“You’re a real fucking bitch,” he spits, before picking me up and tossing me inside. The trunk closes above me with a loud thud, leaving me in absolute darkness. The engine roars to life a few moments later, and the car starts moving, each bump in the road vibrating through me.
I thought I had been scared in the past, but nothing compares to the gut-wrenching terror consuming every part of my body. All my thoughts go back to Xander and how he looked at me. All the hate and hurt in his eyes. It felt like a knife twisting in my heart and now that’s possibly going to be the last time I see him.
It can’t be. I refuse to let it be the last memory we share. I have to live, because I have to protect our baby. But the more I think about it, the more I come up with nothing. There is no viable way for me to get out of this unscathed.
Xander is never going to come for me; I feel it deep in my bones. Not when he thinks I’ve betrayed him. Even if he were to try to find me, how long would it take him? How long would I able to endure his father’s treatment without breaking? Even if I make it out of this alive…will I ever be the same?
I roll around in the trunk as Xander’s father continues driving. I struggle against the cable ties that bind my hands. The next turn we take makes something wedge underneath me. I scoot around until I can get it into my hands.
It’s cold and heavy, and made out of some kind of metal. I keep moving it around, my fingers putting an image of the item together in my head. A crowbar or something like it. I almost shout in victory. I try not get too excited about it though. It’s not going to do me any good if I can’t get my hands untied.
I move it so the sharp pointy edge is in between my hands. Then I wedge it right under where the cable tie is connected and push my body weight against it. It keeps sliding off instead of slicing through like I want it to, and I growl into the gag with frustration. My palms are sweaty, making it even harder to regain control every time it slips out of my hand.
Don’t give up. Fight. I need to fight… fight with every single ounce of blood inside me. Xander might not come for me, but I have to try and escape this on my own. We make a right turn, which makes my body roll to the other side of the trunk. I right myself and we drive for a short time before the car comes to a complete stop. It’s now or never.
I keep trying with all my strength to break the stupid cable ties, but they won’t budge. Fear trickles down my spine when I hear the car door open and close. In that second, I decide to try one final time. I place the crowbar back into place and push as hard as I can. My heart’s beating so fast, the pounding resonates into my ears.
The clicking sound of the trunk being opened fills the small space just as the cable tie snaps in two and my arms fall free. Moonlight pours into the space as the trunk opens. My stomach clenches as I curl my fingers around the cold metal of the crowbar and swing it at the face of the bastard who appears above me.
If I’m going to die, then I’m going to go out swinging. I hit the asshole in the side of the head, making him stumble backward.
“You fucking bitch,” he snarls, clutching the side of his head. Before he has time to regain his bearings and reach for me, I climb out of the trunk, bringing the crowbar with me. I run as fast as my legs will carry me into the thick brush ahead. Vines, branches, and leaves stick to my clothes and scratch across my skin.
But I don’t care. I don’t look where I am going, I just run.
“Follow her. Don’t let her get the fuck away.” Xander’s father’s voice rings in my ears. I hear more voices behind me, and heavy footfalls snapping branches with every step I take, but I don’t stop. I can’t if I want to make it out of this alive. I remove the gag from my mouth and continue running.
Each breath that passes my lips is labored, and when I can’t possibly take another step, I slip behind a tree, a shiver coursing through me as a cold breeze blows through the trees, rustling the leaves around me.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are…” An unknown voice calls out into the darkness. I force myself to breathe slowly, afraid that my breathing may give me away.