Rescue Me (Sidney Crosby)

Chapter One

I couldn’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve seen my family. Sometimes I don’t even remember what they look like. I’ve been on the run for so long, if feels like every day is just a repeat of the last, drive, sleep, eat, drive, sleep, eat, that’s all we do, that’s all we’ve ever been doing. I use to have a life, I use to be popular, all the guys wanted me and all the girls wanted to be me, I would always here, ‘there’s Julie McHale’ all through the hallways, and then when my younger sister came, it was the two of us combined that dominated the halls. But then stuff happened and life changed.

I sat in the windowsill looking at the full moon, I sighed and then looked back at Joshua, he was my world, I don’t know what I would do if I lost him. We were able to stay in a rundown motel on some back road, only because I had hustled some pool and won enough money to afford it, and some food. I wouldn’t even know where we were if the brochure in the check in office didn’t tell me, Adelphi, Ohio, population, 383. I forced my hand in my pocket and pull out the rest of the cash that I had won. Forty dollars, that could fill my now gas tank up, now that it’s only a half, and maybe get some breakfast.

“Mommy.”

I looked over towards Joshua, “What’s up, doodlebug?”

“Why don’t you come to bed?” he asked sleepily as he stood in front of me and placed his little hand on my leg.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” I said and then picked him up and sat him on my lap, “How’s my brave boy doing?”

“I’m scared, Mommy,” he said and I kissed the side of his head and cradled his head rocking back and forth.

“I know sweetie, I am too,” I said and he wrapped his little arms around me and I smiled and held him close, “It’ll be all right. I promise. Let’s get some sleep.”

I picked Joshua up and walked over towards the bed and laid him down. I sighed and then laid down next to him and he cuddled up next to me and we fell asleep.

Being on the run, it changes people, the once outgoing and non worry girl, was now the private and paranoid woman. Constantly watching her back, watching what she says to people, watching how much contact she has with people, it was a never ending battle, and it all started seven years ago.

I had this boyfriend while in my junior year of high school; he was a freshman at the local university by our house. I thought it was so cool to have a boyfriend that was in college, always going to parties, always hanging out with cool people, and naturally, making me even more popular in high school. But it all turned down hill my senior year when I got knocked up. I know, I know, it was a dumbass move and it ruined my life, and it wasn’t like I didn’t want it with him, it was just I didn’t want it that way with him. That was the start of it.

His name was Kyle Mullery, your local jock, a wrestler for the University of Texas, broad muscular shoulders, thick frame, all muscle and all man. Dirty blonde hair and bright green eyes, eyes that could draw you in, in a heartbeat, and that’s exactly what they did. I met him at the mall while hanging out with friends. He and his buddies came over and we instantly clicked, my parents loved him, he knew all the right words to say. My sister, Andrea, hated him, I always thought she was just jealous, but she was constantly telling me to watch myself with him and that he was bad news.

Kyle and I dated were almost dating for a year when we were at this party. It wasn’t a big surprise when Kyle came over and asked if I wanted to go on a random Friday night. Of course I agreed and we were off. He got so wasted that night that he had no idea what he was doing. During the party, I felt a buzz going on, and thought that it was time for me to go. I looked over towards him and he was holding a bottle of vodka and drinking out of it. I grabbed his arm and he looked at me, I told him that I was leaving, but he could stay. I usually did this, just in case the party got busted and I was caught with an underage. Kyle never had a problem with it and had always made sure to call a cab and pay him to take me home, that’s one of the reasons why I like him so much, he was sweet. But that night was different, he was beyond wasted, he wouldn’t let me leave. I tried to fight him, but him being a lot bigger and more muscular, he overpowered me. I was drug up the stairs and he kicked in the first door he found, a bathroom. Everything was happened so fast. Kyle had thrown me onto the counter and when he was trying to take his pants off, that was when I tried to leave, but he grabbed me and pinned my arms against the wall. I tried to fight him, but nothing I did mattered, he just did what he wanted and I had no say in the matter, he didn’t even use a condom. When he was finished, he wanted to go for another round, but I didn’t. He didn’t like it when I slapped him across the face; he wanted payback and punched me in the eye. My head shot back against the mirror that was behind me, and I heard the glass fall to the counter around me, my head was dizzy and I tried to focus. When he came closer and started to kiss my neck, I grabbed a piece of the glass and dug it into his shoulder. He jumped back, and that was my chance to run, and run like crazy.

My parents didn’t take what happened too well and they wanted Kyle to be arrest, but when the cops when to do their job, they couldn’t find him. I wound up pregnant, and was told by my mother that it was a sin to have an abortion, so I didn’t. I was going to place my child up for adoption, but when I saw him, I couldn’t. When I held Josh’s little body in my arms, I knew that I could never give my child up. My mother wasn’t happy with my decision, but she understood and let me go. For the first seven months, everything was fine, Kyle had never come by to see his son, and I never thought about him. Until he came.

