Status: Rating for language
Stolen
Escaped
Carmen held her breath as the two men passed her hiding spot. They were talking in low tones about her latest round of shock treatment.
“Didn’t work,” one grunted.
“Well, at least we know she ain’t goin’ anywhere,” the other said.
They rounded the corner and she slipped out of the divot in the wall. She crept down the hallway. It was lacking any kind of shadow and her heart was pounding in her ears. If someone were to turn down the corner, she would be spotted and ruined. After years of planning this, she wasn’t going to give up without a fight.
She checked the corner. No one was around. She darted to the left just as a security camera swept to her area. Her bare feet padded silently on the floor. She knew she was close to the exit and she dug around in the pocket of the flimsy dress they had given her. Her fingers closed over the handle of the knife as she got to the door.
She peeked through the glass into the hanger. A few men milled about, machine guns hanging from their shoulders. They were smoking and one was watching as two men put up a Christmas tree. The idea that men like them were celebrating Christmas hit Carmen with an overwhelming feeling of irony. She took a deep breath and opened the door just a hair.
She slipped out and finally found shelter: some boxes five feet from the door. Now she had to do the hard part.
She cut some of the bottom of her dress off and shoved the wad into her mouth. After making sure the guards were still focused on the tree, she drove the knife into her left arm. Her eyes watered in pain and she fell to her knees. The gag muffled her sobs as she dug around in her arm. Beads of sweat formed on her face until she found the small chip. With a grunt of effort, she managed to get it out.
She looked at it, feeling sick to her stomach. It was small – not even an inch in all directions. She tucked it under the boxes and spat the wad onto the floor. She cut more of her dress and wrapped it tight around the cut in her arm.
Tears were still streaming down her face as she stood back to her feet. She looked around the boxes. The guards were now all clustered around the tree and she darted for the exit, her heart swelling.
“Hey!” someone shouted and she gasped.
She didn’t stop, though, as she pushed through the door and into the cold air. Men were shouting behind her and she fled for the safety of the forest she had seen so many times. Her only remaining obstacle was a chain fence but she was sure she still had all of her skills so that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Then the bullets started. She ducked her head as she swerved through the lot. She scrambled up the chain fence, dismayed to find there was barbed wire twisting above it. With a glance over her shoulder at the swarm of men running for her, though, she took her chances.
Using as much strength as she could, she swung her body over the wire. It scratched her back, though, and she screamed in pain. She fell the rest of the way, landing hard on her knees.
“She’s on the other side!”
“Get the gate! Now!”
Carmen whimpered and staggered back to her feet. No way was she going to get caught now.
She ran for the trees, ignoring the pain in her knees. She didn’t know where she was but she knew she couldn’t be too far from civilization. They got food and supplies that were usually fresh and hot.
In all of her planning, Carmen had forgotten about the winter. Even though it hadn’t snowed yet, there was still a layer of frost on the ground that bit at her feet. She hadn’t been running for ten minutes when her feet started to bleed. She pressed on, though, imagining that her captors were just feet behind her. She had to keep moving.
But her chest was on fire and she had a stitch in her side. She’d have to rest soon.
Then a miracle happened: She reached the other side of the forest and to a very familiar sight.
The town of Kendrick, Oklahoma was small the last time she saw it. Now, though, everything was different. There were more buildings, including fast food chains.
Men’s voices broke her out of her thoughts and she ran again. Her breath materialized in front of her but she was starting to see stars. A porch was nearby; the back to someone’s house. Their lights were on and she wanted to shout but she was out of breath.
She crashed into their gate, tripping over it and landing on her already bleeding back. She stumbled to her feet, refusing to rest, when the back door slammed open. The last thing she saw before she fainted was a man holding a gun.
That’s it. I’ve failed.
“Didn’t work,” one grunted.
“Well, at least we know she ain’t goin’ anywhere,” the other said.
They rounded the corner and she slipped out of the divot in the wall. She crept down the hallway. It was lacking any kind of shadow and her heart was pounding in her ears. If someone were to turn down the corner, she would be spotted and ruined. After years of planning this, she wasn’t going to give up without a fight.
She checked the corner. No one was around. She darted to the left just as a security camera swept to her area. Her bare feet padded silently on the floor. She knew she was close to the exit and she dug around in the pocket of the flimsy dress they had given her. Her fingers closed over the handle of the knife as she got to the door.
She peeked through the glass into the hanger. A few men milled about, machine guns hanging from their shoulders. They were smoking and one was watching as two men put up a Christmas tree. The idea that men like them were celebrating Christmas hit Carmen with an overwhelming feeling of irony. She took a deep breath and opened the door just a hair.
She slipped out and finally found shelter: some boxes five feet from the door. Now she had to do the hard part.
She cut some of the bottom of her dress off and shoved the wad into her mouth. After making sure the guards were still focused on the tree, she drove the knife into her left arm. Her eyes watered in pain and she fell to her knees. The gag muffled her sobs as she dug around in her arm. Beads of sweat formed on her face until she found the small chip. With a grunt of effort, she managed to get it out.
She looked at it, feeling sick to her stomach. It was small – not even an inch in all directions. She tucked it under the boxes and spat the wad onto the floor. She cut more of her dress and wrapped it tight around the cut in her arm.
Tears were still streaming down her face as she stood back to her feet. She looked around the boxes. The guards were now all clustered around the tree and she darted for the exit, her heart swelling.
“Hey!” someone shouted and she gasped.
She didn’t stop, though, as she pushed through the door and into the cold air. Men were shouting behind her and she fled for the safety of the forest she had seen so many times. Her only remaining obstacle was a chain fence but she was sure she still had all of her skills so that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Then the bullets started. She ducked her head as she swerved through the lot. She scrambled up the chain fence, dismayed to find there was barbed wire twisting above it. With a glance over her shoulder at the swarm of men running for her, though, she took her chances.
Using as much strength as she could, she swung her body over the wire. It scratched her back, though, and she screamed in pain. She fell the rest of the way, landing hard on her knees.
“She’s on the other side!”
“Get the gate! Now!”
Carmen whimpered and staggered back to her feet. No way was she going to get caught now.
She ran for the trees, ignoring the pain in her knees. She didn’t know where she was but she knew she couldn’t be too far from civilization. They got food and supplies that were usually fresh and hot.
In all of her planning, Carmen had forgotten about the winter. Even though it hadn’t snowed yet, there was still a layer of frost on the ground that bit at her feet. She hadn’t been running for ten minutes when her feet started to bleed. She pressed on, though, imagining that her captors were just feet behind her. She had to keep moving.
But her chest was on fire and she had a stitch in her side. She’d have to rest soon.
Then a miracle happened: She reached the other side of the forest and to a very familiar sight.
The town of Kendrick, Oklahoma was small the last time she saw it. Now, though, everything was different. There were more buildings, including fast food chains.
Men’s voices broke her out of her thoughts and she ran again. Her breath materialized in front of her but she was starting to see stars. A porch was nearby; the back to someone’s house. Their lights were on and she wanted to shout but she was out of breath.
She crashed into their gate, tripping over it and landing on her already bleeding back. She stumbled to her feet, refusing to rest, when the back door slammed open. The last thing she saw before she fainted was a man holding a gun.
That’s it. I’ve failed.