Down the Rabbit Hole #2
“You’re feeling it huh?” she gushed, her eyes twinkling in the moonlight.
“Yeah, I think I am. Do you feel it?”
“Yeah,” she smiled. “It’s an awesome drug. I see why people do it. You’re gonna have a lot of energy, and wanna dance and laugh. It’s fun for parties.”
“How would you know?”
She shrugged. “I’ve been to parties, Wynnie. Bianca invites me to ragers and raves all the time.”
“Bianca.” I rolled my eyes and stuck out my tongue. “She totally wants to fuck you.”
“I wish,” she joked. “I think she wants Turkey, and is nice to me to get to him. But she’s not his type.”
“Nope. Turkey’s type is Autumn Night Shaw,” I sang.
She playfully shoved me as I tried to make kissy noises in her ear, before she hooked her arm into mine.
We passed two towers, before going into Tower Four. The kickback was on the first floor, and by the weed and loud music, it was easy enough to find the apartment.
“Stay close,” I said into Auty’s ear, nodding to some people. We pushed our way in, and I bumped right into Chyna.
“Hey!” she screeched, hugging me. “You came! Wassup, girl!”
“Hey. This is my sister, Autumn.”
Chyna glanced at Autumn before doing a double take. “Damn! You cute. Hey, girlie.”
Auty blushed, before waving.
Chyna grabbed her hand and pulled us deeper into the apartment. There were couches, chairs, and some people dancing in the living room. Chyna pulled us into the kitchen and began making drinks.
“Just shots for us, she doesn’t drink.”
“Aw, don’t tell me your cute ass is a Debbie Downer,” Chyna said, pushing a shot of something clear into my hand. I took it to the head, forgetting I was mixing light and dark until after the fact.
My head began to swim, just as my bladder threatened to erupt. I didn’t wanna pop the cork, but maybe sitting down would help the molly and alcohol reacclimate inside my belly.
“C’mon, I’m going to the bathroom.”
“It’s just across the living room. Autumn can stay with me, right Autumn?”
Chyna took Auty’s hand again, having her dumbly nod at Chyna before she turned pleading eyes toward me.
I’d heard rumors of Auty being gay, but I guess they were true.
I shrugged. “Fine. Stay here.”
Crossing the sea of people was torture, but thankfully, there was no line for the bathroom. It was kind of clean for a party, another plus. I locked the door and stumbled toward the toilet, pulling down my pants and undoing the buttons on my crotch.
I moaned audibly as I squatted and peed. My hands gripped the counter and the wall, but I didn't stop until my bladder was empty.
It didn’t help my head.
After flushing and washing my hands, I put the toilet seat down and sat, palming either side of my head. The music was muted, but my head still throbbed to the beat of the bass.
I felt out of my body.
I felt like I needed to go home.
Commotion leaked from under the door, before screams erupted.
Followed by gunshots.
I jumped up immediately, chanting Auty’s name like a prayer. Our first hood function, and we were separated when the shots came.
Turkey was going to kill me.
I snatched open the door and pushed my way out, but everyone was running in the small space.
I was pushed hard into someone, before knocking into someone else.
The next time I was pushed, I leaned back, and saw it was Kilo.
He turned around, his elbow flying in the air.
It was the last thing I saw before darkness.
“How many girls you got?”
“Including this one’s fine ass sister, we got six. I got them in yo other crib on the top floor.”
“Aight. Lock down the entire tower. I’on want no one in or out until Monday, when the buyer comes.”
“Fasho. What about her?”
“She can stay in here until shit gets situated. I’ll have a lil’ fun with her before we knock that bitch nigga Pooh off.”
“You talking hella freely in front of this bitch.”
“Chyna spiked her shot, then I elbowed her ass. She not gon’ remember shit when she do wake up, but she’ll be horny and ready for a young. Let’s go. I seen her sister. I wanna see the rest of the girls. The buyer wants pictures. And get in touch with Luney and Tune.
Might as well knock them off with they pops at the same time.”
“Fasho.”
The door closed behind them.
I didn’t open my eyes until I heard the front door close softly in the distance.
My head was swimming. My eye hurt so bad. And I was definitely feeling all the shit I took and was given to me.
But I couldn’t fucking stay. I thanked my lucky stars I wasn’t sore between my legs, but clearly, I was on borrowed time.
Auty.
A sob worked up my throat, but I held it down as I tried to clear my head.
There was a window in the room, with bars, but still, a window. There were wires coming from it, which meant it was the type of bars that poked out in case of emergency.
Digging my hand behind the bed, I found the lever and pulled until the bars popped out of the wall. The sill looked almost painted shut, but with some elbow grease and me holding in vomit, I was able to open the window high enough to sneak out.
