Free Casting Down Imaginations by LaShanda Michelle Page A

heard
thumps coming from somewhere. They were steady and constant, almost rhythmic. I
lifted my head, but its pounding caused me to return to my original position.
For a few seconds I didn’t know where I was, but the feel of the fabric on the
seats let me know that I was in Reese’s truck. Then it all came flooding back
to me. The concert. Being attacked by Adam. Reese and Lexi. My fight with
Reese. I guess he left me in the back seat asleep while he went in to the
party. Probably hooking up with Lexi, no doubt.
    I heard
a loud pang. I stuck my head up just enough to see the door of a warehouse
looking building swing shut. Adam was running as fast as he could away from the
place, head back and knees up. There was another pang and a mob of guys ran out
after him. It was the rest of Reese’s entourage, with Reese jogging after them.
    “Get
him!” he yelled out.
    The guys
ran and caught Adam by his shirt and dragged him down to the ground. Adam was
trying hard to get away, but they outnumbered him. They carried him by his arms
and legs back to Reese.
    I
couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it couldn’t have been good. Adam was
shaking his head no and trying to get away. All of a sudden Reese balled up his
fist and punched Adam hard in the stomach while the other guys held him.
    I gasped
and turned away. I never would have imagined Reese to be the violent type that
he was proving himself to be tonight. I turned back to see Reese hit him again.
He gave three more punches before they let go of him, and Adam fell to the
ground. I watched as the others kicked and spit on him, then turned around and
left him there. His body lay limp as if he were unconscious.
    I
thought they were all friends. What happened to make them want to hurt…
    I
remembered.
    Reese
asked me if Adam did anything to me.
    The look
in his eyes when I didn’t answer.
    Him
saying he had to go handle some business at the after party…
    They
beat him up because of me.
    I
watched as they made their way back to the building. I thought I knew them, but
I didn’t know any of them. They were crazy.
    Reese
stopped at the door, signaled something with his hands to his friends, and then
walked toward the truck. I put my head back down and pretended to be asleep. I
didn’t want him to know I saw what happened. I didn’t want to even speak to
him. I just wanted to go home and put this relationship and this whole night
behind me.
    I froze
in fear when I heard the keyless entry remote on the truck unlock the doors. I
relaxed my face as much as I could, even though fear was handling me like a
bull rider when he opened the door and got inside.
    I
remained still and held my breath, then exhaled slowly as we backed out of the
parking lot and onto the street. I knew he didn’t turn the radio on because he
didn’t want to wake me. Even though my head was throbbing and the streetlights
were only making it worse, I was too afraid to go back to sleep. I didn’t trust
him. If he tried to touch me again I was going to do my best to break his arm
to ensure that it never happened again.
    We rode
all the way back to Daytown in total silence.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    eight
    KAREN
    I took
my fresh cup of hot chocolate and made my way back to the living room sofa. My
whole place was decorated with index cards with definitions of long words that
I was sure to forget by next semester. I had three midterm exams to take this
week and two essays to turn in by next week. It was ten o’clock in the morning
and I was already on my third cup when my cell phone started to ring.
    “Uh!” I
exclaimed, frustrated. I walked over to the counter and checked the phone. It
wasn’t Terrance’s number, thank God. I finally blocked it when he wouldn’t stop
calling.
    I picked
it up on the third ring. “Hello?”
    There
was a pause. “Karen, don’t hang up.”
    I
grunted. “Terrance? Why do you keep calling me?”
    “I just
want to talk to you, that’s all.”
    I hung
up, trying my