Trapped

by Sally Mason

  With fury, I stab at the ground, sweat pouring down my face. My throat is raw from thirst, but my anger battles any physical need. I want to hurt Jed—and I want to hurt his friend. Driving the shovel into the ground is the best I can do. It’s liberating to cut into his imaginary body over and over again. When I lift up the dirt, it’s like tearing him apart and tossing away his malice.

  An iron taste in my mouth mixes with the salt from my tears and sweat as I silently weep. I’m completely captured in my assault of the ground so that the cold water hits me with total surprise. I squeal, my eyes darting around for the culprit.

  Finn laughs loudly when he aims the spurt of the garden hose right at me.

  “Get that away from me,” I shout.

  In response, he tilts the hose upward, shielding the harsh gush with his thumb. Drops pelt down on me like a soft rain shower. I turn my face toward the sky, savoring the coolness of the water on my heated skin. A laugh escapes my throat and scares me to death—it has become such an unfamiliar sound.

  I have had just about enough when he diverts the water toward the flowerbed. There is a wide grin on his face. “There’re some drinks in the cooler by the truck in case you’re thirsty.”

  I stroll over to the car, slightly shivering under a gentle breeze. My clothes are absolutely soaked. I pull my hair to the side into a ponytail, wringing out the water. The cooler is on the passenger seat and holds quite a selection—soda, water, and a six-pack of Hanfill beer. My fingers run over the chilled metal of the cans before enclosing one of the beers.

  I quickly scan the area to ensure no one saw me before my eyes settle on the open garden shed that is fully hidden from view by the laundry annex. Strolling over while casually glancing around to keep an eye out for a nurse, I lower myself on the sun-flooded steps of the shed. The beer can is safely hidden behind the wooden wall. I take a quick sip, halfway expecting a scolding, but the area is so secluded that I doubt anyone will hassle us here.

  Finn soon slumps next to me onto the other side of the steps, his beer can concealed in the same manner as mine. He fishes a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and offers it to me.

  “Want one?”

  I have never smoked in my life. “Sure.”

  He lights mine before his own, inhaling deeply.

  Watching how the smoke escapes through his nose and the corners of his mouth, I dare to take a drag. My lungs are on fire. I choke, coughing until tears run down my cheeks.

  There is a twinkle in Finn’s eyes. “First time?”

  I nod, unable to speak.

  “Hold the smoke in your mouth like this and swirl it around.” He pulls his cheeks in, resulting in a silly grimace.

  I giggle before I push myself to try again. The burning sensation is bearable when I hold my breath before exhaling. A few drags later, I slowly get the hang of it.

  He opens his beer can, taking a few sips, and I dare to gulp down more of my ice-cold brew. We sit in silence, the sun playing on my bare arms and face. Every time I move, I realize how sore I am from the heavy work. My back is killing me. Finn leans against the doorframe of the shed, soaking up the sunshine.

  “What ever happened to your rapist?” he asks out of the blue.

  “He got off. There was a second one, but they never even caught him.”

  A deep wrinkle spreads on his forehead. “How did he get off?”

  I finish the rest of my beer, trying to drown the resentment I have felt since the day Jed walked away a free man while I was left in shambles. Yet the wound that was left behind by the injustice is still wide open and throbs like hell.

  “When the police arrested him, they searched his house without a warrant. His lawyer filed a motion to suppress, but the cops swore on the stand that Jed gave them permission. Turns out, the bastard secretly taped the whole encounter. When the judge heard his loud words of protest, he threw out all the evidence from the search. After that, there was nothing left to prosecute him with other than my word, and I wasn’t stable enough to testify. That’s when the DA dropped the case.” The bitterness of my words runs like venom over my lips.

  “Figures.” He takes another mouthful of his beer. “Wasn’t there any DNA evidence?”

  I shake my head. My insides recoil when I remember all those tests they performed at the hospital, which made me feel violated all over again. Not even one of them yielded any result. “Before I escaped, I had my period and Jed didn’t touch me. His friend always used a condom and the doctors were unable to find any useful DNA traces.”

