Stay(25)

I didn’t dare turn around. I just ran. Chest heaving for air, I ignored the pain and pressed forward. This was my chance. I was going to get away. And then I’d send the cops back here and smile when they arrested the sick, twisted men who occupied the house. The girls would be rescued too, of course, and everyone would be all right.

My heart fluttered when the tall black gate came into view. I skidded to a stop, realizing that I was so winded I couldn’t breathe. On its own accord, my body doubled over as my lungs begged for air. Gasping, I put my hands on my knees and took a shaky breath. I tried to slowly let it out and failed. Close to hyperventilating, I gasped for air, which only made me panic more.

Hold it together, I told myself. I squeezed my eyes shut and just thought about breathing. A few seconds later, I was able to stand up. Still wheezing, I put my hands on the gate and pushed. The hinges screamed into the night.

I stumbled over the small indentation between the driveway and the road, falling on my hands and knees. Pain bit at the peeled-off skin. I pushed myself up and cradled my hands against my abdomen, glancing down at the rawness of my palms. Blood dripped down my left knee, and it stung every time I took a step.

Limping, I scrambled down the street. Wispy clouds rolled over the moon. A barbed wire fence hung from decaying wooden posts, lining a long-forgotten field. A dead oak tree was directly across from me, its spider web of bare branches reaching toward the night sky. An owl sat at the top; only its shadowy outline was visible in the dark.

The gates creaked behind me. I whirled around, hands held out to my sides, ready for a fight. White fear tingled down my spine, and my heart beat so fast it hurt. The wind blew and the gates groaned again. I let out a breath and felt my shoulders relax the slightest bit. It was only the wind.

I walked into the middle of the road and stopped. I looked at the woods and then at the field, knowing that I had to pick one to run through. Being in the street was too obvious. Deciding that the over-grown field was better than being anywhere near Nate’s property, I crossed the street and carefully wrapped a bloody hand around the rusted barbed wire.

Bits of metal flaked off on my fingers. I pulled the sagging wire up and ducked down. Carefully, I stepped through. Then the owl took off, its wings flapping ominously in the silent darkness of the night. I froze, wondering if its absence was due to my presence or if something else had startled it. I lowered my head and squeezed through the wire. My hair caught on the blunt barbs. I grabbed my curls and yanked them free, leaving several strands blowing in the night.#p#分页标题#e#

And then I saw it, the thing that made the owl leave. I scrambled back through the fence with less grace and scraped my back. The cut instantly burned, and I was happy I had given in and gotten a tetanus shot like my mom suggested after I cut myself on broken picture frame in the gallery last summer.

“Hey!” I shouted and waved my arms. I tried to run towards the yellow glow of headlights but faltered with each step. “Hey! Stop!” I screamed though I knew the car was still too far away. Suddenly afraid that I gave away my location and Zane or Jackson would burst through the gate and tackle me to the ground, I pressed forward, wincing with each step.

The pain increased with my speed but I didn’t care. I was so close. I was getting away. A manic laugh bubbled from my throat, and I waved my arms over my head once more. The car was approaching fast. I didn’t want them to miss me. I limped into the middle of the road. “Help!”

Tires squealed. I stood rooted in the spot and watched the vehicle fishtail as the driver slammed on the brakes. They were stopping; they had seen me! But they hadn’t seen me soon enough. My eyes widened and I made a move to jump out of the way.

But I was too late. The front end of the car made contact with my body. I fell forward, leaving bloody handprints on the hood. The car came to a stop and I tumbled back. I hadn’t been hit hard, but I lost my footing and tripped as I backed away, falling and landing on my back. My head hit the pavement, and a wave of nausea rolled over me instantly.

The bright lights from the car only added to my blurry vision. I felt everything in the next few seconds. The heat from the engine. The sticky warmth of the pavement. The rocks underneath me. Every scrape, cut, and bruise on my body screamed in pain. I tried to sit up.

“Holy fucking shit!” The driver frantically spoke. “You came outta nowhere!”

I moaned as the pain in my head began to throb. I reached out, my hand slapping the bumper as I attempted to get up. “Police,” I mumbled, not wanting to be taken to a hospital. “Take me,” I breathed.