Don’t Cry Baby

She looks so peaceful when she sleeps. I almost don't notice that she's handcuffed to the bed so she doesn't leave me. Her hair is disheveled and has some blood in a few parts. The bruise is slowly forming on her right cheek. I did that, I hurt her again. I didn't mean to, she just makes it so hard sometimes. The voices wouldn't stop and she wouldn't stop.

I sit at the edge of the bed cleaning my colt 45. I don't like having guns around her. I haven't liked being around guns since I left work but, something tells me I'll need this. I walk towards the small tv in this trash motel room. I turn it on and the first thing that pops up is a missing persons headline. I turn the tv up so I can hear what they're saying.

16 year old girl missing from her home, authorities ask that if anyone sees either of these people they should call 911 immediately. She is believed to have been taken by her boyfriend. A 21 year old man named Tyler Phoenix, believed to have assaulted 16 year old Damien Edson; leaving him almost dead in an abandoned warehouse 30 minutes from Ashley Walters home.

I shut the tv off not wanting to hear anything further.

Don't let anyone take her.

Do what ever you have to do.

"Just shut up!" Ashley stirs in her sleep and I rub my hand over my face. They showed our pictures, meaning people everywhere know exactly what we look like. I get up off the bed, I make sure Ashley is still secured to the bed before grabbing the keys to her moms car and heading over to the nearest store. Hopefully a hat and sunglasses hides my identity enough for me to grab what I need.

I stop at a small convenience store about a block from the motel and grab hair dye, scissors and changes of clothes for both Ashley and myself. This is probably the most convenient store I've ever been to. I grin silently to myself, if Ashley were here she would have giggled. I walk towards the counter with all the confidence I can muster and put my items down. The older woman behind the counter grins at me looking me up and down. I roll my eyes behind my sunglasses not having taken them off before walking in here. She doesn't seem to mind, woman like her are so irritating.

"Your total is 23.52$" I smile and hand her the cash, grabbing my things and leaving the store. I set my purchases in the passenger seat and climb in. I really need to ditch this car I'm sure they mentioned it on the news. I drive back to the hotel and set the things I bought on the bathroom sink. I check on Ashley once more, she is still asleep.

I leave the room once more to ditch her moms car. I drive as far from the motel as I can before I park the car.

I drive down towards the river, I throw the keys into the water hoping the current takes them far from here. I rip the license plate off and toss that into the river as well, I turn towards the car and stare at it. How do I dispose of this car, I've watched plenty of crime shows but not enough to really dispose of this properly. Fire, I need to set this thing on fire. I look throughout the car trying to find something I can use. I check the back and find a small amount of gasoline. Enough to set this on fire I hope. I poor it over the hood and inside the car, I take the lighter out of my pocket and rip a piece of my shirt off. I light the shirt and throw it inside the car. It doesn't light as well as I was hoping but eventually I can see the orange flicks of light swallowing up the drivers seat and travelling throughout the car. I run up the hill to the top of the bridge looking out over the river.

I watch as the car goes up in flames. Hopefully by the time anyone notices this it'll be nothing but black Ash. I smile at my handy work and turn around.

The walk back to the motel was long, when I finally got back it was almost light out. Being used to not sleeping has its perks. Once inside, Ashley is still asleep, I get to work on my hair, being that I have dark thick black hair I had to get bleach. Bleaching my hair was a fucking process. Once it was blonde I dyed it this light brown color.

I stare at myself in the mirror feeling like a new person. I did my eyebrows too just to be safe. That was even harder then my whole damn head, how woman do this I do not know. I take the scissors and cut it as best as I can, no more messy hair do. I smile at my handy work before walking to the bed to wake Ashley.

"Ashley, wake up." She jolts awake and stares at me.

"What."

"Come to the bathroom we have to

17.

fix your hair, unlock Ashley's handcuffs and pull her into the bathroom. I sit her on the edge of the bathtub and get to work on her hair Once her hairs dyed a dark black and chopped to her shoulders I feel accomplished.

"Did you have to cut so much off, it took me years to grow it out that long."

"I don't want to take any chances of them finding us, speaking of I ditched your moms car so we'll have to find a new one." She nods with a grim expression and I pull her back into the bedroom handcuffing her back to the bed so I can make a call. I walk outside the motel and stand in front of the door. There's someone I need to call, he'll be able to help me with new ID's, passports and such. I punch the numbers in and he picks up on the second ring.

"Hey Brad, I need a new ID. This time I'll need double of everything. I brought my girl along this time."

"Is she as cute as the last one." I smile and roll my eyes.

"Cuter, but hands off got it." I hear him chuckle on the other end.

"Sure thing Andy, I'll have them to you in about two hours."

"Jeez nobody has called me Andy in almost a year. Make it one hour, I'll text you the address."

"I'll try my best see you in an hour Andy." I haven't heard anyone call me by my real name for a long time. This isn't the first time I've had to call Brad for a new identity. I turn and walk back into the moteb almost stumble over Ashley.

"How'd you get unhooked from the bed." I stare at her looking confused. "That's not important, who the hell was that and why did he call you Andy?"