  Finn lights another cigarette. “Did they have a suspect?”

  “Everyone in town has always believed it was Drake Whitmer. He and Jed were as close as brothers since kindergarten and he disappeared a few days after I escaped. Since Jed never confessed or pointed the finger at him, the suspicion alone wouldn’t have been enough for an arrest anyhow.”

  “You know, that’s really fucked up.” Finn’s smoke escapes with a sigh. “Do you think it was Whitmer?”

  I shrug when a knife slices into my heart. “I honestly don’t know. I was blindfolded when he was with me and he never spoke. His build matched Drake’s height and weight, so there is a high probability it was him.”

  In my mind, I had replayed the times with my tormentor over and over for any type of reassurance, but the memories were so horrific that they usually triggered an anxiety attack before I could come to a conclusion. Even now, the thought is so painful that my insides weep.

  My finger runs along the empty beer can. A satisfied shudder runs through me when the edge cuts into my skin. The burn spreading in my knuckles feels divine. “Question is: why would he have disappeared if he had nothing to hide?”

  “I guess.” Finn flicks the ashes of the cigarette onto the grass. “How long did they hold you?”

  “Three months.” My hand balls instinctively into a fist as something presses on my chest.

  He lets out a surprised whistle. “That’s a long time. Must have been tough.”

  That is the understatement of the year—it was like a trip to hell and back. “Yep.” I suppress the oncoming tears, mad at myself. I shouldn’t have told him. He is a total stranger, after all, who just happened to catch me at a good moment. Talking about my kidnapping only causes incredible heartache.

  He must have sensed my distress, a sad expression spreading across his face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  I want to change the subject. “What about you? Did they convict your mother’s boyfriend for what he did to your brother?”

  Before he has a chance to reply, a furious voice disturbs our break.

  “What the hell are you both doing?” Luke’s eyes are dark when he glares at the beer can, the cigarette butt next to my knee also in his direct line of vision.

  “Relax, we’re just chilling.” Finn extinguishes his cigarette in the dirt.

  “You provided alcohol to a minor.” Luke’s finger shoots angrily in Finn’s direction. “That’s a crime, my friend, and my dad told me you’re already on probation for attempted murder. This will have some serious consequences.”

  I tug at his hand. “Come on, Luke, it’s not a big deal. It was only a beer.”

  “It’s a huge deal.” He frowns at me. “You’re on medication and alcohol is dangerous. I can’t believe how irresponsible you are.” His eyes zoom in on the cut on my finger. “And bravo, another self-harm injury. Even when you’re locked up, you still find ways to hurt yourself.”

  Tears spill from my eyes. “All you ever do these days is criticize me. I was actually having a really good day and you had to spoil it.” I jump on my feet, ready to take off.

  He tries to pull me into a hug. “Look, Kels, I—”

  I push him away. “No, Luke. Just leave me alone.” My gaze turns to Finn, who has also risen and watches the drama with narrow eyes. “Both of you.”

  My legs carry me away as fast as they can while sobs shake my body. I hate them so much. My life sucks, t
hanks to those geniuses who always believe they know what’s best for me. In reality, no one does. I am not even sure myself, but talking about my ordeal over and over again sure won’t kill the nightmares. They will probably never stop. That thought scares me more than anything.

  As the pain builds up in the depths of my soul, my breath fails me. I gasp, my lungs burning in agony. I can’t keep the air retained within me, so I take quick shallow breaths, yet nothing seems to help. My mouth opens, but no sound comes out and tears stream down my face. A nurse’s firm hands reach for me when my legs finally buckle, but I slap them away. The entire time, an invisible claw continues to squeeze the oxygen from my lungs.

  Something wet and cold rubs across the crook of my elbow before a needle pierces my skin. When warmth spreads through my arm, the pressure on my chest finally eases. The sound of a rapid flowing river takes over my brain as black dots start to swim in front of my eyes. Footsteps approach, resonating in my skull like a jackhammer.

