I lay painfully tied up in the back of my brother's Jeep. I felt the jeep bumping and slipping on the gravel and grass from my beloved forest. Normally, I would despise the thought of a vehicle ripping up the woods, but of course, this neccesarily is the most 'normal' situation. I sighed.
I moved my lips trying to get the tape on my mouth lose, it was very uncomfortable, but I was used to the feeling. I was silenced like this by my father a few times a month. It happened often enough that I was over the fear of not being able to protest the tape had once given me, but that doesn't make it one bit more comfortable stretched across your mouth. It stung, no matter how many times it happened to you.
I grunted into the tape in defeat. I knew it was no use, it never worked. I looked up to my so called brother and tried to get his attention. Maybe, he would take it off. I murmured into the tape gently, trying to only be loud enough to catch his attention but not irritate him. I knew to well that an irritated man was not a good one. I saw him make no head movement and murmured softly once more, this time I caught his attention.
"What do you want Karrah? I'm notting letting you go." He scalded in disgust, casting his eyes quickly back toward me. I hummed quickly into the tape, hoping he'd get the hint and take the tape off. He sighed loudly.
"Fine, but wait until I get out of this wretched forest. It's not like anyone will hear you screaming in the car anyway, but if you annoy me, it goes back on." He grumbled, not looking back this time. I huffed triumphantly, knowing that my brother couldn't be all bad after all. It is more progress then I ever got with my father.
I tried try to use my bruised elbow to push myself up into a sitting position. It hurt a lot but It would be much more comfortable if I could. Suddenly, we hit a huge bump that I recognised to be the first concrete step to the ATV trails, and fall backdown. Knowing that another bump would be coming up soon before we got out onto the road, I waited.
After the bump hit I quickly pushed up on my elbow and using the rest of my remaining strength boosted myself sideways to lean against the Jeep door. I slumped triumphantly against the window and look out at the receding forest. Assuming that this would be the last time I would see it, I mentally wished my home goodbye.
The giant oak arch loomed in front of the vehicle, it's rounded posts leaning slightly backward. The familiar undergrowth wrapping around it almost like a fairy-tail story could describe. I looked at the closed faded gate as Luke got out quickly to open it.
Watching him push it open, I hear it creak loudly and listen to the sound echo swiftly through the forest. Walking back to the car his eyes seemed to be hovered by something unimaginably dark. They were shaded with some kind of black aura that hid something powerful. It made me shiver.
Getting in he reached back toward my face causing me to instinctivally flinch away from his touch. "Hey, do you want the tape off or not?" He questioned angerily. I seemed to be good at angering people. I nodded, shaking in fear that he might hit me.
He grabbed the edge of the tape and pulled quickly, taking it off in one clean swipe. I moved my lips at the tinglies flowing around my face. It was always a weird feeling. Turning back around, Luke drove through the gate not even bothering to close it. I was about to protest but decided against it not wanting more tape on my mouth.
I looked back sadly, knowing that Rick and Hailey were probably still making their way out of the forest I prayed they would make it back safely. I would miss them, my only actual friends. We were out in the forest like any normal Saturday would provide, innocently. Hanging out in our little feild, it was over-ridden with weeds and wild flowers but it made for a great space. I would miss that all. I some how know I won't be back for a long while.
Maybe Hailley would go back and find my sweat shirt. She would realize ten that I was gone, I almost hope she doesn't. They would be crushed. I couldn't say the same for my father. Would he even notice? Maybe when the missing report goes up in the bar...
"Karrah?" Luke's voice interupted my thoughts abruptly. "It will be a long ride, do you want me to play some music?"
I looked at him, confused. Did he just ask me what I wanted? "Uhh..." I couldn't really say anything.
"I'm not our father Karie. I am sorry for this, its not a choice I have at the moment. There is a blanket in the back, hand me your Ipod, I will hook it up. Oh, wait...." He pulled the car over on a back road and got out. He opened the door I was leaning on with a jerk and I tumbled downward. out of the car with a grunt.
Hitting the gravel, I let out a hiss. "Shit."
"Oh, crap. Uh, I mean..... Shit!" Luke cursed. He ran his hands angerily throuhg his hair, cluching his head. "What the Fuck am I doing?" He reached down and helped me up untieing my hands and feet. "Little sis'. I am sorry. Hand me your Ipod and get in. As much as I don't want to do this, if I don't, we both die. I am mixed up in the wrong sorts of people."
I obediantly followed suit. Handing him the Ipod Hailey got me for my 17th birthday, I got back in the dark jeep.
Choosing to say nothing I leaned my head back on the window. There was no need to change his mind about being nice, and I was afraid if I opened my mouth the tape would go back on. I watched him fumble shakily with the Ipod and started to play the jazz collections from Big Fat Daddy, his breathe was ragged as if he was struggling to know what to do. He grabbed the steering wheel, gripping it tightly for a few seconds, still not moving the car anywhere.
"Fuck!" he exclaimed. My eyes widened as he slammed his fist onto the wheel, making the horn sound off loudly. I saw birds flutter out of trees, squawking in fear of the sudden loud noise intruding there peaceful morning. "I am sorry little sister." He let out a sob. "I am no better than dad ever was, am I?" He sobbed, literally crying.
I sat, frozen. Unable to speak, unable to move. Like a dear caught in head lights, I merely stared at the foreign sight in front of me. He laughed in his sob, this horrid laughter of hopelessness. "Of course I am. I kidnapped my 17-year-old sister to send her to her doom." Another sob left me staring without knowing what to say. He wasn't as bad as Dad, that's true, but he's still bad.
"Of course you have nothing to say to me. I am just like him, " He hit his head on the wheel, leaving it there. I wanted to just sinnk into the seat and disappear, if I could say something it would make him angry, but it seems that if I don't it angers him anyway. I opened my mouth and it make a weird squeaky sound before I snapped it shut again, not knowing what to say.
He lifted his head and started to drive, pulling the car back onto the long desserted rode. His jaw set straight. "Sleep, we have a long way to go." The anger showed within his voice.
I sat, not knowing weather to try to sleep or not. I have never slept without my sleeping pills. "L-lu-... I need... my pills..."
He sighed, and reached to passenger seat next to him and pulled something out. I saw his hand move toward me and flinched backward, squeezing my eyes shut in fear. Would he hit me?
"Just sleeping pills." he muttered, and I fluttered my eyes open and face his out-stretched hand, unwillingly. I tentativly took the bottle of pills, as worried thoughts passed my mind. Were they poison? Would it matter? Maybe, it would be better to die. I debated dumping the entire bottle into my mouth, ending this situation. Unable to do it, I sighed. I valued life too much.
Taking two pills, I layed my head back waiting for sleep. What was in store for me when I awoke? I didn't want to find out.
