Texas Stars ✓

Chapter 20 - Pretty Lies

        Debbie

        "She's waking up!" A gruff voice breathed onion breath in my face.

        Out of instinct I slapped the all-too-close face and I heard a satisfying slap. 

        "She punched me, she did!" The man whined.

        "Shut yer trap Joe!" The leader (or what I assumed to be the leader) shouted.

        How we didn't hear them yelling back on the ranch, I'd never know.

        Speaking of the ranch...where was I? What time was it? Did they realize that I was gone?

        "Lester!" The leader called sharply, "Get the girl some grub."

        My stomach flipped. I'd rather eat nothing at all than eat grub. What was grub anyway? It sounded disgusting.

        I was about to protest but a thick oily rag (most likely used to clean boots) prevented me from doing so. 

        So instead I took in my surroundings. My waste was tied to a gigantic tree, there were bugs crawling on my now dirt caked dress, my shoes were long gone, my hair was undone, and my fingernails had dirt underneath them.

        Wait, I studied my hands. They weren't tied, How come my hands aren't tied? I stared at my hands some more.

        I looked at the rope that tied me to the tree trunk. The knot was on the other side of the tree, but I could probably still wedge my way out of the ropes, given enough time that is. 

        "Eat it girl," The man called Lester handed me a bowl of unidentifiable food. 

        I gave him a look.

        Lester turned red, "Joe, come untie her gag!"

        These were a bunch of dunderheads. The leader seemed like the only one with his wits still about him.

        Joe, who had surprisingly bad breath, started undoing the gag.

        "Wait!" The leader commanded Joe, "If you scream," he glared at me, "I will," he drew his finger across his throat, "your throat."

        I nodded solemnly.

        "Good," He still glared, "Remove her gag Joe."

        "Yes Julian," Joe finished undoing my gag.

        The leader, or Julian, turned red with anger, "How many times must I tell you? Do not ever call me Julian!" He yelled, "You'll call me Murdock." 

        "Yes Murdock," Joe bowed like a servant cowering from his master.

        Lester shoved the bowl of who-knew-what into my hands, "Eat up."

        I looked at the slop. It looked worse than what pigs ate, "No, thank you," I put it on the ground.

        Lester shrugged, grabbed the bowl and started stuffing the grub into his face.

        I had expected him to blow up at me. Tell Murdock. Anything but eat it.

        But it was too good to be true, "Lester!" Murdock shouted sharply, "She will eat it whether she wants to or not."

        Murdock came storming over to where I sat, "You will do what I say!" He grabbed a chunk of my hair and I yelped, "Do you understand girl?" He spat in my face and I noticed a knife on his belt.