  “I got you, Kels.” Luke’s words bounce around in my head with painstaking precision.

  I try to block them out. My arms want to complain when he scoops me up, but they are too heavy to fight him. Everything feels surreal, and then the river sucks me in.

  CHAPTER 6

  As my mind slowly drifts back to reality, a cool breeze brushes over me, followed by a rolling thunder. The booming sound tears away the rest of the fogginess surrounding my brain. To battle my dry throat, my tongue, which feels more like a ball of cotton wool, wiggles around in my mouth. I lick my lips before opening my eyes, fully prepared for irritating bright light to aggravate my senses.

  Yet it is obscure in the room—only Luke’s Kindle shines dimly in the darkness, giving his face a surreal glow. He is captured by his book, not realizing that I’m awake. For a moment, my heart cringes. We used to be so close, and I don’t like this new distance between us.

  “What time is it?”

  His gaze finds me. “After eleven already. How’re you feeling?”

  “Alright, I guess, for someone who was knocked out.”

  He edges the chair closer to the bed. “About that.” His fingers brush over the back of my hand. “I’m really sorry I upset you.”

  I can’t stand to look at him, painfully remembering the scene he caused in front of Finn.

  “Look, I know you’re mad,” he continues. “And I really get why. I was just worried and can’t stand the guy. He’s nothing but trouble with his fuck-the-world attitude.”

  I glare at him. “You don’t even know him.”

  “I know exactly how he ticks, Kels.” He laughs with bitterness. “Remember, I used to be just like him.”

  I chuckle. How could I ever forget? Luke Franklin—the poster guy of a bad boy when he was still in high school. Smoking, drinking, sleeping with any girl who was willing to spread her legs. He changed after my abduction. The ordeal marked the end of both our carefree childhoods.

  “He only tried to cheer me up. If you make a big stink about the beer, he could really get into trouble.” I suck on my lips, my throat burning. Every word is an effort, but at least we’re talking.

  He squeezes my arm. “I won’t. Our fight made me realize that I’ve been a real jerk these last few days.”

  I open my mouth to protest, but his raised hand stops me.

  “No. Let me finish.” He grimaces. “I feel I haven’t been listening to you. I was so shaken up with you almost dying that all I could think of was getting you safe, but I shouldn’t have tried to rush you with your recovery. If you need more time, so be it. I still believe this place is good for you, but I want to help you, not be your enemy.”

  His eyes are so sincere that I almost forgive him. “I just don’t like to be locked up, Luke, and forced to participate in this circus.” I sigh. It is so hard to make him understand. “Healing takes time, and truthfully, I was stunned that you, of all people, sided against me.”

  “I agree. I should’ve been more supportive, but trust me, your mom’s mind was made up. There was nothing I could’ve done to change that.” Exhaustion lingers on his face. “It is what it is and you are here now. Can you please just give this place a chance?”

  I moan. What choice do I have? “Okay.”

  He raises a brow. “Just okay?”

  I stare at the ceiling, another crack of thunder breaking through the night. “I promise.” I haven’t kept my word on so many occasions this past year, it’s not even funny. “Is that better, Luke?”

  “I guess that’s the best I can ask for.” A slow smile spreads across his lips. “Are we good?”

  I have never been able to hold a grudge against him for long. Ever since our parents married and he became my stepbrother, he has always been my best friend, and sometimes, fights just happen. “Yeah, we’re good.”

  The air escapes through his lips when he exhales, the wrinkle on his forehead smoothing. I can relate. I hate when we argue.

  A cold gust slams the window wide open. I jump, the cover almost slipping off the bed, which makes him laugh. My eyes ogle him with played venom, causing him to laugh harder. I have always been easy to spook—the pranks he used to play on me at Halloween were legendary. One year I peed my pants when he pretended to be a ghost, making scary noises from inside my closet.

