think there’s any hope for it.”
“Ah, now don’t say that. I like to believe there is always hope.” A teasing smile played on his lips, but his eyes held a serious look. The double meaning caused a shiver to run up my spine.
“There is a slight chance we can revive it, but it’s going to take a lot of effort and patience. It won’t be easy.” Our gazes collided, and I fought to keep my breathing even.
“Fair enough.” His gaze never wavered from mine. “I’m willing. I have a feeling it will be worth the wait.”
SEVEN
I awoke to the sound of laughter. Child’s laughter. A foreign sound. One I hadn’t heard in so long. I uncurled myself from the fetal position I had assumed on the floor and looked around. My heart sank upon realizing I was still trapped. In my dream I had been outside running around in the grass, the reeds tickling the tender flesh of my bare feet. If only I could somehow escape into my dreams. If only that were possible.
Honing in on the sound, I realized it was coming from outside. Hoisting myself up, I grabbed onto the bars of the window and tried to peek out. Only the window was a little too high. I jumped up and down but couldn’t see anything except for the blue of the sky, a puff of a cloud. The noises came closer. Footsteps on pavement, chatting, laughing, the squeal of children. My heart ached. I jumped again, but it was no use. I couldn’t see anything. The window was too high. The noises were right under me now. I reached up as high as I could, stretching my arms above my head. The window was slightly open, and a breeze spilled inside brushing over my skin. I sighed, relishing it. I carefully slipped one of my hands through the bars and waved it in the air. Perhaps the people below would see me. One of the voices sounded like a girl around my age. It made me miss my best friend Katie. I wondered what she was doing right now. What time was it? Was she at school? I paused, realizing I didn’t even know what day of the week it was.
“What are you doing?” Kurt’s voice rang out in the room like a clap of thunder. Over my shoulder I saw him slam the door shut and move toward me.
I flinched, pulling my hand back. When I did, my wrist slammed into the bar, and pain shot up my arm.
He grabbed me by my other arm, violently pulling me away from the window. His hands clamped down on both shoulders. “Were you trying to get someone’s attention?”
“N-no,” I whispered, tears filling my eyes. My gaze shifted to the floor so I didn’t have to look directly into his face. But I could still feel his eyes on mine, still smell his putrid scent. And his hands burned where they touched me as if his handprints were branding my flesh.
He glared at me and stood back up. Shoving past me he headed to the window. My heart picked up speed as he looked through it. Sliding his arm through the bars, he closed the window. The slam reverberated through my entire body. “I’m keeping it locked from now on.” His voice was hard, final.
I shudder ed as he stalked past me. When he left the room, I turned around to face the window. I stood perfectly still listening. Desperately trying to hear something. Anything.
“Hello,” I whispered into the empty room.
But only silence responded.
It was pretty quiet on our property. Rarely did cars pass by. We were in the middle of nowhere surrounded by open fields of golden, brittle grass. But I’d always liked it. I didn’t desire attention from others. I didn’t want noise and chaos. However, now I found my ears perked, longing for the sound of tires on gravel. I was desperate for the slam of a car door and footsteps on the front porch signaling Carter’s arrival.
He had called earlier saying he’d be by and that he had good news for me. It was crazy how the sound of his voice made me feel. It was scary how much I anticipated his arrival.
“It looks like we’ ll be working together,” he told me minutes after coming over.
We were
“Ah, now don’t say that. I like to believe there is always hope.” A teasing smile played on his lips, but his eyes held a serious look. The double meaning caused a shiver to run up my spine.
“There is a slight chance we can revive it, but it’s going to take a lot of effort and patience. It won’t be easy.” Our gazes collided, and I fought to keep my breathing even.
“Fair enough.” His gaze never wavered from mine. “I’m willing. I have a feeling it will be worth the wait.”
SEVEN
I awoke to the sound of laughter. Child’s laughter. A foreign sound. One I hadn’t heard in so long. I uncurled myself from the fetal position I had assumed on the floor and looked around. My heart sank upon realizing I was still trapped. In my dream I had been outside running around in the grass, the reeds tickling the tender flesh of my bare feet. If only I could somehow escape into my dreams. If only that were possible.
Honing in on the sound, I realized it was coming from outside. Hoisting myself up, I grabbed onto the bars of the window and tried to peek out. Only the window was a little too high. I jumped up and down but couldn’t see anything except for the blue of the sky, a puff of a cloud. The noises came closer. Footsteps on pavement, chatting, laughing, the squeal of children. My heart ached. I jumped again, but it was no use. I couldn’t see anything. The window was too high. The noises were right under me now. I reached up as high as I could, stretching my arms above my head. The window was slightly open, and a breeze spilled inside brushing over my skin. I sighed, relishing it. I carefully slipped one of my hands through the bars and waved it in the air. Perhaps the people below would see me. One of the voices sounded like a girl around my age. It made me miss my best friend Katie. I wondered what she was doing right now. What time was it? Was she at school? I paused, realizing I didn’t even know what day of the week it was.
“What are you doing?” Kurt’s voice rang out in the room like a clap of thunder. Over my shoulder I saw him slam the door shut and move toward me.
I flinched, pulling my hand back. When I did, my wrist slammed into the bar, and pain shot up my arm.
He grabbed me by my other arm, violently pulling me away from the window. His hands clamped down on both shoulders. “Were you trying to get someone’s attention?”
“N-no,” I whispered, tears filling my eyes. My gaze shifted to the floor so I didn’t have to look directly into his face. But I could still feel his eyes on mine, still smell his putrid scent. And his hands burned where they touched me as if his handprints were branding my flesh.
He glared at me and stood back up. Shoving past me he headed to the window. My heart picked up speed as he looked through it. Sliding his arm through the bars, he closed the window. The slam reverberated through my entire body. “I’m keeping it locked from now on.” His voice was hard, final.
I shudder ed as he stalked past me. When he left the room, I turned around to face the window. I stood perfectly still listening. Desperately trying to hear something. Anything.
“Hello,” I whispered into the empty room.
But only silence responded.
It was pretty quiet on our property. Rarely did cars pass by. We were in the middle of nowhere surrounded by open fields of golden, brittle grass. But I’d always liked it. I didn’t desire attention from others. I didn’t want noise and chaos. However, now I found my ears perked, longing for the sound of tires on gravel. I was desperate for the slam of a car door and footsteps on the front porch signaling Carter’s arrival.
He had called earlier saying he’d be by and that he had good news for me. It was crazy how the sound of his voice made me feel. It was scary how much I anticipated his arrival.
“It looks like we’ ll be working together,” he told me minutes after coming over.
We were
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