Chapter 2:
Carefully stepping over the pieces of broken glass as she crosses in front of the recently broken window, Sara approaches the door to Jason Hughes's house, and rapidly knocks on the door. Not two seconds later, a tall, dark-haired man opened the door. Sporting a sly smile with piercing green eyes, he would be considered a good-looking, clean-cut man out in the public eye. But a good look behind closed doors would show the flip-side of this terrible man.
"Hello, Sara," he began; you could smell the alcohol on his breath, "what can I do for y-"
"Where's Emma?" Sara quickly demanded. He calmly responded by narrowing his eyes at her and taking another swig of his beer.
"I don't think I like your tone." he said as he leaned up against his doorframe, drank a bit more of his beer, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Stop playing games with me Jason. Now, where is Emma?" Sara replied, growing more impatient by the second. Peering behind him, she could see an overturned coffee table, with a broken vase on the floor beside it. Giving Sara a scowl, Jason took a small step back, blocking her view.
"She's busy." he answered while proceeding to close the door. But at the last moment, Sara wedged her foot between the door and it's frame, as her hand slammed onto the door, keeping it open. She was not going to take that as an answer.
"Ok. Jason, listen up. I am going to give you two options, okay? So pick wisely. Door number one; you refuse to let me speak with Emma, I go home, call the cops, and turn you in for any rotten little thing I can get you for. Hear that? Or, door number two; you can let me talk to Emma. So what will it be? Jail time for you? Or talking time for me?" Sara finished with cold eyes and clenched teeth. After a moment, Jason's death grip on the door, softened as he swung it open.
"She's in the dining room." he reluctantly said, "You have five minutes." he told her coldly. Without any further negotiations, Sara quickly found her own way into the dining room. The petite twenty-eight year old was on all fours, picking up pieces of broken glass with her bare hands. As Sara began to slowly approach her, she observed Emma's wrists; they were red and bruised. When Sara reached her, she touched the young woman's shoulder and was startled by the reaction she received.
"I-I'm sorry Jason. It w-was my f-fault. And I d-deserved it." Emma stammered out.
"Emma,"
"Sara," Emma gasped as she turned to look at Sara; eyes wide, as well as red and puffy. She was a very beautiful woman. Shoulder-length blonde hair framed her small face, and deep brown eyes that much resembled Sara's. She was small, too, about 5'2", and thin also.
"Emma. I thought you said you'd leave him if he hit you again?" Sara continued, voice barely above a whisper, to make sure Jason couldn't hear. She crouched down to Emma's level, "You deserve much better than this." She added as she brushed some hair out of Emma's face and pushed it behind her ear. The girl gave her a weak smile, but it quickly faded.
"I'm trying, Sara, I-I really am." Emma responded. She sounded desperate, yet sincere. She really was trying. "But if I leave him, he'll probably kill me." Emma said in a low whisper. This girl was miserable and scared beyond belief. Sara sighed,
"Well hun, I'm here to say goodbye. I'm leaving tonight for Las Vegas, and I might not be back for a long time. But if you ever need anything-- anything at all-- you just call me, okay? I'll be here in a heartbeat." She said, while handing Emma a slip of paper with her cell phone number on it.
"Oh, Sara," Emma said while giving Sara a hug, "thank you for all of your help. And I promise I'll call you when I get out of this hell." She said while holding Sara tighter. Though their goodbye became shortlived when they heard a glass shatter. Startled they both jumped and faced the doorway, where Jason was standing. A broken beer bottle lay on the floor.
"Time's up." He said; his words slurred. "Now get the hell out of my house, Sara," he managed to say through his drunken haze. "and Emma, clean this up." he said gesturing towards the recently smashed bottle.
"Bye, Sara."
"Goodbye, Emma." Sara told her as she offered her a small smile of her own. She then exited through the dining room, began to walk towards the door, stopped and turned to face Jason, who was slowly approaching her. Sara would try one last time to set him straight.
"Listen, you. If I hear that you layed just one more finger on her I will call the cops and get you put away for the rest of your life. Just because you made my life hell, does not give you the right to do that to someone else." her finger pointed accusingly at him. He then began to laugh, a cold, terrible laugh.
"Sara, Sara, Sara. You were just never good enough for me." Jason said, bringing his hand up to her chin and making her look him straight in the eye. Sara then jerked her head to the side, and pushed his hand away from her face.
"Don't touch me," she said quickly. Then proceeding to reach for the doorknob he grabbed her wrist and yanked her back towards him. She tried to pull away but wasn't strong enough, especially in comparison to Jason. He then pulled Sara until she was no more than six inches away from his face.
"You're walking on thin ice, Sidle." he warned her. "Don't push me." Jason then, with Sara's wrist still firmly in his grasp, opened the door and practically threw her onto the porch, slamming the door behind him. Finding her balance, Sara began the short walk back to the car to retrieve her groceries. She wouldn't let her encounter scare her;
You're almost done, she kept telling herself. Though when attempting to pick up the grocery nag, a quick, sharp pain flew up her arm. "Damnit," she cursed under her breath as she dropped the bag just outside her car. "Must be sprained," she said to herself as she examined her red wrist. Taking the bag into her other hand, Sara walked inside of her mother's house and placed it onto the kitchen table. She then stepped up to the sink and looked out of the window that was positioned just above it. The sky was gradually getting darker as a storm was approaching.
"
Flash-flood warnings have been issued for the city and surrounding desert areas..." The TV in the breakroom was informing a few members of the nightshift about Las Vegas's soon-to-be, horrible weather.
"Well that cancels any plans for tonight." Warrick said, while sitting down on the breakroom's couch.
"Aw man! Does that mean no going to Franks? I haven't eaten anything in almost 24 hours and I am not about to settle for a TV dinner at home!" Greg said as he leaned back into his chair and propped his feet up onto the table.
"I'm still up for it, Greg. But, if we do go, you're driving." Catherine told him, as she handed him a cup of coffee and took a seat across from him at the table, with a cup of her own.
"Well then, I'm only in if Nick is;" and as Warrick said this, Nick walks eagerly into the room, "speak of the devil..."
"Ok!" Nick said, clasping his hands together in front of him, "food time! Who's driving?"
"Greg." Both Warrick and Catherine say at once.
"Well then, let's get going so we can beat the storm." Nick suggests.
"You guys go ahead and bring the car out front. I'm going to pry Grissom out of his office." Catherine told him as she starts on her was towards his office, suprisingly finiding him in the hallway, closing his door.
"Hey, Grissom!" Catherine says as she approaches him, "me and the guys are heading to Frank's, why don't you join us?" she suggests. Grissom raised an eyebrow and simply told her,
"It's going to rain."
"I know that." her response earned her a second raised eyebrow. "What's your point? Now, come on." Catherine says, just about pushing him through the hallway.
"Okay, okay Cath! I'm coming." he says as he gives in. He wouldn't have won that no matter what. Catherine smiled to herself.
"Alright then. Let's get going."
Hey everyone! That's all I'm gonna post for now. I know some of you have already read this part, but I'm going to keep the pace slow for my new readers; maybe a couple of chapters a day or so. But don't worry! It'll all eventually catch up, & then I'll start posting the new chapters!
So comment & let me know who's reading out there!
