The Attack

  "Suki, I’m going out okay?" Ramie said, coming down the stairs.

  I nodded and felt my heart constricting with fear as I looked at him. This always happened whenever he went out these days, things were so different now. Every time he went out to go to work, I always wondered if he would come back alive. If I would get a call from the police saying my uncle was dead. At times I wanted to follow him to work, to make sure he was in a safe eviorment but that would just be stupid of me because in this neighborhood, theres no such thing as a safe enviorment.
  He walks towards me, bending down and kissing me in my cheeks, like he always did when he was leaving for work. It was reassuring, to me, it was like he was sending me a message that he was coming back, safe and sound and that nothing would change.
   He opened the door and left and I closed my eyes, gun shots sound effects playing in my mind. When I heard his car rolling out the drive way, my heart slowed down and I opened my eyes, looking at the hands in front of me. I always wondered if I would be able to fight someone when I needed to, how I would act if Ramie was in danger.
  
  Five minutes later, someone was knocking on the door, I sighed. I could tell it wasn’t the  police, it was too hard, not authoritative, it was more angry then demanding and I could hear the person screaming for Ramie to open up.
   I hated this, it was always like this, Ramie left, someone knocked and I was the one who had to deal with the freak shows who came to our place looking for him. I sighed, he wasn’t here, so what was the point of opening the door?
   (Knock, knock, knock), the knocking wouldn’t stop and I was starting to get agitated. 10 more knocks later and I knew whoever was at the door wouldn’t stop knocking. I stood up, angry as hell, couldn’t this dude get the message?

    I quickly opened the door, "what the hell do you wa-?"
   
I stopped talking, it was John, and his black eyes were on fire. I looked at him, looking at his black skin marked with scars from a horrible past made me want to puke in disgust. And when he sneered, I cringed, wanting to back away repulsively. His teeth were rotting and his tongue had a black tinge to it, probably from all the drugs he took.
 
"Hey John, do you want something? I asked, trying to look away.
  
   “Where's Ramie, Suki?”John asked, his eyes sweeping my house for any potential hiding places.

  “Not here” I said with a calm tone, wishing he would go away, and hoping I didn’t open the door. He narrowed his eyes, not believing a word I was saying.

   "Tell him I came and tell him he knows where to find me" he started turning around, ready to leave.
  
  I was shaking with anger, I had enough of him harassing Ramie, and Ramie actually dealing with it like it was nothing.

   “And what if I don't?” I said out loud, wanting him to hear what I had to say. “ Would shoot me? Is that what you'd do John, just to get your money?"He stiffened and turned right back around. "What don't you understand, we don't have it, and we have no idea what you’re even talking about".
 
  He snarled at me, brown spit coming out of his mouth, "shut up princess or I might as well shoot you". I smiled at the way he was getting angry, fueled up, waiting for me to take the bait. That was John’s problem, he was too old school.

   "Yeah and get yourself kicked out of the community, I don't think you have the guts to do that".
 
   "Yeah!" he screamed, his hand balling up into a fist.
 
 "Yeah" I challenged, a strange feeling coming over me, I felt powerful, confident and I liked it. "Go ahead John" I said, spreading my arms wide, "do you’re damaged".
  He stared at me for what seemed like forever, and then walked away. I chuckled, "I thought so, and don’t you ever come here again, don't even walk in this part of the neighborhood or you'll see who going get RESPECTED by the community" I said, empathizing on the word respect.
 
   “What is your uncle telling you, princess" he asked, kicking at whatever rocks were in his way. I hated him, I hated the way he walked with such confidence, the way his smug look always seemed to b***h at every one. I grabbed a baseball from my house and fisted it, running back outside.

   “What is Ramie telling me John, this, to get your a*s out of here”. I threw the baseball at him when he turned around and hit him straight in the eyes. He screamed, running away, his hands cupped in his eyes with a single tear dripping down his chin.
 
    I breathed in and out, feeling a sense of happiness and power. I wanted more, I wanted to track him down and torture him until he knew who he was dealing it. My eyes widened as I shake my head, what the hell was I thinking? This wasn’t normal; I went back inside and sat on the couch, confusion and distress taking a hold of me. I wanted Ramie, I wanted him now.
   Someone knocked on the door and I stood up, looking around, trying to find hiding places. I don’t understand why I was feeling this way; maybe my emotions were going haywire. I calmed myself down and closed my eyes, slowly walking to the door and opening it, waiting for the authorities to arrest me. But instead of the police, I saw... Ramie.
 
   "Ramie", I cried and hugged him but instead of his usual bear hug, he was stiff, robotic. I looked at him and saw the way he was looking at me with accusation in his eyes.
 
    "What did I do?" I squeaked.