  Of course this didn’t stop me from walking home alone in the darkness on the night of my abduction, having long learned that bold behavior guaranteed a certain respect from my friends. I was the fun-loving tough girl, always ready to accept a dare, and had come up with plenty of wild ideas of my own.

  When Jed approached me in the van that night and asked if I wanted a ride, I never thought twice about it. My mom had warned me not to roam the streets after midnight alone, but being the typical stubborn teenager, I ignored her words. I felt she was just overprotective—we were in Stonehenge, of all places, and who would have ever wanted to cause me, the most popular girl in school, any harm.

  Luke closes the window. The rain beats hard against the glass. A flash lightens the sky, followed by a loud clap of thunder.

  “I better go before the storm gets worse.” He stretches. “Do you need anything?”

  My tongue still feels heavy. “I’m really thirsty.”

  “I’ll tell the nurse to bring you some water.” He bends over me and kisses my forehead. “Sleep tight, Kels. I’ll stop by tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Can you bring me Starbucks coffee?” I give him my best puppy dog eyes.

  “I will, but you’ll only get it if you finally talk to your psychologist and make a therapy plan.”

  “Always making me work hard for my coffee.”

  “Anything to get you motivated, sis.”

  I miss him the second he closes the door. After clearing the air between us, it seems like I have my old brother back.

  When thunder booms again, I pull the blanket closer around me, shivering all of a sudden. Even underground, I was able to hear those summer storms, curled up on my bed in a ball of nerves, paralyzed by the horrid anticipation of what was to come right afterward. As soon as the storm passed, Jed would pick me up for a walk. He had said he loved the woods when the trees were still wet after a good rainfall. It made him feel the life of the forest.

  The first time he came to my dungeon to announce we were going on a stroll and held up the dog collar, I thought he was joking. It was the choker kind with little teeth that tightened when the owner pulled on the leash. He ordered me to slide it around my neck.

  “You’re kidding, right?” I stared at him incredulously with my mouth open.

  He grinned with a vicious sparkle in his eyes. “I’m not, honeybun. Bitches belong on a leash, something your boyfriend should’ve remembered before he let his dog loose.”

  “You know I tried to stop him.”

  He snorted. “That’s a half-ass excuse. That dog listened to you, but not once did you try to call her back when she mauled me.” The words oozed with bitterness and his voice grew louder with eve
ry syllable he spat out. “You stood idly by until my body was a bloody mess and your boyfriend got scared that he’d land behind bars!”

  A shudder ran through me—it was a day in my life I had wanted to forget. Justin and I had been walking his Doberman and had run into Jed by the lake. Justin hadn’t liked the smoldering look Jed had given me.

  “That nasty fucker needs to be taught a lesson,” he had said before he had sent the dog after Jed.

  I had begged him to stop, but he hadn’t listened. Roxy had always been quite aggressive and had totally lost it when she had tasted warm blood. She would’ve never listened to my command. When Justin had finally come to his senses after realizing that Jed could actually die, he had pulled Roxy off and called an ambulance.

  Four months and several surgeries later, Jed had been quietly paid off by Justin’s father to avoid a lawsuit. His face had been restored in the fifteen months since it happened through reconstructive surgery, but his body had been too damaged to get rid of all the scars. Roxy had been put down after Justin and I had sworn to the cops that she had attacked Jed for no reason and had been totally out of control. It broke my heart since I have always loved dogs.

  I had cried for a week straight and had felt terrible about Jed’s torment, but on Roy’s advice, I’d never gone to the hospital to apologize. Jed could have pressed charges against me or sued my mom if he had had any proof, and Roy didn’t want to take any chances. He had ordered me to stay away from Jed and I had gladly obliged. Not having to face him had been the easy way out. Or so I thought.

  Looking into Jed’s eyes as he dangled the dog collar, I was not so sure.

  “Put this on now, honeybun, or I’ll force you and your pretty face might get damaged. Either way, you’ll be on a leash under my command during our little walk.”