where the hell where you?

Darkness and silence filled my mind.

When I open my eyes I find myself hiding in a closet gunfire outside, clouds of smoke were pillowing under the doors. My eyes were wet with tear and dread filled my heart.

"Sister, I'm scared." I look down and my little brother Jeremiah was crouched beside me hugging his knees.

A sense of duty shared the space in my mind that dread once filled. The two fighting for total domination.

"We'll be okay, when mom comes to get us

we'll leave." I pulled him in closer to me wrapping my arm around him, rubbing his shoulder for comfort.

The smoke was getting thicker under the door, it started to taint the oxygen in our small closet. It was getting harder to breathe, my little brother started coughing first. The smoke spreading upward toward me.

*cough cough* *cough cough*

It was getting hard for me to breathe. Maybe we should leave, what if mom isn't coming? What if we waited to long and the fire is too bad to leave?

What do I do? My anxiety was making my heart race.

Suddenly the door ripped open and a figure hidden by smoke spoke "what the hell are you doing here? Get up let's go."

Jerking me upward I pull my brother up too. He puts my brother on his back and pushes forward through the flames.

The ceiling was covered by fire. Violet clashing of oranges and yellows it was mesmerizing and terrifying.

"Move." The figure said. His voice was muffled the smoke and crackle of the fire drowned the words he was saying but knew by his harsh pull he wanted me to speed up.

Moving through the house. The sounds of

gunshots grew louder the closer we got to the door. Rushing out I had to cover my ears the sound of bullets firing was tearing at my eardrum. The sudden intake of oxygen cause me to cough hard.

Putting my little brother down I run over to him holding him. But the sounds of gun fire causing me to once again cover my ears.

A gun went off near me the sound was ear piercingly loud. My ears ringing and suddenly I couldn't breathe again, my chest burned and ached I let go of my ears and grab my chest. The blood from my chest coated my hands. I was getting tingly and cold.

"Big Sister!" My little brother shouted.

"It's really cold all of a sudden."

"Save her you have to save her!" He shouted.

Seeing the figure more clearly, my vision was foggy I couldn't make out his face. I reached up to touch his face.

"Are you an Angel?"

"Maybe once but definitely not anymore." His voice was soothing.

"Please don't take me to heaven. I don't want to die. I' not ready to die." I cried. I still have so much I want to do; so much I want to see. I can't leave my brother, what if mom and dad are dead too? He'd be all alone. I can't do that.

"Please don't let me die. I can't leave Jeremiah." I pleaded.

"I won't let you die." His voice was low, soothing even.

"I think… I think it's too late."

"I can't do this. I can't lose you again. Not when I just found you." His voice was dripping with sorrow and longing.

Maybe if we never moved to this neighborhood this wouldn't have happened. Despite the name mixed, mixed kids didn't have a place among the blacks or the whites. Othered by both. But moving to a white

neighborhood is what got us here, why they set our house on fire.

We didn't belong here. They didn't like my black mama.

Regret filled my thought.

"I love you, I'll see you again." Where his last words to me.

I was jerked awake from my dream. By the sound of someone yelling. Wind making my hair whip my face violently. The smell of mahogany and and vanilla swarmed my nostrils as I took a deep breath.

I don't know how but I felt so at home in this embrace. Warm and safe.

Wait…

Whose holding me?

Looking up, at first I see a pair of large black and silver wings beating. They glistened like diamond in the moonlight. They're beautiful, I can't help it I have to touch it.

Reaching out I run fingers through the feathers, that touch so soft, like a cloud in heaven.

At first I inhale deeply, I can't believe something could be soft.

My brain's still foggy and I'm feeling so nauseous. The air chilled my spine so I pushed further inward trying to get warmer. The chest of the body that my body rested in was hard and hot.

My body felt so heavy, I was still so dizzy. I was starting to fade out again.

"Be gentle, my wings are sensitive." A voice said startling me.

I jerk my hand back.

Looking and I see the man from the bar. The man who tried to kill Daniel.

"Where am I, where are you taking me?"

"Just put your face back in my chest, I'm bringing you back to your friends." He answered.

"Are those wings?"

"They're exactly what you see. Now rest yo've been drugged and the effects haven't warn off." He ordered.

"Okay." It was easy enough I was exhausted. Closing my eyes it was easy to find sleep again.

"Hey you shit, where the hell were you and how did you get in here?" A voice said shaking me awake.

My head was pounding and she was so

loud.

"I don't know, now shut up and let me go back to sleep my head is killing me." I complained.

"Excuse me absolutely now, you wake up and explain yourself right now." It was Josie Brooke's voice was softer and gentler and her words not as harsh as Josie's.

