State Of Grace

Chapter 49 - Cruel Summer

Gracie nodded her head as best she could with it being held against the ground, grazing her cheek on the rough bark of a tree root. Slowly, the pressure on her back released, the hand was removed from her head, and Gracie saw an opportunity to run. She forced her body to its feet, ignoring the pain in her leg, but barely made one step before she was pushed to the ground again and flipped on her back. She saw her face for the first time since she ran from the motel.

Rachel was on her knees, one either side of Gracie's hips, her feet held her legs in place and one of her hands pinned both of Gracie's above her head.

Gracie whimpered, and tried to let out a scream hoping to alert her family or other nearby campers of the danger she was in, but stopped herself when Rachel pulled out a small handgun.

"And you wonder why I don't trust you," she snarled, pointing the weapon right at Gracie's head. "Put these on," she said as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a set of zip-tie cuffs.

"You don't have to do this," Gracie stuttered, "We can just talk, okay? I won't run, I won't do anything."

"Liar," she scoffed, "We tried talking remember? Ended with me on the run from the cops, and you back with the people who only wanted to keep us apart," Rachel was whispering, but she was angry. Angrier than Gracie had ever seen her, this was worse than at the motel. "Put them on."

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat, hesitantly slipped her wrists between the plastic, and presented them to Rachel, who pulled the wire as tight as it would go, digging into Gracie's skin and giving her no leeway to attempt to free herself.

"Now get up," she demanded, and grabbed Gracie by the cuffs, yanking her to her feet.

Gracie had no choice but to comply as Rachel started leading her through the dense woods, "What are you even doing here, Rachel? My mom's a cop, when she finds out you're here you'll go straight to juvie."

"By the time they wake up, we'll be long gone, back on the road. Together," Rachel turned to Gracie, and for a moment that softness returned to her voice, "How it was supposed to be."

Gracie stared at her, five seconds ago Rachel had been angry enough to tackle her to the floor and force her into handcuffs, but now she was stroking her arm and glaring at her with loving eyes. She could switch up so easily.

"Please, Rachel," Gracie sighed, "Just let me go back. I won't tell anyone."

Rachel's expression turned stormy again, and she shook her head and breathed through gritted teeth. All of a sudden, she whacked Gracie in the side of the head with her gun, knocking her out cold.

The hard floor beneath her was moving, and her body was jolted from side to side. Her head, which was still pounding from where the weapon collided with it, bashed against a wall, launching her back into consciousness. She could feel the blood dripping down to her cheek and a dull stinging in her leg. Gracie blinked hard, trying to get her bearings but the space around her was unfamiliar.

She turned around slowly, still feeling the presence of the girl she hoped was just a hallucination. Rachel was in the driver seat of a beat-up old van. Gracie looked out through the windshield and saw the night sky above, framed by a thick forest.

"Why do you even have that? You said you'd never hurt me," Gracie coughed.

"I only wanted to scare you with it," Rachel turned around for a moment, "But you gave me no choice."

Gracie rose to her knees slowly, getting a better look at the view ahead. Rachel was driving them out of the campground, down a long winding road. She had to make a choice, she could either try and convince Rachel to let her go, or jump from a moving van while her hands were bound. All options involved running and her left leg was getting weaker by the second as it continued to bleed, her only hope was that adrenaline would kick in long enough to get back to her family. All she knew was she had to get away.