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  “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

  For more books by Stephanie Nicole Norris visit

  www.stephanienorris.net

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