Ebony's Freedom

Chapter 1

"Shhh... They are going to hear us!" The drug dealer said. Sometimes they just can't be quiet enough. If they were so worried why do they do it? This guy had been out for two years and I was about to catch him. Me. Me. Me. All me. By myself. With a half chance of getting killed. I was by myself obviously I didn't have enough since to have my partner come. But I knew he was out here. Right behind this corner. Five seconds away. They could have a gun, but I had a bigger one. They could run, but I could run faster. They could shoot me right on the spot and then throw me in a trash can, then I'd be screwed. But who cared? It's not like I have a family to go back to! "Here." They said. "How much do you want?" They asked back and forth they'd go until I'd think one of them would turn around and I would go back and shoot with the tranquilizer bullet. Yes we use it on humans too. "Okay gotta go." One said I turned around. I saw the guy counting his money. "Oh, and one more thing..." The other person turned around. But I was too late! "COPS!!" They yelled. I felt and acute pain in my stomach and started to feel woozy. I felt my stomach. It was dark red. Blood was the last thing I thought of before I blacked out.

"Told you they'd hear us." I heard a voice. I tried to move my hand another policeman move was to when you woke up move slowly in case they had a gun on you going to shoot you if you moved once. I squinted my eyes. No one was looking I looked at my hands and feet and saw that I was strapped down on a dark wooden table. It was a nice house, kind of comforting in a way. But not for long. "Sir, she's awakening." Sir? What was that all about did this maniac drug dealer have slaves? Was I going to be one in a few seconds? One hundred questions were running through my mind but the only one that was pulsing with great force was "Am I going to live?"

"What's your name?" A deep-voiced man asked. Skinny, but muscular. The usual dealer look. "Mandy Walker." Everybody in the force had fake names. "Really? We dumped your pockets and your licesense says Dakota Walker." He said. Oh no, big trouble now. I should've known not to use my force name. "How 'bout you tell me what your daughter looks like." He demanded. It was NOT a question. "I don't have one." I said truthfully. "Okay son?" He said. "I don't have any children I'm single and unmarried. My parents died last year, practically none of my family are alive except for my third cousin Eve who lives in Washington." That is what's good about having no family. No hostages. "What about friends? Good co-workers?" He asked suspiciously. "I work alone. I don't go out to parties, not in any clubs, I have no friends. Except for Eve." We were really close. I liked to think of her as my sister. I lied in that whole statement though. I'm joined in alot of clubs, and have alot of friends. "What's Eve's adress?!" He was getting impatient now. "I honestly don't know." 250 Westmore Drive. Ha. How good of a liar I was. I was meant for the force. "I guess I'll let you go then. Don't bother trying to remember the adress. It's confidential only my little slave has it!" He yelled. I looked at his so called "slave" and knew she was mis-treated. She was olive-skinned, skinny (like to the bone), and had long dark never brushed hair. "Her name is Ebony. If you want your stuff back you have to take her, and keep her. I have full papers and they are already signed. I can't keep her anymore the law is on to me. And you: You little brat! Ebony if you are bad so help me I'll kill you! Once and for all! And don't forget about your old Pop! If you tell anybody I mean ANYBODY this adress----" I wouldn't let him go any further. "Give me the papers Ebony you are going to have a great home with me!" I excitedly whispered in her ear. Finally a child. "Here sign and here's another copy. Ebony when you grow up and make lots of money and your name is on bill boards I'll come back for you. Don't forget that. I'll give you what you deserve." Oh be quiet I signed the papers, got my stuff and put Ebony in the taxi.

