Autumn

"So you doing witch craft now?" My mom asks again, holding the book up.

I forgot to hide it after I washed my clothes..

I begin to stutter.. unable to get any words out I stop talking.

"I don't know what devil done jumped into you but I know that you know better than to bring a book like this into the house of the lord!" My mom raises her voice causing me to jump.

I stand, frozen in fear.

"Get to your fucking room" She yells throwing the book to the ground.

I run to my room with Lashay on my trail.

"I rebuke this devil in the name of Jesus" I hear my mom yell while stomping on the book repeatedly.

I close my room door, locking it.

"Girl what the fuck?" Lashay asks confused about what's going on.

"I got that book from a lady in the mall" I tell Lashay briefly.

"A lady in the mall?" Lashay furrows her eyebrows.

The knob on my room door jiggles..

"I know you didn't lock this door" My mom bangs so hard it seems like the door will break.

"Open the door" Lashay urges.

I open the door and my mom walks in holding a belt.

"You about to know how Jesus felt on that cross" My mom threatens.

She begins beating me with the belt.

"Oh my goodness!" Lashay yells like she's the one being hit..

"Mama please!" I cry in pain as she whips me harder and harder all over my body and face.

"Stop it before you kill her" Lashay screams.

My mom ignores her continuing to beat me like a slave that tried to run away..

"I rebuke you in the name of Jesus!" My mom yells with every hit. "Get out of my daughter demon!"

Lashay runs out of the room and disappears..

I black out.

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I wake up from what feels like a nap and my whole body aches.

I attempt to move and I grunt in pain.

It hurts so bad...

I finally sit up and I look around my dark room blinking rapidly.

I swallow my spit attempting to moisturize my dry mouth.

Standing to my feet, I limp with every step.

I make it to my bathroom turning the light on, I squint giving my eyes time to adjust to the light and I cry at what I see in the mirror...

My face and body has belt marks & bruises all over.. My right eye is black and damn near shut.

I slowly leave the bathroom walking back into my room and turning the room light on.

I find my backpack and open it, reaching inside I grab my iPhone.

I have over a hundred missed calls and twenty five texts from Lashay..

Ignoring her messages I go to my contacts calling Fats.

He answers on the second ring "Hello"

I don't say anything..

"Hello, baby girl?" Fats speaks again.

I remain silent.

"You okay?" He continues "I can hear you breathing"

I cover my mouth with tears falling from my face causing my bruises to sting.

"I need your help" I cry with a voice crack.

"What you need help with?" Fats asks sounding worried.

I hang up the phone.

I lay down in bed crying harder than before..

My phone lights up and I see that it's Fats calling back.

I decline the call.

I should've never called him but I couldn't think of anyone else.

He immediately begins to call back.

I decline it again..

He repeatedly calls back.

After about thirty minutes of him calling none stop I finally pick up the phone.

I wipe my tears "Hello?" I whisper so my mom won't hear me.

"Bring your ass the fuck outside!" Fats yells like a manic scaring me.

"Why are you yelling?" I ask him.

"Come the fuck outside!" He yells louder.. if that's even possible.

I remove the phone from my ear "I'm coming" I whisper into the phone.

I slowly stand up, ignoring the pain I feel.

I put on a hoodie and my bubble slides before creeping out of my room.

As I'm tiptoeing I notice my mom asleep on the couch snoring like a hibernating bear.

She begins to move causing me to freeze then she resumes snoring...

I tiptoe the rest of my way out the house.

Once outside I slowly shut the door.

Fats flashes his high beam lights to get my attention.

I walk over to his car, getting inside.

"I was about to knock on your fucking door. I thought something was wrong with yo-" Fats stops talking at the sight of my face.

He clinches his jaw before angrily grabbing his chin hair "Who put they hands on you?"

"My mom" I speak barely above a whisper.

"Your mom?" Fats asks furrowing his eyebrows.

"You look like you got beat by two niggas. Your mama did this to you?"

I nod unzipping my hoodie so he can see the rest of my body.

His mouth drops in shock "Why?"

I shake my head "Over a book"

"A book?" Fats asks still not understanding.

"My mom is a Christian and she found this hoodoo book that I got from a lady I met at the mall" I explain.

He looks at me with a blank expression "So she a Christian and she beat you like this over a book?"

I nod

"The fuck kind of Christian is she? This some sick shit" Fats speaks angrily.

"Black people so brainwashed. Hoodoo and Voodoo is apart of our culture. I mean I don't do it but I know it's history. Motherfuckers believe in a bible given to them by slave masters talking about a white Jesus & shit but look down on our own religion" Fats says causing me to think...

The Bible was given to us by slave masters ?

Hoodoo is apart of our culture?

It's our religion?

"Your mama need her ass beat" Fats continues bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Christianity is a damn cult, motherfuckers drinking the blood of Jesus and shit but scared to do voodoo. Everybody respects other religions except Christians, anything thats not Christianity they deem as evil" Fats shakes his head.

I sit quietly, processing everything he's saying..

"Somebody at your house door" Fats tells me causing me to duck. "I think it's your mama, I'm 'bout ready to shoot that hoe"

"No please don't hurt my mom" I beg him still ducked down in his seat.

He pulls out of the parking lot and away from the house.

"Where are you going?" I ask confused as I sit up in the seat.

"You not going back to that cult ass shit. You coming with me" Fats tells me.

"Huh?" I ask in shock.

"You heard what the fuck I said. You called me for a reason. You wanted help. I have to help you" Fats says sternly.

Somehow that's exactly what I wanted him to say...

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