had not been one of happiness. He had been talking. No, he had been yelling at her mom. She had been standing by the doorway of the kitchen and they were in the small living room. The raised voices had been what brought her downstairs to investigate.
They had only been in the house for one day. Her mother had moved them from Chicago to a small town in Texas. So little Casandra wondered how her mom had already made a friend. Yet the words they spoke made her stand still. Her mother was telling him that if he wanted her to keep things quiet, he was going to have to pay through the nose. That only made the man growl in anger and raise his hand as if to hit her. Without thinking, she found herself running to her mother’s rescue.
"Stop! You have no right to hit my mother." Cassandra screamed as she tried to cover her mother with her little body. His face made a very weird expression and they just stood there. Both stared at each other for what seemed like hours. As he approached, Cassandra tried very hard to keep still and not show weakness. Sadly, it was something she had practiced well. Her mother delighted in making her cry when she showed weakness of any kind. Every fiber in her being was telling her not to show this man fear.
The man reached out his hand and cupped her chin. Then ever so slowly turned her face to the right, then to the left. The look in his eyes was far too critical. When he finally turned to her mother she shivered. "Yes, there is no question about it. I will pay what you ask." The words held a tone that was unfamiliar. It could have been that his words just seemed to instill a fear so deep, it was hard for her to breathe. Yet the look her mother gave her assured it was something bad, very bad.
"You are to have no contact with her until I say it’s ok. If you do, I will leave and take her with me.” Her mother informed the man. He looked once more at Cassandra before nodding his agreement. Then he turned and stomped away.
As he reached the door, he turned once more. "Only until she is old enough for me to collect. Then, she will be mine and you will stay the hell away from us." With those last words, he was gone.
Cassandra looked at her mother’s face, searching for an explanation. She looked down at her and smiled. "I’m glad I decided to keep you. Soon, I'll have all the money I can spend.” The look she wore was not a good one. Not at all. “Do you remember where the store is? The one at the end of the street?”
Cassandra nodded her head. Her eyes widened as her mother pulled out the stack of money the man had given her. "Go get me a coke." Came the harsh order as a fifty dollar bill was shoved into her palm. She flinched when her mother slammed the door to her room.
There was no choice. So she sighed and made her way to the store. “I guess it’s time to explore.” Once outside, Cassandra couldn’t help but notice the difference between Texas and Chicago. She already missed all the noise of the cars and the people. This place was just too quiet.
While taking in the surroundings on the way to the store. Her mind started wondering what her best friend Lucy was doing back home. One minute Cassandra had been on the way to the store. The next minute her body was on its way to the floor. The air was knocked out of her lungs and there was a cloud of dust all around.
When the dust cleared, three boys on their bikes were looking down at her. Anger simmered as they started to laugh. "I'm going to sue you for attempted murder!" She screamed but that only made the boys laugh harder. That only served to make her angrier. The oldest boy got off his bike and extended his hand.
"Sorry, I'm Mike. Didn't you hear me screaming for you to get out of the way?" She continued to give him the evil eye. Well, she was trying to look at him the way her mother looked when she was angry. Cassandra smacked his hand away.
One of the other boys spoke next. "Hey
They had only been in the house for one day. Her mother had moved them from Chicago to a small town in Texas. So little Casandra wondered how her mom had already made a friend. Yet the words they spoke made her stand still. Her mother was telling him that if he wanted her to keep things quiet, he was going to have to pay through the nose. That only made the man growl in anger and raise his hand as if to hit her. Without thinking, she found herself running to her mother’s rescue.
"Stop! You have no right to hit my mother." Cassandra screamed as she tried to cover her mother with her little body. His face made a very weird expression and they just stood there. Both stared at each other for what seemed like hours. As he approached, Cassandra tried very hard to keep still and not show weakness. Sadly, it was something she had practiced well. Her mother delighted in making her cry when she showed weakness of any kind. Every fiber in her being was telling her not to show this man fear.
The man reached out his hand and cupped her chin. Then ever so slowly turned her face to the right, then to the left. The look in his eyes was far too critical. When he finally turned to her mother she shivered. "Yes, there is no question about it. I will pay what you ask." The words held a tone that was unfamiliar. It could have been that his words just seemed to instill a fear so deep, it was hard for her to breathe. Yet the look her mother gave her assured it was something bad, very bad.
"You are to have no contact with her until I say it’s ok. If you do, I will leave and take her with me.” Her mother informed the man. He looked once more at Cassandra before nodding his agreement. Then he turned and stomped away.
As he reached the door, he turned once more. "Only until she is old enough for me to collect. Then, she will be mine and you will stay the hell away from us." With those last words, he was gone.
Cassandra looked at her mother’s face, searching for an explanation. She looked down at her and smiled. "I’m glad I decided to keep you. Soon, I'll have all the money I can spend.” The look she wore was not a good one. Not at all. “Do you remember where the store is? The one at the end of the street?”
Cassandra nodded her head. Her eyes widened as her mother pulled out the stack of money the man had given her. "Go get me a coke." Came the harsh order as a fifty dollar bill was shoved into her palm. She flinched when her mother slammed the door to her room.
There was no choice. So she sighed and made her way to the store. “I guess it’s time to explore.” Once outside, Cassandra couldn’t help but notice the difference between Texas and Chicago. She already missed all the noise of the cars and the people. This place was just too quiet.
While taking in the surroundings on the way to the store. Her mind started wondering what her best friend Lucy was doing back home. One minute Cassandra had been on the way to the store. The next minute her body was on its way to the floor. The air was knocked out of her lungs and there was a cloud of dust all around.
When the dust cleared, three boys on their bikes were looking down at her. Anger simmered as they started to laugh. "I'm going to sue you for attempted murder!" She screamed but that only made the boys laugh harder. That only served to make her angrier. The oldest boy got off his bike and extended his hand.
"Sorry, I'm Mike. Didn't you hear me screaming for you to get out of the way?" She continued to give him the evil eye. Well, she was trying to look at him the way her mother looked when she was angry. Cassandra smacked his hand away.
One of the other boys spoke next. "Hey
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