How to Save a Life

Emily’s Point of View

He drove to quickly for my taste. Didn’t people always say to be careful on snowy roads? Icy roads? He’s down right crazy. He’ll get us killed one day.

His eyes glanced up in the rear view mirror. Making contact with mine. Instantly-out of habit- I looked away. Hand’s tightening on the blanket. Clutching it close. Knowing that sooner or later he’d get the urge to yell at me again, to tease me horridly. I wasn’t ready for that to come back.

The truck slowed to a stop at a yellow light. Cars piled up around us. Also waiting their turns. Zane looked up at the mirror yet again. Reaching up in the dashboard to grabbed what looked like a bag of mini Heresy’s chocolates. He grabbed a few out of the bag, then his hand came back to me. I hesitated. Not sure if he really wanted me to take them.

“Just candy, Emily. There’s nothing wrong with it. I know you’re hungry.” He had a very good point. I was starving. The candy would help stop that. What’s it going to hurt. Both of my hands came up. One held beside his hand, the other brushed them into the hand beside it. How the heck am I going to eat them without the use of my fingers? Will I really have to open them with my teeth. Great. He chuckled a bit when he realized the same thing I did. “Oh, sorry. I forget already. I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

The light turned green, and he took off. Jerking the truck so hard that I fell back onto the seat. Great job, Zane. I probably dropped a few candies and now I can’t eat them. I mentally yelled at him for it.

“So, what’s your story.” He questioned. What story? What did he want to know? Did I miss something?

“Excuse me?” I asked. Sitting up a little bit.

“The story of your life. What made you the quite, ill tempered little girl?” He quizzed. Ya, me ill tempered? Maybe he should look in the mirror every so often. He’ll realize more about himself. “Come on, tell me. Start with your first foster parents.”

Deep down, I was screaming at him to stop reminding me. “Well, at first I liked them. They were nice. Their names were Henry and Gwen. They were already going through marriage problems when I came. I didn’t really help them at all. So I just kind of stayed in the room they gave me, and watched every other kid play at the playground across the street. But even though I tried to stay out of their fights, one of them always found a reason to drag me into one. Henry lost it one day and stabbed me. I was dumped at the hospital and he went to jail. Gwen committed suicide a week later.” There was more to the story that I was not willing to tell. Like how Gwen was abused. I though I was going to get raped. Maybe that was what was going to happen, I don’t know. Gwen saved me. Hit him over the head with a frying pan. Never seen him again. I was happy for that. I was sad that Gwen killed herself though. I was grateful for that women. She saved my life. She’ll always be in my memories. “The doctors said I should’ve died, but for some reason I didn’t. When he stabbed me it was just sticking it in and he kind of yanked it down after he stabbed me. If that makes any sense at all.”

Zane didn’t say anything. It was like he was frozen in time. He didn’t move. He just stared out the window. Still driving to fast for my taste. But I wasn’t going to say anything about it to him.

“What about the second one.” He whispered.

“Germ a-phobic old lady. I spilled a bowl full of cup cake batter and she flipped a nut. Locked me in the basement for a week. When they found me she had left and had tried to flood the place. The next foster parent died from a heart attack, and the next one just dumped me back at the orphanage. I’m a walking disaster.” I explained. “Then the owner of the orphanage acted as my mother until she died. A day before you stole me. So the cops decided that I just ran away.”

Again Zane was silent. I didn’t like it. He looked angry. It scared me. Why was he angry? But what was there to be angry about? What was his problem?

The talk about my past brought back some memories that I’d rather not be uncovered. The memories of abandonment. I still have yet to figure out what happened with my true family. Where they went, why they left me. Did I do something wrong?

I wonder what my mother looked like. Was she pretty. Scarlett red hair, stunning big brown eyes. What about my father. Raven black hair, dark blue eyes perhaps. I but they loved each other a lot. Hard working dad, loving mother. Maybe he was to hard working, he didn’t have the money to support a child maybe. He had to get rid of me because he knew that I’d have a chance at a better life. Not that it worked out. I might have been better off with them. Even if I had starved. Sure this life wasn’t the worst out there. But I still long for better. Doesn’t everyone?

“I’m sorry.” He sighed. Slowing down to turn the truck. Cracking the window as he did. Cold air flew into my little area in the back. I shivered. How could he possibly be hot? “You life sounds like something from a very depressing book. Anne, that’s who you remind me of, Anne the orphan. Where’s your big music number, and your billionaire man waiting to adopt you?”

“I don’t have one, I have you. The kidnapper. No money bags around here now is there?” I snapped. He must get a kick out of ticking me off.

“Do you always have to argue with me?” He growled. “Why can’t we ever just talk without one of us ending up yelling at the other? Do I really make you that angry?”

“If you could hear yourself speak, you would understand! Do you ever think about what you are going to say before you say it!? Hm!?” I hissed. Probably getting myself in a whole mess of trouble. But I just couldn’t help myself. I can’t let someone talk to me that way. Say stuff that hurts me inside. Its just no right. I shouldn’t take it. “You act like you have no manners!”

“Ha, do you remember who you are talking to? I’m your source of food, darling. I may have let you into my past. But the way you are treating me, I may never let you forget about yours.” He threatened. I tried to ignore him and brought one of the candies up to my lips. Pulling the wrapper away with my teeth, then popping it into my mouth. “Well then, miss Emily. Have you decided to keep your mouth shut now?”

“How about you?” I growled.

Suddenly there was a hand gripping the front of my shirt. I was yanked to the front of the truck. How he managed it well diving I have no idea. He shoved me against the steering wheel. The truck swerved a bit. He steadied it with one hand then grabbed my chin with the other. Squeezing it quite tightly. I winced but continued to glair at him. Getting ready to kick him where the sun don’t shine if he tried anything.

“Stop fighting with me, Emily. I can’t do much about it when I’m driving. So I suggest you shut your mouth before you get hurt.” A horn honked and the truck swerved again when he shoved me into the passenger seat. Looking ticked enough to warn me that, I probably should shut my mouth.