Secret Keepers

Chapter 2

I woke up laying face down in the dirt, hands tied, a blindfold on my eyes, and a gag over my mouth. I stayed perfectly still, but I listened close to what was happening around me. Or I listened for anything around me at all. It was totally silent, but I felt like I was being watched. After a few minutes of silence, I grunted and rolled over, trying to dislodge my gag or my blindfold, but before I could, a hand grabbed my shoulder and held me still.

I gasped and trembled as someone knelt over my body, obviously staring at me. I could see nothing, but I heard quiet breathing and I felt the figures cloak draping over my legs. After a moment, they jerked me upright into a sitting position and undid my gag. They pulled it off and I shook my head, fighting the bonds on my hands. "Let me go!"

Eerily, I got no response. I snarled in open defiance. "I said, let me go!"

Yet again, no response. I was starting to get scared. He wasn't touching me anymore and I didn't know where he was. I could only suspect it was a man. He was very strong and the hand that had touched me had been big and burly. I growled and tried one more time, nearly in tears, but keeping my cool as best I could. "Let me go! Please!"

I got no response yet again. I struggled to get out of the ropes on my hands, but it was tied tight and the blindfold on my eyes was tight as well. I couldn't get them off. I sobbed and quit struggling, slumping forward on my knees. What if he wasn't even here anymore? What if he left me to struggle all alone?

I sobbed again, but then a pair of hands were on mine, pulling at the ropes before cutting them softly. I gasped and sat up and when my hands were loose, I whirled around and looked at my kidnapper. He was kneeling behind me, but I could tell nothing about him because of his mask. He stood and turned away from me and started to walk away when I leapt up and spoke to him. "Who are you? Why do you and those others live out here?"

He glanced back, but shook his head and moved on into the trees. I frowned and wiped the tears off my cheeks, narrowing my eyes in the direction he'd gone. I'd come too far and too close to danger to turn back now.

I jogged into the woods after him and managed to catch sight of his cloak going past a tree. I kept a good distance between us, but just close enough for me to keep him in sight. Suddenly he stated past a tree and I lost him. I groaned quietly and went to where he disappeared, but I was bowled over by someone attacking me in the back. I didn't get a chance to scream before a hand was on my mouth. Then I felt a dry furry snout touch the back of my neck along with the blade of a knife. "I thought you'd turn back and go home."

It was a male voice, so my theory was correct about gender, but he sounded rather irritated. I frowned and bit his hand. "I'm too curious to leave you people alone. Now at least tell me who you are."

He growled and shoved my face into the ground. "Why would I tell you that?"

I snarled. "Because if you don't I won't quit following you."

All was silent for a few moments, but then he rolled me over and sat on my waist. "The only answer you'll get out of me is that me and the few others out here with me are supposed to be dead, so our identities mean nothing to anyone now."

I sighed. "So you don't have names do you?"

"Not our original ones anyway."

"Well then what's your name now? At least give me that and I'll go home."

He cocked his head a little and I heard a very quiet chuckle. "Fine. My name now is Cutter."

He stood and helped me up before shoving me in the direction of my home. "Now go home. We aren't the kind of people to follow. And don't come out here again. That's a threat in case you didn't catch that."

I sighed and turned back home, crossing my fingers in front of my chest. As I walked home, I could hear nothing, but as soon as I spotted my backyard, I could hear laughter and shouting. I thought it was a little late for anyone to be up, but then I looked to the horizon and saw that it was just very early in the morning. I climbed over the fence and ran to the house, climbing up the porch and running over to my bedroom window. I leapt in and threw off my clothes before jumping into bed.

Not five minutes later, mom came upstairs and knocked on my door. "Brenna?! You better be in there!"

I sighed and shook my head, fed up with my mom. "I am!"

She came in quickly and scowled at me. "I'm surprised. You weren't in here fifteen minutes ago."

I sighed and sat up, staring at the floor. "Well I thought you didn't care."

"I don't care what happens to you, but if you're gonna make me feed you, I'd rather you live in my house and stay in it."

I sighed and then she stormed over, grabbing my arm and lifting it so she could see the marks from the rope. "What the hell?!"

I yanked my arm away and walked over to my closet. "You don't care. Remember?"

Mom growled and stomped off downstairs. As much as I hated her, I hated the rest of my family even more. Ever since I started looking for those people, it had earned my family a poor reputation in town. So my parents and two brothers hated me. I walked downstairs and nearly tripped on a shoe at the bottom of the stairs. I snarled and kicked it across the living room.

"Hey sis. Back from having sex with the invisible men?"

I frowned, but kept my eyes down and away from my brother, Kyle. Then my other brother, David, came around the corner and grabbed my hair, holding me up by it. I screeched and kicked at them, but he didn't let go. "Come on. Tell us about your friends in the woods. We promise not to bother them. We just wanna know what our sister is really doing."

I groaned and tears accumulated on my lashes and I finally gave in. "They don't exist!"