Chapter 2

"908 East-West Street." I said. "Whoa, you're fancy!" Ebony exclaimed. HEr voice was raspy like finger nails on a chalk board. When we got home, I gave Ebony a over-sized t-shirt. While she undressed I got a good look at her body. She had bruises head to toe, arm to arm. It was very scary to see. I hated child abuse. "Are you hungry, Ebony?" I asked. "Yes!!! So much! I can't even remember the last time I ate!" Her raspy voice sprang through the walls. I walked to the kitchen to fix her dinner. I decided on Ramen Noodles. As I made the dinner I thought about what had happened. I thought about the drug dealer, about how I got out so lucky, and how I got out saving a life. Actually saving two lives. Ebony's and the drug dealers. After he got put in jail for life, he would eventually die, and I would be saving his life by, having him live eternally. As far as I knew I didn't think he had killed anyone. "Ebony! Dinner is ready!" I heard a quiet sob as the door cracked open. "Honey!" My loud boyfriend yelled. "Shut up!" I yelled at him. When he heard the sobbing girl he ran to the back of the room. "You found her. YOU found HIM. Why did they send you out by yourself Dakota?" He was a police officer too. He sighed and carried her back into the kitchen. "I honestly don't know. I just don't know. Just like the case, the assignment was a mystery too." I could tell he was concerned. "So tell me the whole story." I gave him a look that said "when she falls asleep" and he mouthed "Okay."

“So tell my Ebony. What was your father like? Was he ever nice? Did he ever leave you home alone? Your safe now so just open up to us.” Heath asked her. Heath was my boyfriend’s name. “Well. My father was very reserved. He was nice up until my mother died. Then it all went downhill. That’s when he started doing bad things to me and to other people. He started selling that stuff and started making me take some shots every night. I didn’t like the shots. They scared me. My father left me home all the time I hardly ever got to see him. I’ve never actually been out of the house. Actually I’ve never seen the house. When my Dad and I moved when my mother died, I was little so he stuck me in a suit case and dragged me around. I’ve been in my room ever since. I wasn’t allowed to talk to my Daddy. I loved him, but he never loved me. Every time I talked to him, he stabbed me with a skewer. It was painful. But I would take any kind of pain just to have him say he loved me. I had to get food by writing on a piece of paper and sticking it under the door. So when I was home alone, I never got any food. The punishment for coming out of my room was dying. That was the first time I was out of my room when you came over.” I started crying way before any of the sad parts even came up. “Oh Ebony. Poor baby!” I started sobbing. “Ebony, sweetheart. What happened while I was asleep?” I asked her. “Well, when Daddy brought you home, he put you in his bedroom and fixed your wounds. I knew this because he made me come out for once and pour some warm water into a bowl and put some salt in it. He brought you into my room, and strapped you on my bed. He got a rag, and washed your wounds with the water. When he got finished he demanded I come out with him until you woke up. He told me to act like a dumb little kid, and to not tell you anything. He told me to eat as much as I could. After I did he stuck his finger in my mouth, and I spitted stuff. He told me to go back in the room with you and tell him when you woke up. So I went back in the room and noticed your eyes twitching and your hand moving. I didn’t say anything. You were asleep I talked to you and you didn’t answer I gave you about ten minutes to wake up and you didn’t. I didn’t know what Daddy was going to do with you. So I called for him and he said you were still asleep. He went back in the room. I acted like my Dad. I said things and you said things back. Your eyes were still closed. I got the papers that were sitting on my night stand, and I forged them for you. I went into the living room----I know huge risk---- but I did and I knocked my Dad out with his gun that he shot you with. I dragged you outside and called for a taxi. When one came, They asked where we lived and you told them. You must have thought you were dreaming. We got home, and I told you what happened,” NO! “Now you tell me what happened before you passed out.” She said. “Well I was walking around and I heard him. I heard him loud. It was kind of hard to hear though because my heart was beating so loudly. I tried to get him but the buyer turned around and caught me. I suddenly felt woozy because he shot me in the stomach, like you said. And I guess that’s all I remember!” I said surprised. I really thought she was lying at that moment. “Honey! I want to see you outside!” Heath said to Ebony. He took her outside for about ten minutes while I calmed down. “Ebony,” I called for her when she came back in. “What’s your father’s address?” She hurried to her room in the back of the house. “Don’t worry. She gave it to me.” Heath said. He leaned down to kiss my cheek and turned to walk out of the house. “You’re not going over there Heath. Not by yourself sweetheart.” He winked at me. “Who’s going to stay over here with her?” He asked. “I’m calling Venn. You aren’t going over there by yourself!” I was mad now. I picked up the phone and jabbed at the keys that were the key to Venn. “Hello?” She answered. “I need you to watch my adopted child for about the rest of the night.” I said. “Sure sweetheart.” She lived only next door and she was an old lady so I’d say Ebony would be fine. “Ebony! A nice lady is going to stay with you while I go do something.” I thought I heard a muffled okay, but I wasn’t sure, so I went back there. I gave her a kiss and told her everything was going to be fine. “Okay.” She whispered. Venn came right in the door as we were leaving and I gave her a quick hug. She yelled goodbye, but me and Heath were already a mile away. We were speeding, but it didn’t really matter. We were allowed to. When we came to the house, I got a sinking feeling. A feeling that what we were about to see we weren’t supposed to see. We crept up towards the window. “Heath!” I whispered. “What?” He said distracted. “I want to go home. I don’t like this…” I said whining. “We are this close!” He held up his fingers and pushed them close together. We got up to the window, and I looked inside. “Be careful.” Heath cautioned. “We are doing this fast.” I insisted. He gave me a pleading look. I took a good look inside and knew I should’ve stayed home. Three people were there. None looked like Ebony or her father. They were Chinese, and I was suddenly very sure that my assumption was right. They were carrying him outside. They were going to see our car! We didn’t even have enough time to register they had the door opened and were coming out when we heard them yell, “Intruders! COPS! Pale Faces!” And they were suddenly running towards us with foreign weapons.

