LEZZIE-ASON CHAPTER TWO

"What is it, May?" I asked.
I could hear sobbing coming from the other end of the phone, which is why I asked.
After I said the question, the sobbing continued for a few minutes, then May answered.
"Oh, Sarah, I'm so frightened." She whimpered the words out.
"What, why? May, you're scaring me?"
"Remember Tom? Remember how I told you he was a wife-beater and I left him?"
"Yes..."
"Well, he's found us"
"Found you?"
"Yes, you see, he was always beating me up, and I always swore to myself that I'd get the Hell out of there if he ever touched Lauren. One night, we got into a blazing row over something silly. I'd forgotten to go to the shop and buy his favourite beer. Anyway, Lauren came entered the argument, and told us to shut up. Then Tom told her to shut up, and slapped her across the face. I immediately saw red, and screamed at him to get out. After he'd gone, I knew he'd be down the pub for hours and I packed a few suitcases, grabbed Lauren, and ran out!"
"What happened after that?" I asked.
"Well, I went on the run for a few weeks, finally settling down where we live today, and changed my mobile number so he couldn't track us down. But now he's found us! Oh, Sarah, I'm so scared!"
"How did he find out?"
"It was Lauren. It wasn't her fault, she's confused about her feelings for her dad right now. She decided she still loved him and rang him up, telling him where we live today."
"Can't you run away again? Before he gets there?"
"He's already here! He's up in Lauren's room, talking to her.
I bit my lip. It was obvious May needed me. But Gerry was at work, and wouldn't be home for hours. I couldn't find a late-night sitter for the kids. But May was really important, and so I decided in the end I'd take Larry and Lisa with me.
"I'll be there in a mo, May. Don't worry, everything will be fine!"
"Oh, thank you, Sarah!"
Putting the phone down, I yelled up the stairs: "Come on, kids, we're going out!"
Larry and Lisa came grumbling down the stairs, moaning that they wre missing "The Simpsons"
I ignored them, and piled them in the car. I raced down the road, totally ignorant of the fact that I was speeding. When I got to May's I saw a red truck outside her house.
I told the kids to stay in the car, got out, and entered May's house. As I walked into the living-room, a shout met my ears.
"CUT THE BULLSHIT, STEPH!"
'Steph?' I wondered. 'Who's Steph?"
I found May slumped in her armchair, blood covering her lovely blonde curls. A man was standing over her. He was quite fat, pot-belly, and looked a bit like Max from "Eastenders", only uglier.
He turned, and saw me there.
"Who are you?" He barked at me, a bit rudely.
"I-I'm Sarah." I swallowed. "May's friend from work."
"MAY! WHO'S MAY!" He looked over at May. "She told you her name was May? What otherlies has she been telling you? Go on, Steph, TELL HER!"
I looked at May. She looked up at me, tears streaming down her perfectly chilselled face.
"COME ON, STEPH!" Tom shouted. He turned to me. "Shall I tell you, then? May's real name is Steph, and our daughter isn't called Lauren, she's called Lilly. She changed her whole identity when shew ran from me. But Steph, you know you can never run from ME! I shall always track you down. I really need to thank dear little Lilly."
As he turned towards the door. I blurted out: "I think you need to leave. Right now."
He faced me. An ugly grin split across his putrid face. He lumbered towards me, reaching out his fist Then suddenly, everything went black...

found out what happens next in Chapter Three...