I laid there, waiting and watching for what seemed like hours. I had come so far, yet had so far to go. I hadn’t seen the light of day in what seemed like years, I was disoriented. I couldn’t seem to get a grasp on my bearings.

Did I go south to get to town? Can I follow the stream to the Radley’s farm?

I had to be sure before I made my next move. I felt frozen in fear as I laid there watching the house, expecting movement at any time.

Expecting to see my captors throw open the front door and charge out in to the yard, guns in hand, ready to make me pay for my stunt. But there was nothing but peace. Silence, deafening silence surrounded me. I had forgotten what the cool breeze against my cheek had felt like. The soft rustling of the drying grass as the wind flows through it. The warm autumn sun peeked through the clouds. Some of those clouds were dark and heavy with rain; I needed to make my move.

“What if one of them woke up?” I thought to myself.

What if I didn’t really hit him as hard as I had thought? No that’s impossible. I made sure there was no pulse. Just as I was about to get up and start my long run, a crow flew low overhead and screeched loudly, knocking me right back to the Earth in fear.

As if the crow knew something I didn’t and was warning me, as I lay there, I saw a shadowy figure lurching around the south rear of the house.

Unbelievable! I shouted, well, in my mind. I began to shake again, the confidence I had talked myself into lying there in the field quickly dissipated into fear. I thought my plan had been fool proof! I’d spent months in that basement concocting it, going over every fine detail.

Yet here we are. I can see one of my tormentors stumbling about, dazed and confused, and certainly furious only a few hundred yards away. My death is almost certain. There is no way to become invisible in an open field. I’ve nowhere to hide!

I forced myself to lay back and close my eyes. To let the cool breeze again envelope me as the grass tickled my arms. I had to regain my composure and think this through.

I had managed to get this far, against insurmountable odds, there was no way I could allow myself to get shoved back into that basement again. Months of endless torture and atrocities had completely broken my spirit, or so I had thought. I am not sure if it was the thought, the hope, of seeing my mothers loving eyes again, or just to simply be free that kept me alive long enough to come up with this grand failing plan.

I’d never been one to advocate violence, I’ve always been squeamish when my father would gut and clean the deer, but I’ll tell you I took great joy in the feeling of impaling my cruelest captor on my make shift spear. They had stopped chaining me weeks ago and I had free range of the windowless, damp basement. It was more of a cellar really. This gave me the time and ability to craft my plan.

I didn’t sleep, I pretended to sleep, but as soon as they would close and lock the door, I got back to work. Laying here now, watching him stumble towards the gravel drive that will bring him ever closer, well it all seems silly.

Why did I ever think I could really escape the grasp of these people? I’ve barely been off the farm and these men are no stranger to violence and shady dealings. I don’t know how this world works really. I’ve not even gotten the chance to explore it yet.

As I laid there, quietly sobbing, ready for my certain death, I heard a loud “oomph!” and a crash.

He had collapsed! Maybe all hope wasn’t lost after all! Could this have been his final hoorah? He just couldn’t go quickly like the others; he had to torture me just a bit longer. His head seemed to be turned facing the house. I slowly rose up on my elbow, as I focused on his chest to see if he was breathing. I could see a very slight rise and fall, it was very shallow. He had been much larger than the other men; maybe I didn’t stab deep enough? I wouldn’t know I’d never stabbed anyone before, I just hoped for the best.

The clouds continued to darken; I could feel a steep drop in the temperature as the wind picked up. It didn’t seem to make a difference to the bastard named Ralph.

While Lawrence and his lackey, Andy had seemed fairly reasonable the majority of my captivity, Ralph was the one who liked to punish. It didn’t matter how small the crime, there would be a price to pay. I can recall a spilled cup of filthy water that splashed just a few brown drops on his shoe; I could barely walk for a week after he had “given me what I deserved”. There was deadness in his eyes, a look that was almost inhuman. Blackness. I don’t know what had happened in that bastards life to make him as evil as he was, but he certainly enjoyed causing pain.

He lay motionless. Even if he were to see me make my escape, I doubt he would be able to catch me.

This is it; I have to make my move. I took one last look at that dark and wicked house, one quick glance at man who had tortured me, starved me and nearly broke my spirit and that was it. I said my goodbyes. I hopped up as fast as I could and broke out into a full sprint, my feet padding unevenly through the field. As I hit the dirt drive I glanced back one final time to make sure no one was in pursuit, and there wasn’t. I felt I could finally breathe!

My legs ached, the hardness of the earth beneath my feet agonizing, but I had never felt a sweeter pain. I was nearly to the Radley’s farm when the rain began to fall. It stung my exposed skin like a swarm of bees, but I welcomed it. I felt free, I felt alive! I stopped dead in my tracks, and looked to the sky. I welcomed the rain as it washed over me. Cleansing my soul, washing away all of the despair that I felt I would never escape from.

Too bad I didn’t get to enjoy my shower from the heavens for long…

I could hear a low rumble in the distance, at first I thought it was thunder, but then it became more familiar. A sound I had first heard months ago as I was stranded along that desolate stretch of country road.

A few months earlier…

At first I’d been thankful for a passing car, someone to take a look at my steaming engine.

“It must be overheating again” I had called as the truck came to a slow stop next to me.

“Well does it happen often lil lady? “Maybe you should get that looked at by a professional, my Uncle Ralph why he’s got a shop just on up the road.” He offered.

His accent was thick and sounded like he hadn’t left this part of country in his entire life.

In all my years in this county I had never noticed that large Victorian home off in the distance, it had a large patch of Pines camouflaging it from the road. Honestly I wasn’t much for wandering and had never had much reason to head down this road, but with all of the flooding from the storms the night before, my options were quite limited.

“I sure would appreciate it Sir, and maybe a lift back to town? My folks will be getting’ worried before too long” Matching his heavy country accent the best I could.

“Well I reckon that can be arranged” He said with a large toothy smile.

The look in his eyes made me a bit uneasy.

“You know what,” I started to fumble my words a bit “I think I’ll just walk the road into town, have my Pop come take a look at the car for me.”

“Well now honey it’s a bit late for that” He had a much lower tone now, with a sinister smirk.

I heard movement behind me and before I could fully turn around.

THUD.

I regained consciousness in the damp, dark basement that was to be my new home. I had been chained to a pretty stable pipe in the concrete wall. I could taste blood. My head was pounding. I was freezing. I was nearly nude. Whoever undressed me took everything but my panties.

I tried to scream, but it was trapped in my throat, I’d been gagged.

I heard the unlatching of the door at the top of the stairs. The heavy step of work boots came down towards me. Lumbering slowly. Deliberately.

I couldn’t breathe. I tried to cover myself the best I could, I felt so exposed.

As the gigantic figure walked towards me in the dimly lit, musty chamber, I got my first glimpse of the man that would make me want to die, but for him, killing me would be far too kind.

That bastard Ralph.