Chapter 5 What Was, Is Again

The unsettling words replayed in my mind: We know where she is.

I fastened my seatbelt, hands trembling, trying to convince myself that the threat wasn't as real as it felt. But the weight of the note beside me lingered, pulling my thoughts into darker places.

Dominique peered in the rearview mirror, his brows furrowed when he noticed a black SUV tailing us. At first, it seemed like just another car, blending into the night. However, as we continued, it stayed too close, moving deliberately.

"Izalea, I think that car is following us," he murmured, tension tightening his voice.

I turned, squinting into the darkness to catch a glimpse of the driver, but the darkness obscured any details. Still, the presence of the SUV was undeniable.

Could it be him?

The thought of my father, James, sent a chill down me. Has he already found me?

"No, I'm overthinking this," I mumbled, trying to calm myself, but the unease only deepened.

I grabbed my phone, thinking about dialing 211, but I hesitated. Involving the cops could slow us down and complicate things. But the anxiety gnawed at me. What if this car is a diversion? Is Mom safe?

I glanced at the envelope on the seat next to me, its very presence causing a flash of panic.

Desperately, I tried calling her again; still nothing. My agitation and suspicion grew.

Why isn't she responding? With every mile drawing me closer to her, my pulse raced.

"Who could this be?" I whispered, dread tightening in my chest.

I turned to look at the SUV again, its headlights cold and unyielding. "The license plate," I murmured, my voice steady despite the rising panic.

I focused on the digits, aiming to memorize them. I grabbed the only paper accessible, the envelope, and wrote the numbers on its surface.

Dominique glanced at me in the rearview mirror, his expression hardening. He nodded grimly, sensing the urgency, and pressed harder on the gas.

We weaved through the congested streets, the headlights of passing cars blurred around us, and the city faded into streaks of light. Every near-miss on the road, every sudden swerve, felt like a flashback, blending past and present.

I clenched my grip on the seatbelt, fighting to keep the memories at bay, but my mind betrayed me, blurring the line between then and now.

At thirteen, I clung to my mother's arm as she led me out of our house under the cover of night. Her fingers wrapped around mine, firm, desperate. We drove for hours that night, determined to put as much distance as possible between us and my father.

A car horn blared, and I blinked, snapping myself back into the present as Dominique swerved sharply to avoid a collision.

The SUV was still there, now two cars behind, following every turn, mirroring every move. The feeling was too familiar. The fear in my mother's eyes, the desperation in her every glance, was right there with me.

I was thirteen again, strapped into the backseat, watching my mother. Her eyes darted from mirror to mirror, her grip tightening on the wheel, fixed firmly on the road. Fear swallowed me whole, haunted by thoughts of what might happen if my father caught up or if the seatbelt failed.

"Ma'am, we've lost the car." Dominique's voice was sharp, pulling me out of the memory as I felt the rapid beat of my heart.

Suddenly, the SUV was further behind, blending into the sea of headlights.

Relief washed over me, but it was short-lived.

"Thank you," I whispered, even though the tension still hadn't left my body.

Dominique glanced at me through the mirror, noticing my pale face. "Ma'am, are you okay back there?"

In a faint, unconscious whisper, I whispered, "Dom... Just get me to Mom's. Don't stop. Don't slow down."

The suffocating feeling in my chest made it hard to breathe. I gasped for air as everything became fuzzy around me, my vision darkening until the world slipped away.

Dominique's voice cracked as he noticed my distress. "Izalea? Izalea! Oh non, reste avec moi!"

(Oh no, stay with me!)

Without hesitation, he accelerated, racing toward my mother's home.

The last thing I remembered was the constriction in my chest, and Dominique's frantic voice calling out to me.