DEATH WISH - j.hale

GYPSY - 10

IT WAS completely silent in the house on Friday night — the low sound of the tv buzzing quietly in the living room.

Sara was watching Labyrinth, gazing at the movie with the same childlike eyes like she had many other times before. And yet, sadly enough, her eyes were fixated upon the infamous Bowie bulge. That man was fucking packing, she thought to herself, watching as the main character, Sarah (what a coincidence), danced with the Goblin King during the ballroom scene.

The house was empty, given that her mother had left for the emergency surgery up in Seattle earlier that morning. Bella was expected to come by tomorrow and the girls would have their very first of many sleepovers together.

It was 9 o'clock when the phone rang — causing Sara to jump at the sudden noise. She rolled her eyes, pausing the tv before standing and lazily making her way to the kitchen. Picking up the phone, she leaned against the wall, about to tell off who had just interrupted her relaxing time.

"Do you know what time it is?" She huffed, her eyebrows furrowing with frustration.

"You are about to receive a collect call from Ted Adams, an inmate housed at Avenal State Prison. Please press pound key to except."

At the sound of the familiar expressionless voice, her blood ran cold. Her small body froze, suddenly feeling very weak and frail. And in an instant, the girl was a mess. A loud cry leaving her lips as the phone slipped through her fingers. The wire caught it, smacking it against the wall in a loud deafening crash. She could hear the voice repeating its message, the sound of it ringing in her ears.

"Please press pound key—"

Her fist hit the red button hard — feeling it snap beneath her fingers as the call cut out. Her body slipped down the wall slowly, her legs crumbling under her until she landed in a small ball on the cold hard tile.

She breathed heavily, repeating to herself the breathing exercise she had learned in therapy.

1, 2, 3
Breathe

Her face felt wet, hot tears spilling in her green eyes. She closed them, trying to picture anything but the face of Ted Adams — the man who was supposed to be her father.

How did he get this number?

Her right hand pressed against her left wrist, her fingernails digging into her pale skin in a moment of pure bittersweet relief. The sharp pain brought her back into reality, her eyes snapping open.

She was fine. She was safe.

But she was alone.

Before she could process anything, she stood — grabbing her car keys from the kitchen counter m before picking up her phone and wallet. Clad in nothing but her black tank top and sweatpants, she threw on a pair of her flip flops and practically stumbled out of the house.

Of course, it was raining.

The cold water was the thing the girl needed. It drenched her, soaking through her thin shirt before she even had a chance to climb into the car.

She had no idea where she was going, but she was going somewhere. She searched through the radio station until she landed on R U Mine by Arctic Monkeys.

She was okay.

The streets were dark, but she was able to make out the roads as she drove. She knew of a cafe just down the street — and she would totally kill for some carrot soup right now.

So in the dark, she drove, the music so loud she couldn't think. And once again, she was feeling fine.

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