Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
“That’s my mom? Because. . .” I pointed to the little girl. “You are Lunita. And that’s me? I mean. . .Yeah. I’m Lunita. So. . .you are me, and I am you.”
The little girl let out an exasperated breath. “Go away.”
I began looking around the apartment. “But this place doesn’t look familiar. Well. . .dreams don’t have to be exact. Right? And. . .I don’t know if I remember what the living room looks like anyway. So many memories burned away in the fire. No more pictures. . .”
Then, Daryl disappeared, but little Lunita remained standing next to me.
I squinted. “Where did he go?”
The cartoon shifted to the Sopranos.
“How did that happen?” I quirked my brows. “The remote isn’t in your hand.”
Suddenly, the front door opened.
A man walked into the apartment, and I recognized him instantly.
“Oh no.” I froze. “T-that’s daddy.”
I didn’t know why, but my stomach twisted. Fear rushed through me. “Can he see me?”
He walked past us and set his lunch bag on the couch. Then, he went to the door that Lunita had been peeking in, but he didn’t enter. He just stood in the doorway and stared.
“What is he looking at?” I leaned to the side and caught my mother passed out on top of the bed with her shoes on and a spatula in her hand.
“Goddamn it.” Dad quickly closed the door, rushed across the room, and opened the kitchen door. “Well, at least she turned off the stove this time.”
I looked at Lunita. “What is going on?”
She whispered, “Just wake up.”
“But. . .” I shivered. “I don’t want to leave you here. This feels like something bad is going to happen.”
Suddenly, Dad stood next to us.
“Fuck.” I edged back.
He towered over Lunita. “What are you doing up so late?”
“I wanted to see the Sopranos.”
“Didn’t I tell you that the show was too violent.”
She pursed her lips.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Anybody come over to visit your mother today?”
She slowly shook her head.
He frowned. “Now if I find out that you lied, you know your behind will be hurting for a week.”
Lunita stepped back.
I got in front of her. “Listen. I can tell you what happened—”
“Did someone come over?” He walked through me.
I spun around. “I must be a ghost. No. No. This is a dream or. . .”
Little Lunita shivered. “Umm. . .”
“You better speak up,” Daddy said. “Always got stuff to say any other time. Don’t be quiet now.”
“Umm. . .” Lunita squeezed the teddy bear to her chest. “Well. . .”
He growled, “Go on. Did anybody come over here today?”
“One man came over.”
“Yeah?”
Lunita stepped back. “Yes, sir.”
“And what happened?”
Lunita looked at the floor. “Mama and he went to. . .talk in the bedroom.”
“I bet they did.” He sneered. “Go to sleep. You hear me?”
Lunita nodded.
Daddy stormed off, slammed open that door, and yelled, “Had Joey up in this house slinging drugs! Huh?”
Mom woke up.
“Oh no.” I widened my eyes.
Daddy grabbed Mom from the bed and began shaking her hard. “Answer me!”
Mom looked to be in a daze. She blinked her eyes. “What did you say?”
“Oh yeah. You told me you would quit. Then, had some man in my bedroom. What am I going to do with you?” He slapped her hard.
“No.” I edged back.
The bedroom door closed, but booming noises and screams echoed through the apartment.
Daddy yelled, “I go off and work!”
Boom!
“And you do drugs!”
Boom!
Shivering, I held the sides of my head. “I don’t like this dream. I don’t like it.”
Daddy yelled some more, “Got this drug dealer in our apartment and around our kids!”
Boom!
“We have to stop this.” I turned to Lunita.
She had already left my side and was climbing out of a window.
“Good idea. Let’s get out of here.” I chased after her. “Lunita, wait for me!”
The window led to a fire escape.
I went out the window, but didn’t see Lunita.
Her footsteps rang overhead.
Heart pounding, I rushed in that direction, climbing up the metal staircase. It clanged against the brick building. The air stank of smoke. A faint orange glow pulsed from the other apartments.
“Lunita!” Stumbling, I used the cold iron railing to keep my balance. “Wait!”
She kept on going. “Just wake up!”
“But, is it all a dream?” I gazed down. The view below us was black and endless. That made me stop. Cold wind blasted against my skin. I shivered and whispered to myself, “Or did that really happen? But, I don’t remember any of that.”
I turned my view up and saw Lunita all the way at the top.
“Wait!” I went back to chasing after her. My legs ached. “Just talk to me for a minute!”
Above me, she climbed onto the roof.
It felt like forever before I finally got there myself. Panting, I climbed over the ledge and stepped onto the roof.
And what I saw. . .thoroughly confused me even more.