I was up in my room playing with Joshua, I heard the doorbell ring, and then heard my sister answer the door. It was about one in the afternoon on a Saturday, usually at this time Mom and Dad would be home enjoying themselves in front of the TV, but Mom was out of town visiting her sick sister, and Dad was called into work. It was only Andrea and I, along with our older cousin, Zach, who was only a year older than me, and who practically lived with us.

When I heard the scream, my heart stopped, my sister screamed my name and I picked Josh up and laid him in his crib. I ran out of the room to see my sister on the floor crying and Zach lying on his stomach with blood coming out of his mouth, he was still alive, but Kyle had knocked him out cold. I gasped and then looked around, my sister screamed behind you and I turned around to earn a smack across the face. It was Kyle, he was here for his son, and I wasn’t giving up without a fight. Kyle a grabbed my hair and drug me into my bedroom. Josh was crying and Kyle threw me onto my bed and walked over towards his son.

“You put my son down!” I yelled Kyle picked Josh up.

“We’re leaving. Grab your stuff,” he said and my eyes widened, “We’re going to be a family.”

“Screw you! I hate you! Let go of my son!” I said and charged at him.

Kyle put Josh down and grabbed me by my throat and he threw me to the ground. He was drunk; I could smell the alcohol on his breath when he told me that he would gladly screw me. I kicked him in his manhood hard and then stood up and grabbed my son. I ran into the next bedroom, my sister’s room and locked the door, pushing the dresser in front of it. I heard police sirens and new that Andrea had called the cops, but that wasn’t going to be enough. The pounding on the door stopped and I heard the police yell for Kyle, but he was long gone.

After that night I had packed all of my belongings, placed them in my Chevy Cobalt because the next morning I was going to be hitting the road and not coming back. My Dad was still sleeping when I had grabbed Josh and placed him in the car. I was surprised to see my sister there when I stood back up. She figured that I was going to be leaving and handed a small box to me; I opened it up and saw money in there.

“It’s not much, but it’ll help,” she said and I smiled towards her and hugged her.

I looked at the handprint on her throat and compared it to my own, Kyle had not only hurt me, but my family and I needed to protect them, “I love you, Andy. Take good care of them.”

“You take care of yourself, Jewels!” she said and then hugged me and then watched me go. My first stop was the bank; I was going to withdrawal everything I owned, a whole four thousand and such dollars.

I was eighteen years old, and Josh was only six months, and we were hitting the road, running away from our past and trying to make a future.

That four thousand dollars probably lasted us about two years. I was careful to stay in the south during winter and head up north for summer when Josh was younger. We lived in our car, and sometimes it was noticeable. Kyle has found us a few times, and each time the beatings get worse. We make sure never to spend too much time in one place, and we make sure to never make friends.

By the time we woke up the next morning, the birds where chirping and it was just past sunrise. I woke Josh up and then we got our daily routine of showering, changing and brushing out teeth. Once that was out of the way, I threw all of our stuff into the trunk of the car and Josh sat in his seat in the backseat. I checked out of the motel and we were soon on the road again.

I decided that I was going to head east and go where the road took me, at least that’s what I’ve been doing so far, and it’s worked. I tried to avoid big cities, but sometimes I just couldn’t help but give in to Josh when he sees something he wants to do. I smiled as he started to name all the kinds of cars that passed us on the road, he made me laugh, he was so smart.

Everyone who asks him what he wants to be when he grows up, he’s always saying racecar driver. I laugh and then hug my son because he’s so cute. For his fifth birthday, I used all the money I had and bought him a small cake and a Lightning McQueen pillow, which he still has and uses today. It was definitely hard being on the road and not having anyone help you.

When I was really depressed, I always looked up towards the stars and asked why all of this was happening to me. The only reason I left was because I wanted to protect my family and my son and for wanting to do that, sometimes I felt like I was being punished.

When Josh told me that he was hungry, I looked at the time and saw that it was noon, I had been driving nonstop for about four hours. I found a gas station and pulled, deciding that I was going to use the money that I had and buy some food and gas.

I grabbed a few bottles of water and then some fruit and a ham and cheese sandwich for Josh, he asked if he could have a small bag of chips and I sighed and agreed. I threw the stuff onto the counter and handed the man the money and told him to put the rest on for gas. We left the station and walked back over towards the car and Josh got into the backseat as I pumped the gas, telling myself that I needed to find a bar around here so I could hustle someone into giving me some money. I was usually really good a pool and poker, so when I see something going on, and find someone to go against, usually a biker man, I hustle them. Once I finished pumping the gas, we were back on the road and we saw a sigh for Pittsburgh.

“Mommy! Let’s go there!” Josh said and I sighed and nodded my head.

‘…Ok, we’re heading to Pittsburgh. Is that in Pennsylvania?...’