Array Ashley - Murderville

Just as he was about to strike A’shai again, he heard the sound of the glass shattering and two girls burst through the door with their guns drawn. Before Samad could even react bullets were sent through his chest, dropping him instantly. Liberty squirmed as the bullets whizzed by her and she saw two slender figures get into gunplay with Samad and his goons. By the end of the gunfight, when the flying bullets finally stopped, the two masked shooters stood alive. One of the masked men walked over to A’shai and pointed the gun near the top of his heart. They shot and the bullets pierced the rope holding A’shai and he fell to the floor. The gunmen then pulled off their masks, exposing silky long hair and two very different but equally beautiful faces. A’shai realized they were a part of the Murder Mamas, a special hit team that Baron occasionally told stories about. A’shai had always dismissed the tales as myths, but as they stood before him he realized that these women were legends in the street game. That’s when A’shai knew that Baron had sent the Murder Mamas to his and Liberty’s rescue. She handed A’shai the gun and looked over at Samad. “Me saved de honors for you,” one of the women said in a heavy island accent. A’shai struggled to get to his feet and hobbled. However, he managed to stand straight up and grab the gun from the lady. He then put a bullet through Samad’s left eye, rocking him to sleep. He dropped the gun and collapsed after he asserted all of his energy to hold himself up. He breathed heavily as he grimaced from his wounds. He hobbled over to Liberty and unleashed her from the tight ropes. She collapsed into his arms. The war with Samad was finally over. A’shai and Liberty could now finally have each other without any hurdles or complaints. Their lives had come full circle, and their fate brought them back together. Despite all of the odds that had worked against them, their love had seen them through.

As A’shai and Liberty were escorted to an awaiting vehicle they clung to one another. “You know that house I told you about,” he whispered as he held her body up, even though he felt as if he would collapse at any moment.

She nodded weakly.

“It’s time… we’re going to live there for the rest of our lives… happy. Only now we don’t have to hide. I love you, Liberty, and wherever you go, I’ll follow. Nothing will keep me from you ever again. I’m sorry for everything,” he whispered.

“Don’t be sorry, A’shai Montgomery. You saved my life.”

LIBERTY SMILED AS SHE LISTENED TO A’SHAI tell her the end of their journey. It was supposed to be a happy ending. Neither of them expected her health to fade before their very eyes. They had heard the doctor’s diagnosis but in the short time of two years she had lost a little bit of energy every day. Now she had none left and there was nothing left to do. Her time was coming to an end. The passionate few years she had spent with A’shai felt like a lifetime, and she was grateful to feel that type of love before dying. She remembered the day she found out that she had a failing heart. All of the signs had been there long before any doctor had confirmed the condition. She had lived a harsh life, and it took a toll on her heart. The doctors said that it was a genetic glitch, but A’shai somehow believed that if he would have protected her better she wouldn’t have had a shortened life. She had experienced so much heartbreak in her time, and it had weakened her. Since the day they met, their time together had been on a constant countdown. A’shai saw that she didn’t have much longer. It was evident in her eyes. They were not the same and he could tell that Liberty wouldn’t make it through the night. A’shai leaned down to kiss his love and ran his fingers through her hair gently while grief flowed down his face. He had spent the last seven hours telling her their life’s story. He had nursed his drink and let his words flow, all the while knowing what the ultimate unchanging end would be. His heart ached because he knew that it would be his last time telling her that story.

“I’m cold, babe,” Liberty whispered as she closed her eyes. A’shai couldn’t help himself and even though he tried to fight his emotions, not wanting to appear weak… tears slowly fell and dripped off his trembling lip. He knew that his love was fading away into GOD’s glorious light.

“I’m cold too, baby,” A’shai said as he downed the last of his drink and lay next to Liberty while holding her tightly. He knew that the Black Tea that he had sipped while he told Liberty their story was slowly killing him. He wanted to die with her. Nothing had separated them since their escape, and he vowed that nothing ever would. They would be together forever on the other side. “I love you,” he whispered as he felt himself becoming drowsy as a weak sensation took over him.

“I love you more,” she whispered as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She was on the edge and was about to slip off. He felt his heartbeat slowing down, and he managed to release a small smile along with a final tear of joy.

They were about to die together. It was a beautiful death. They would both finally be free as birds with none of the ills that the world had to offer. None of their past burdens weighed them down… not MURDERVILLE, not Sierra Leone or the Rebellion, not even the harsh hand that the streets had dealt them. They transcended all of the pain as their bodies failed them. They lay in each other’s arms, and they both closed their eyes as they embraced, wanting to hold onto one another forever.

“TELL ME WHERE THE MONEY AT BITCH!” the goon said as he circled the girl who sat bound to the wooden chair. The beauty just sat there and cried in agony; the ropes were tied so tightly that they stopped her blood circulation. The masked goon grew frustrated and struck her across the temple with the butt of his gun, splitting her flesh open. The blood trickled down her face as she remained silent, but cringed in pain. “Tell me! Where does Po keep the money?!” he screamed as he ripped the ski-mask off his head, tired of waiting for a response. He knew that the money was somewhere in the house because he had been following her drug dealing boyfriend for two weeks and witnessed him enter the house with his street money, only to exit empty-handed. He knew that the stash was inside the house somewhere. The woman just cried in pain and never answered the intruder’s questions, only frustrating him to the brink of rage.

“Yo, if you don’t tell me where the stash at… I’m going to blow your brains all over your pretty little wall,” the goon said as he pointed the gun at the young woman’s head. He waited for a response, only to get nothing from her except the constant crying. The goon knew that he didn’t have a lot of time, and he had already searched the house from top to bottom and came up with nothing. He slapped the girl out of anger, taking her silence as disrespect. He put his gun in his waist and hostilely wrapped his hands around the girl’s neck and squeezed with all his might. He watched as her face turned blush red and she squirmed but there wasn’t much she could do because of the ropes restraining her limbs. The goon thought about how she had blatantly ignored all of his questions, and he wanted to see her die. In his twisted mind, it would be payback for her undermining his authority. He continued to squeeze her throat until the squirming stopped and her eyes stared into space, gazing at nothing. She was dead.

The goon loosened his grip, letting her chin fall into her chest. He breathed heavily and stepped back looking at the woman’s lifeless body. He then took one more look around the room and noticed a plaque on the wall. It was a high school diploma that read: Michigan School for the Deaf, with the name Scarlett Jones under it. That’s when it began to make sense to the goon. She couldn’t answer my questions… because she was deaf. She didn’t even hear me, he thought as he was overwhelmed with guilt. He quickly fled from the house empty-handed leaving the twenty-two-year-old beauty asleep forever.