced the man that killed my mother. To my horror, it was my father. "You made me do this." Was all he said as he walked away.

All I could do was drop down and cry. I knew my father was a monster, but never would I have known he was crazy enough to kill my mother. Just then, the ball I was in shifted. It moved back to my current home with a beautiful man standing over me, his eyes so deep and beautiful. Then, holding my hand was Miss Mary. She had been there ready and waiting with open arms. Did she know I was her only granddaughter? Did she know her daughter was gone?

I walked into the room, and all I could do was close my eyes and hold onto her. Then, as if a flash, I was back sitting up in Miss Mary's arms crying. Crying and freeing my soul of hurt and pain for my past. Here, where I was safe, I could cry, scream, and release years of tears that held me together.