The Least Favorite Cameron

Chapter 33

"What's wrong with Sarah and Gracie?" The question sounds like a distant echo. I can't exactly hear the response but I know it's Rose.

"Will they be okay?" I know this is Wheezie now. I jump slightly when I feel two sets of arms carrying me as my feet drag under me. I try to stand on my own but my legs feel like jello. I'm then laid back down which doesn't help to keep me awake. I feel the familiar hum of an engine and know I am somehow in a car now. I open my eyes slightly and see Wheezie's big eyes and glasses looking back at me. I turn slightly and see Sarah mirroring the position I'm in.

"Hey! Open the door!" If I wasn't half asleep I would have screamed as I hear John B. and JJ scream at Rose to stop the car. I can hear the desperation in John B's voice as he begs Wheezie to open the door. I can't even move to show that I know he's there. To just see his perfect face before Rose and our dad drag us away. What if I never got to see him again? What if I'm forever a hostage in this family? I tried to fight off the tiredness that seeped into my every pore but I couldn't. I just barely opened my eyes and turned my head enough to see a flash of his face and his fist as he disappeared from the window.

When I open my eyes again, the sky is brighter now and it looks to be about morning. There is a faint smell of gasoline as well as the ocean as the car comes to a stop. To my surprise, I am no longer fighting off sleep and I turn to see Sarah is stirring as well.

"What the fuck is going on?" I say and my voice sounds hoarse and weak.

"We're going on a trip!" Wheezie says excitedly and her enthusiasm sends a flare of anger through me. I don't blame her, she's young and wants to believe dad and even Rose. But she literally witnessed Sarah and I being drugged, how could she not see the issue there?

I tap Sarah and she jolts up looking around as well and then presses a hand to her forehead.

"What the hell-"

"Apparently we're going on a trip," I say, cutting off her question. She looks at me with horror in her eyes and then anger. I quietly pull on the door handle but it doesn't budge. Before I can question Rose again, she gets out of the car and I see her talking to some men. When I sit up more I see that we're on a large loading dock. There's a huge cargo ship getting stocked with boxes and other things. Ward was taking us and the cross and getting the hell out of OBX. When I tried the door handle again, more out of desperation, it opened and two men came face to face with me and pulled me from the car. I tried to shake them off, to run, but my body was still under the influence of the drugs. I didn't have the strength or the energy to do that. I turned and saw Sarah was being handled the same way but Wheezie just walked along next to Rose, looking at Sarah and I with a confused look. I could feel myself getting tired again and my body swayed between the two men supporting me. They were eventually dragging me, my feet sliding against the pavement, as my eyes shut and my world became dark again.

When I open my eyes, I realize that Rose must have changed me from my swamp covered clothes and into burnt orange sweatpants and a black tank top. The room I'm in is humid and the sun beats in from the window above me. There's a plate of food sitting on the table next to me and all I want to do is consume it but I want to get out of here more. When I try to open the small wooden door, it doesn't budge. Once again locked in a room by my own family. I grab the butter knife that was on the tray of food and try fidgeting with the lock. Just as I feel it give, I hear footsteps on the other side of the door. I quickly turn and place the knife in my back pocket. I pretend to be interested in my food as the door swings open and I feel eyes on my back. I know it has to be dad, searching for the words to convince me that whatever was happening was okay. I turn to face him and nearly fall to my knees as I see him. I don't see my dad but instead the one person I never expected to see again. The person who has caused me so much hurt and inner conflict than any human should bear. When Rafe sees the hurt and betrayal in my eyes he reaches out to me and I flinch as if he was going to hit me, I didn't know what he would do.