There was no screen on the window. But there was bushes right outside, that poked holes in my shirt and scratched up my arms something bad.
But I couldn’t stop. I had to go. I had to–
“Wynter? Is that you? The fuck you doing climbing out that window?”
I stumbled onto the sidewalk, flinching hard when big hands grabbed me. But when my eyesight cleared and saw it was Tyree, I sighed a breath of relief.
Before I broke down in tears.
“We gotta go. I gotta get out of here. But Auty. Oh, God! They have Auty!”
“Ay! Chill. C’mere.” Tyree pulled me toward a parking lot and pushed me inside a car in the third row. He got into the driver’s side, turned on the ignition, and then turned the radio down.
“What happened?” he asked after turning off the headlights.
I tried to lick my lips, but my tongue was so dry. Still, I pushed out the entire night, including what I’d heard when I woke up. He looked at my face, and I just knew there was a bruise from the way his jaw tightened.
When I was done, he turned on the headlights of the car and drove out of the lot like a madman, heading west.
“Wait! What about Auty?!” I shrieked, turning around to gape at the Birch in the back windshield.
“You said they said they locking the Birch down, so it’s locked down. She still gonna be there. But they talking about knocking off my uncle and cousins tonight, and that can’t wait. Besides, them niggas know you, and when they get back in that room and see you gone, they gonna be looking for you.
You need somewhere to lay low, and I need to talk to my uncle.”
He grabbed his phone and threw it to me. “Call Rico and Fredo. If one don’t answer, call the other, and if neither don’t answer, call Turk. Damn! Ay, first, call Reem and put it on speaker.”
I scrolled his contacts to Reem and hit dialed, putting it on speaker.
“Yo ass forgot my order already?” Reem said, answering the call.
“Kilo locking down the towers on some coup d’état shit, brodie. Take Trina to Granny’s and have her and Lala hold it down. Call Sean and have him and his mama go to Nan’s. Ms. Sheryl got a spare key. If he can’t get to the Twins and Pooh tonight, he may try her, but Baby Nitemare got it.”
“Fuck; aight. The fuck you at?” There was rustling on the other line, and a soft feminine voice.
“I’m going to the Hive. Stay by your phone.”
“Fasho. Stay dangerous.”
Reem hung up, and I started trying Rico and Fredo.
“Nutty, Set, and Tati took Shad to some winter camp this weekend in NorCal. That’s why they doing this shit now. Ain’t no telling how long they been planning this shit, though. Damn, man.”
“Wh-where are the rest of them?” I stammered, getting antsy every time the answering machine picked up.
“I’on know. Turk was on babysitting duty last I heard. Fredo be MIA. And Rico… you know… he be MIA too.”
I snorted, hanging up on Rico’s answering machine for the third time. “Yeah, I bet.”
“Not like that, Wyn.”
“Gotta be a special bitch to not answer your call.” I threw his phone into his lap and looked out the window.
“Man, I said not like that. Rico turning into Nutty, the way he don’t even want bitches breathing on him. I mean–aww shit. Here. Grab my phone and call Pooh, girl. Then put that seatbelt on.”
I rolled my eyes but grabbed his phone and dialed Pooh.
This time, the phone clicked over on the fourth ring. “Nephew, you know what time it is?”
“Man, niggas making moves tonight. I’m on the way in a black impala with black rims. Rone’s whip. I got a female in the car with me. It’s only my car, but I’m being followed, and I gotta bring ‘em to you ‘cause I ain’t got enough gas to run off.”
“It’s prolly–”
“Them niggas plotting on you, Unc. Anyone who is coming to you right now is coming to knock you off, on my mama rest in peace.”
The other line was silent for a long moment. I looked in the sideview mirror and saw the car Tyree thought was following us. The windows were tinted a little, but I could tell it was a full car.
“Those little shits. I got something for they asses. Come on, nephew. I’ll see you soon.”
“How do you know they’re following us?” I asked, gripping his phone.
“Because that’s a car I’ve seen every day. And Rone’s dumb ass has personalized plates, so they know it’s me, too. Reach in the back and grab that rifle, mamas. G-Pops taught yo ass how to shoot, too?”
My eyes stretched at his profile. “I am not a gang member! I’m not shooting a gun!”
“I forgot yo ass bougie. Put on ya fuckin’ seatbelt, damn!”
I clicked that immediately, and no sooner than that, Tyree pushed the pedal to the metal, zooming through Lightning Heights. The car behind us was steady on our tail, even when we entered an alley off a dead end.
Shots rang out, and Tyree swerved a little before correcting himself.
“Ay, get down,” Tyree said, but I was already bending down.
Harder bullets hit the car the second time, and my side began to cramp as a mansion with a high electric fence came into view.