Song of the Meadowlark (Intertwined Book 1) by Sherri Wilson Johnson

the way. Stay on the line as long as possible so we can trace the call. Okay?”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    Minutes later, a rumbling came toward the shack. “I hear him coming back! What do I do? If he comes in here and sees me like this, he’ll kill me!” Cora captured her bottom lip with her teeth.
    “Is there a back door or maybe a window you can crawl out of? The officers and medics will be there in a few minutes. Is there a way out of there?” the operator asked calmly.
    “There’s a window. But I think I’m going to pass out.”
    “Ma’am, what’s your name?”
    “C—Cora.”
    “Cora, stay with me, okay? Can you get out through the window?”
    “I’ll try.”
    “Do not hang up this phone. Keep the line open.”
    “Okay.” Cora laid the receiver down beside the phone and made her way to the window, which had no glass. There was nothing but some type of handmade wooden shutters covering the opening. She pushed and banged until she got it open, blood splattering all over her and her clothes. With all of her strength, she threw herself out the window and ran into the woods as fast as her bare feet would carry her. Darkness blanketed her surroundings, making it difficult for her to see. Thankfully, the darkness would make it burdensome for the aggressor to see her.
    When should she stop running? She needed to get far enough away from the cabin but not too far away from the help that was coming. She tried to be as quiet as possible, to keep the captor from hearing her, and stayed focused on what she had to do. She didn’t worry about her bleeding wrists, nor did she cry. She kept running, despite the pine cones that stuck into her feet.
    She ran until she could run no more, then ducked behind a huge pine tree and sank to the ground. The ground felt damp with evening dew, and the bark from the pine scratched her arms. Pinecones and pine needles covered the ground and dug into her skin. Exhausted, she tried to be silent with her breathing to keep herself undiscovered.
    She waited behind that tall tree for what seemed like a lifetime. Then she drifted away, off to sleep.

 
* * *
    Cora opened her eyes, grimaced from the pain in her head, and focused on the first thing she saw—a sign, Emergency Room. Turquoise curtains made mock walls on both sides of her. She peered through the opening in the curtain at the people bustling about, muffled sounds came over an intercom system. She squinted in the bright lights and found an IV in her arm. She frowned from the pain but also from confusion. The beeping of the machines by her side irritated her raw nerves.
    A nurse came to her side and checked her pulse. “Where am I?” Cora managed.
    “You’re at the hospital, honey. You’ve been through a terrible ordeal.” The nurse pushed buttons and adjusted tubes.
    “Am I okay?” Cora pulled her right hand out from under the heavy blankets and touched her forehead. Her entire body trembled.
    “Oh yes. You’re just here for observation. Paramedics found you unconscious, and you had some abrasions, so they brought you in.”
    “Is my family here?”
    “The O’Reillys? Yes, I’ll get them for you.”
    Oh yes, she wasn’t at home with Mom and Dad, nor was she with the Buchanans. She was with the O’Reillys.
    The nurse returned promptly with Pearl and R.L. Pearl rushed to Cora’s bedside. “Cora, I’m so glad you’re okay.” Her hands with their long fingers and manicured nails gently patted Cora’s leg.
    “Hey, dear.” R.L. patted her leg also, but firmly, exhibiting his concern in a more urgent manner.
    “What happened to me? All I remember is running in the woods and hiding behind a tree.” Cora tried to sit up.
    “Lay still, darlin’,” R.L. said. “Your call saved your life. You evidently escaped the cabin just in time.”
    “I was so scared. All I could think about was getting home. I mean—back to the ranch. Am I really okay?”
    “I believe so. The doctor said as soon as you regained