In the hospital it was very silent. All I could hear was the muted beeping of the monitor in the room next to me. As a person came through all I could do was think of Heath. And when it finally was Heath it was hard to talk to him. He hadn’t got hurt at all, and he would hate himself for the rest of his life. But I wouldn’t I know if it was him that got hurt I would feel the same way. If I would’ve moved an inch, the car would’ve ran Heath over. I don’t regret staying where I was. I would do anything for him vice versa. “Honey. You look…” He was trying to find a word that wouldn’t hurt my feelings. “Babe, I know. I look terrible. I love you.” I said, and this time, I wasn’t lying. I loved him. “Dakota Lynn Walker. Will you marry me?” He asked me. “Wow. Yes! I love you! Yes I will marry you Heath if I get out of here alive.” I knew my body was damaged, but my heart wasn’t. Who I loved wouldn’t change. “Ebony? What happened to Ebony?” I asked. “Ebony was the person driving the car. She didn’t know we were there. She doesn’t know you are who she hurt. But she did save us. She knocked out the men, and her father finally told her he loved her. It was so miraculous. He is in jail. She is living with Venn temporarily. She told her father that he was too late. That she wanted to live with you.” I started crying. He hugged me. “Oh and by the way… She knocked out Venn. She wouldn’t let Ebony go so she knocked her out!” I started laughing and crying at the same time but I noticed that Heath wasn’t laughing. “Her poor old body couldn’t take it though and she died.” It was sad. You missed her funeral. Ebony still blames herself.” Now I started going crazy sobbing. Venn has been my un biological mother ever since mine died. “Honey… Calm down. It’s okay. She’s in a better place. She is. Don’t worry Sweetheart. It’s okay. She loved you.” He tried to reassure me. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye! It’s not okay!” I screamed. Then the door whooshed open. “I knew she’d be mad Dad!” Ebony screeched and then rushed out. “Go… Go…. Go Calm…. Her down.” I said in between sobs. “Okay,” He said. And then he walked out to go calm down Ebony. The doctor came in when he left. He asked me what was wrong. I told him my mother died. “Oh. I know. When I lost my mother I hated the world. But then I realized that in about twenty to thirty years that I’ll be with her! And I’ll be in a better place.” That was as reassuring as it could get. Then Ebony rushed through the door. “I’m sorry. Very, very, very, sorry!” She cried and ran up to me to give me a hug. Of course I hugged her, even though that bruised my heart. Ebony’s place didn’t change. She was trying to help us.