Wreckless (6 page)

Saundra was appalled. Jasmine needed medical
attention bad. “So, what happened?” she asked.

“
When Jasmine saw me, she
freaked out. It was like she thought Teresa had betrayed her
somehow. Like I said before, this wasn’t the first night we’d been
together. Jasmine went crazy; immediately, they started fighting.
It was too wild, so I put my clothes on and left.”

He watched Saundra for her reaction.

“
So, that’s it . . . you
just left?” she asked.

“
Yeah. What was I supposed
to do? It weirded me out.”

“
How about pull them
apart?”

“
Yo, I didn’t know what
was going on, so I left. About thirty minutes later, Jasmine called
telling me Teresa was dead. She basically threatened me to help her
or she would tell the police I did it. And with me being the last
person seen with her, it wouldn’t be hard for them to suspect me.
We know people go to jail all the time for something they didn’t
do.”

“
It all happened so fast,”
he continued. “Then when you came over, you were just getting in
her way. She drugged you and tied you up. By the time I got back,
you were already tied up in the closet. There is no way I could
continue with Jasmine’s plan.”

“
What exactly was her
plan,” Saundra asked.

Maurice gave her a quick look. “To bury you
both in these trees out here.”

Fear struck Saundra as she quivered and
looked out to the wooded area. “How much longer ‘til we get back?”
she asked.

No sooner than the words came from her, the
rear of the truck was hit hard. The GMC Sierra swayed from side to
side, Maurice trying to keep a hold of it. Saundra screamed and
looked behind them.

“
She’s on our tail!” she
yelled.

Jasmine rammed the truck again, but this
time, keeping the car steady on the bumper. The back of the truck
lifted and was now sitting on the front of Teresa’s Chevy Malibu.
The GMC Sierra lost traction and spun out of control.

“
AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” Saundra
screamed.

The truck ran off the road into the trees.
Dirt particles flew up from the tires and the truck flipped over on
its side. It slid to a stop, smoke coming from the engine. Jasmine
pulled to the side of the road. She got out with her blade in hand.
There was no wind in the air. Barefoot and out of her mind, Jasmine
talked to herself.

“
See what you have done? I
never wanted to hurt you, Maurice! I love you.”

She walked into the trees to the truck.
There was movement inside; then she saw Saundra climbing out of the
passenger window.

“
Where do you think you’re
going?” Jasmine said.

Seeing Jasmine kicked up Saundra’s
adrenaline. Hopping off the side of the car, she sprinted deeper
into the woods. As she ran, the thought of not going too far didn’t
cross her mind; only getting away from Jasmine. She stopped and hid
behind a tall oak tree. Her breathing was rapid. With her back
against the tree, she closed her eyes momentarily and took in deep
breaths.

“
Come out, come out,
wherever you are,” Jasmine taunted. “Oh, come on. You didn’t really
think you could get away from me, did you?”

Jasmine took her flashlight and pointed it
in front of her. The light hovered over the tree Saundra was
standing behind. She held her breath. As much as she wanted to
pray, she couldn’t make a sound.

“
You’re never getting out
of here alive,” Jasmine threatened.

Saundra shifted her weight from one foot to
the other, breaking a tiny piece of tree branch. Jasmine ran
towards the sound and the flashlight temporarily blinded Saundra
before she could run. It didn’t take much for Jasmine to catch
her.

“
Aaaah! Let go of me, you
maniac!” Saundra screamed, tussling and trying to shake Jasmine
off.

They fell to the ground. Jasmine got on top
of Saundra and smacked her face. Her hands weighed down on
Saundra’s throat. It was her time to die.

“
You won’t get away from
me again!” Jasmine said.

Saundra swung her arms wildly, connecting
with Jasmine’s face a few times. Unable to breathe, Saundra grabbed
Jasmine’s arms in an attempt to free her neck from her grasp.

“
You are so weak and
pathetic! Why would Maurice choose you over me, huh?”

Saundra gasped and coughed to get any air in
that she could.

“
Oh, what was that? I
can’t hear you!” Jasmine said, tightening her grip.

Saundra’s eyes rolled. She knew for sure it
was over for her. Deciding to give up and go with God, Saundra’s
arms fell to her side. Being with the Lord was better than this any
day. She had fought the good fight.

“
That’s right,” Jasmine
said. “Let it happen.”

Faster than a speeding bullet, Maurice
tackled Jasmine to the ground. Air flowed through Saundra’s chest
as she heaved in and out, rolling to her side and coughing hard.
Her eyes watered and her vision went blurry.

“
Get off of me!” Jasmine
screamed. But Maurice’s strength was too much for her. She couldn’t
fight it. Still holding on to the blade, Jasmine stuck it inside
his leg, right below his knee. Maurice jumped back, uttering all
sorts of profanities.

He hopped on one leg, leaning against a
tree. Jasmine tried to stick him again, this time in his chest.
Maurice fell to the ground and cursed some more reaching out almost
grabbing her. He looked at Saundra, who was on her knees trying to
stand.

“
Run, Saundra! Get out of
here now!”

“
I won’t leave you here
with her!” Saundra replied, now standing to her feet.

“
Ah . . . now ain’t that
sweet,” Jasmine mocked.

“
Gooo to my truck and get
. . . ” he never finished the sentence because Jasmine smack him
hard with the back of her hand.

Saundra took off. The only light she had was
coming from the moon. “Jesus . . . direct me, Lord.” Her legs were
sore and she was exhausted. How she would make it another step, she
didn’t know. It was all up to God to get her there.