"I already did. I said I don't know, please let me sleep a bit longer my head really hurts and being awake makes me feel sick.

"Josie let it go for a bit. She said please after being woken up from a rough night, and she's never polite in the mornings. She's back safe and unharmed, we can ask her when she wakes up." Broke said. "We can ask her more when she wakes up, okay?"

"Fine." Josie said her footsteps retreating.

Falling back to sleep, and for the first time in a long time I was able to sleep well and all the way through the night. It was actually restful.

Waking up and I stretch out extending my stiff limbs.

Blinking and wiping my eyes to help clear my vision. Realization setting in.

What did happen last night…?

Opening up the French doors and walking to the kitchen, Josie and Brooke were at the table sharing a cup of coffee together.

'Morning sleeping beauty." Brooke spoke first giving me her signature smile.

"Yeah, morning. You guys." I answer as I walk over to the coffee machine, grabbing a cup and pour myself a cup of black coffee and mix in some of the sugar on the counter and take my seat at the table ready myself for the interrogation.

"Give me just a few minutes drink my coffee and think and I'll answer your questions, things are a blur and they're all jumbled up."

"Fine, but we don't have all day." Josie said impatiently.

"Understood."

Taking some sips of coffee I try and reflect on what happened. My memory was like bits in pieces of film clips in the wrong order.

A recall a moment where Daniel was thrown into a wall.

"Daniel, is he okay?"

"Yeah a broken wrist he'll have to wear a cast for a few weeks, but he's fine." Brooke reassured.

"Why are you worried about other people, you should be worried about yourself, cause you're lucky I haven't killed you yet." Josie snapped.

"Listen, my memory is hazy at best. I think someone spiked my drink."

"What? Why would you think that?" Brooke said concerned.

"Well for one, I have the symptoms,which looks like a hang over but the brain fog is more from drugs." I started "and for two, I am pretty sure I had an hallucination, because if not, I flew here in the arms of an angel with black wings who looked exactly like the man who was staring at me in the bar."

"What the hell are you talking about." Josie said giving me a suspicious look lifting her eyebrow at me.

"I mean I was drugged with a hallucinogen and it made me think I was flying in the arms of a sexy angel, English is your first language, I grew up with you, I know you know what I mean."

"No, that part, yeah weird, but people dream they fly on drugs all the tie I'm talking about it being Mr. Hot stocker guy from the bar. Why him huh?" Josie leaned in her undertone was laced with accusations.

"Listen, I don't know why that either."

"Well this trip has been interesting, fights, guns, kidnappings, and the attention of two really hot men." Josie joked "your 21st birthday sounds like the most exciting birthday someone could have."

"Well, I hope word doesn't get to our parents I know my dad's would flip. And I'd never be allowed to leave the house again." Brooke said.

"What do we say if they do know?" I asked

That we were outside smoking weed when it all happened inside and we left immediately calling 911." Josie answered.

"That's actually genius. They'll only be medium concerned instead of big concerned." I said jokingly.

"You really think you were drugged? Who

could have drugged you and how did you get home?" Brooke asked still concerned.

"Yeah I don't really remember anything except the hallucination and a little bit of a fight in a hallway. One with Daniel and the guy from the bar."

"You at least remember the concert right?" Josie asked.

"Oh yeah definitely but after coming back from dancing and taking a sip of my drink I don't remember anything."

"That must have been when you're drink was spiked." Josie said.

"But I was right there the whole time I didn't see anyone." Brooke said.

"Do you think it was Daniel?" I asked "Do you think it could have been him?

"No way, I don't think so, he get's enough girls he doesn't have to drug them. This is crazy scary though Seri." Josie said.

"Yeah, someone tried to drug you. Should we pack up just leave? Is it safe to stay?" Brooke asked.

"Honestly, I just wanna go home and hug my dog."

"Let's pack and leave early." Brooke said.

I quickly pack, ready to get home.

As we check out and head to the car on the sidewalk, walking with a dog, Mr. Morning from the art museum.

"Hello, Mr. Morning, how are you today?" I asked reaching down to pet the excited dog, it was black Labrador.

"I splendid, especially see you safe from last night and as a bonus seeing you before you leave." Mr. Morning said smoothly.

"Yeah luckily, we all got home safely."

"Let's go Seri." Josie yelled from the driver seat.

"Well it was nice to see you before I leave."

"It was my pleasure to see you before you leave." He said his voice was rich like chocolate.

Waving bye after loading the and we start to pull away he waves back.

"I like him. He's so sexy." Josie said.

"I know."