Untold Truth

Chapter 18

"He drugged you?" Jack seems to linger on this the most. "Makes sense. But after he saw you witness those rebels he has to know you have some ide"a of what's going on."

"Ya that's one of the reasons I can't go home now." I say. "I don't know what he'll do to me. I'm scared. That and I have no idea who's there waiting." I shake at the thought of anyone being there, ready to use me.

"Well you can come stay at my house. Charlie misses you." He says reassuringly.

"Okay. Yeah. Let's go." I say. I look up at him and catch him smiling at me. "What?" I ask.

He quickly looks away, face red. "Uh, nothing. Come on."

Jack and I head further into the woods and walk to his home in silence. I want to say something, but I don't know what to say. I take Jack's hand in mine and I squeeze it. He looks shyly at me. Then he squeezes back. We let go and continue walking. When we arrive to his house I can't help but feel safe. And happy. I know Jack will keep me safe. It's like we are connected in some way.

He opens up his door and Charlie comes running out only this time he jumps on me and gives me kisses, instead of trying to attack me. Jack bust up laughing while I attempt to keep my balance.

"Hey Charlie boy!" I say to him, petting him. "Your such a good boy!" He sticks his tongue out and gives me a "smile."

Charlie wags his tail and rubs up against me trying to get me to pet him more. Somehow I actually manage a laugh. I almost forget why I'm here.

"Okay boy, enough flirting go lay down," says Jack. "Sorry, he just likes beautiful girls." I blush a little while Charlie goes out on the porch and lays down. "Come on inside," he tells me walking into the house.

Jack sets his quail on his kitchen table. "Well I still have to go out and check the traps. Do you want to come or just stay here?"

"Check the traps?" I ask curiously. Could these be the traps that caught me? I shudder at the thought.

"Ya. It's like the night we met, I was checking the traps to see if anyone got caught. Then I reset them." He says proudly.

"Uh I'll come." I say not wanting to be in his home alone. Not wanting to be anywhere alone.

"Okay. Come on." He walks out the door and I follow him. "So we'll start with the traps farthest from the house."

"Okay, so how many traps are there?" I wonder.

"20. 10 closer by 10 far away," he says simply. "Now make sure we're quiet." I stop talking and think. I think about how I think to much. I look over at Jack. There's something about him. He's really good looking. I haven't thought about that in a while. In fact he's perfect. He has nice muscles and is tall but like my height on my tippy toes. That would make us eye level. It makes us lip level...

We reach the farthest traps and start checking. The traps don't seem as far up as they were the night I got caught in one. I look intently around searching for a trap with something in it. I see something sway in the trees.

"Jack, what's that?" I say pointing to the strange bundle.

"That is a trap with a deer in it," he says calmly.

"And? Do we go get it?" I ask a little confused.

He laughs and shakes his head. "We release it," his voice turning serious.

"Release it? Good. I mean it is innocent isn't it?" I say a little to rudely. "But I would've thought you'd take it for meat."

He looks into my eyes. He searches them. I wish I knew where he came from. "I would never kill something I caught in a trap. That's cheating. It doesn't give the animal a fighting chance." He take a breath and walks over to the trap. I feel bad now.