Finally, in the distance, she could see the
truck still lying on its side. “Thank you, Lord!” Running up on it,
she climbed on the passenger side door when she realized she didn’t
know what she was looking for.

She grumbled. “Oh God, please . . . what is
it?”

With the truck flipped on its side, she
wasn’t sure how she’d be able to look around. Scooting to the back
door, Saundra opened the passenger door. Then she used both her
hands to push it open.

She felt around on the floorboard and
wondered if she should climb in. Unable to gain balance, she fell
in. Her weight shook the truck slightly. It was enough to make the
door snap shut. The glass from the window shattered, almost cutting
her.

“
Ahhh, God!” she
yelled.

Shaking broken glass from her, she searched
the truck. Turning around, she looked in the back seat. There was
no way she could reach it. Feeling doomed, she sat still for a
moment to steady herself.

“
Okay,” she said. “Where
would a man hide or put something in his truck?”

A light bulb went off in her mind. Her hands
stretched out and reached for the visor above her head. Nothing
there, so she reached for the other visor, but there was nothing
there, either.

“
Oh, come on!” she yelled,
frustrated. Then her eyes met the glove compartment. She growled.
“Duh!” Saundra reached for the glove compartment. “Whatever it is
better be good,” she said.

The chrome flashed and shine bright in the
night. At the sight of the gun, Saundra was frozen. What was she
supposed to do with that?

“
Owwwwww!”

She heard a howl come from the woods.
Knowing it was Maurice, she grabbed the gun and crawled back out of
the truck. After jumping down, she pulled the chamber back. Saundra
ran with both hands clutched around the handle of the three-eighty.
Another scream shrieked through the midnight sky. Maurice was in
trouble. Jasmine stuck him twice in the same leg and twice in his
back. She wouldn’t try to stick him in his chest again. The last
time, Maurice almost had her. Jasmine’s eyes were wild and she
looked like an untamed animal circling its prey.

“
You just couldn’t let me
do it, could you!” she yelled. “Boy oh boy, was I a fool! I thought
Saundra was weak, but you are weaker! You don’t know how to treat a
woman who loves you, do you? Nooo! Instead, you want to be with
women who could care less about you and only wants status. You are
a fool, too, you know? But I won’t be a fool any longer. Tonight,
you can die with that witch!”

She lifted her blade and Saundra fired two
shots.

Bang! Bang!

Jasmine turned around slowly, her eyes wide.
Saundra aimed at her with both hands shaking. Tears were running
out of Saundra’s eyes. She bit her bottom lip and continued to
quiver. Jasmine dropped to the ground, the blade falling from her
grasp. She groaned and spit up bubbles of blood.

Saundra let go of the gun and ran up to
Maurice. He put an arm around her and they limped to the truck.
Once there, Maurice got his phone and called the police. It took
them an hour to find them.

****

Two days later . . .

Saundra knocked on the door. A few minutes
passed before a tall man with a bright smile answered.

“
Can I help
you?”

“
Yes. ”

“
Oh, you must be Saundra,”
the man said.

“
Yes,” she smiled. “Is
Maurice seeing people?”

“He’s seeing you.”

His dad let her in, he didn’t look any more
than forty years old standing tall with broad shoulders. The only
sign of his age was the grey stripe that outlined his hair. Saundra
walked in and surveyed the living room.

“
He’s in the back; you can
go and see him.”

In the back room, Maurice lay on a couch
watching football. Saundra watched him for a second before he saw
her.

“
Hey girl, what’s up?” He
turned the TV down and sat up.

“
I just stopped by to see
how you are doing, but I see you are just fine. That’s good you
need time to heal.”

“
For what? It was just a
couple of stabs. I’m a man. I don’t need any time to
heal.”

Saundra shook her head, “Men and their
egos,” she said. “Well, I brought you some get well soon food, but
I guess you won’t be needing it since you’re all better.”

She turned to walk away with the chopped
wiener plate she picked up from Ray’s Barbeque Pit.

“
Nah uh. Girl, come back
with that food. I can always use that.”

She laughed and handed him the bag.

“
You know, they say a way
to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

“
Is that right,” she said.
“And what makes you think I want your heart?”

“
I was just hoping maybe
we could, you know.”

“
Slow down, cowboy. We
will see. I don’t know if I should be crazy enough to date a man
who tried to kill me.”

Maurice looked behind her to see if his dad
was in hearing distance. “About that,” he said.

She waved him off. “You’ve already explained
yourself. I forgive you. Besides, I prayed for rescue before you
found me. When the devil tried to use you for evil, God used you
for good. I won’t be bringing it back up, so don’t worry about
it.”

Maurice looked relieved. She walked closer
to him and sat on his lap, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. “Are
you going to Teresa’s funeral?” she asked.

After the fiasco and discovery of a body in
the trunk of a car, the police followed Jasmine in the ambulance to
the hospital and stood on guard.

Once she was better, they transferred her
straight to jail, where she is awaiting trial. Teresa’s corpse was
taken to the morgue. Her funeral is four days from now.

“
I feel like I should go
pay my respects. I’ve made peace with God and asked Him to forgive
me. So now, I need to do the same with her.”

Saundra shook her head up and down in
understanding. “Well, if you need a ride, let me know.”

She got up and walked away. “I’m sure I
will,” Maurice said, a smirk on his face.

She blew him a kiss. “See you later,
alligator.”

“
After while,
crocodile.”

The End