34. Sparrow
Watching Chad pace in front of me, I try to piece everything together. The words coming out of his mouth don't make any sense. I try to reposition myself, but the rope keeping me in place, stops me. My butt has completely gone numb but that's the least of my problems.
“But you said your dad was a cop. Pete wasn’t a cop, he was a drug addict,” I say in confusion. None of this is adding up, but what did I expect?
A fist flies to my face, hitting me in the nose, sending me flying backwards in the chair. Screaming in my face, Chad's spit ends up spraying me. “He was a cop, until he got fired for some bullshit charges. My mom was never officially an informant, he should have never been let go.” He steps away from me, leaving me and the chair on the ground.
It sounds like Pete was always a piece of shit. Chad continues on, “He came to visit me, saying that he was going to get a huge pay day, and he was going to come back to Alabama. We were going to be a family.” He pauses his story to walk back to me and sends a kick to my ribs. I bite my lip to hold in my scream, he doesn’t deserve the satisfaction. “He came back a month later saying that you up and vanished taking the pay day with you.”
The twins were supposed to be the pay day. I don’t want to know what horror was waiting for my baby. I have no doubt that if my mom and Pete knew that I was actually pregnant with twins, they would have made sure that I never left that trailer.
“Because of you, my life was ruined! I never saw him again. A few years later, I found out that he died. He died because you're a selfish bitch!” Chad screams out.
I don’t bother responding, nothing I say will help. I was always a mark for Chad, he never cared for me. This was always going to be the end result.
When he turns his back, I twist my wrists, trying to loosen the rope more. I just need my hands free and maybe I can get out of this.
Taking a chance, I say, “I need to go to the bathroom.” Chad surprisingly has taken me into the woods a few times. During my pee break, I’ve decided which direction I need to run to hopefully run into civilization.
Chad stares at me for so long, I worry that he has somehow figured out that I’m planning my escape. Surprising me, he bends over, righting me and the chair. He quickly unties the rope that attached me to the chair. “I suppose you can go. I would hate for you to piss on me when I fuck you.”
That won’t be happening.
Walking outside, I need to squint my eyes when the sun hits. Leading me to the same spot as last time, Chad pushes me face first into a tree. Rough bark scratches my face, but I don’t feel the pain. The only thought running through my mind is getting back to my family. Once Chad pulls down my shorts, he makes one fatal error.
He turns his back to me.
After relieving my bladder—yes, I actually had to go—I’m able to release my wrists the rest of the way from the rope. As quietly as I can, I reach into my boot and pull out my knife I stuffed there before the fair. I send a silent thank you that it hasn’t fallen out yet. Chad messed up untying my ankles before leaving the shack; they’re sore, but I can move them.
The knife securely in my hand, I grab a rock in my other hand. I need to do this fast, or he will get the upper hand. I’m not stupid enough to think that I would win a fair fight against Chad. But a sneak attack? That I might win.
“Hurry the fuck up,” Chad calls out over his shoulder.
As quietly as I can, I creep up behind Chad. As he starts to turn, I swing as hard as I possibly can. The rock slightly misses the mark of his temple and hits his cheek. It stuns him enough that I swing my other hand with the knife, and lodge it into his neck.
As soon as Chad starts to fall, I turn and run. Not bothering to look back, I take off through the woods. I have no idea where I’m at, but I think I saw smoke so that is the direction I run. I will myself the strength to make it to safety.
I’m coming back to you, King.