Saving U(S)

Chapter Ten

Tobin crawled on her hands and knees through the tunnels, holding her breath and trying not to think about what had died in there.

A few days earlier, she had heard Aston and another man talking.

She will make much money, yes, she had heard the man say.

I agree, Aston had replied. I already have several customers interested in buying.

The two men laughed, giving Tobin a sick feeling in her stomach. She had finally decided to make a run.

Due to the lack of light in her cell, Tobin had to rely on her other senses than sight- hearing, touch, taste and smell.

She had been running her hands over the smooth concrete slabs, when she noticed an obvious fault at the bottom of the wall. Tobin dropped to her knees and had found a small button on the floor.

Tentatively, Tobin pressed the button.

The wall shot up in a billow of dust and smoke, making her cough. But now, there was a hallway! An escape tunnel!!

Tobin had nearly cried when the thought of escape turned into a reality. She actually had a chance to see Alex again; to be held in her lover's arms.

Wincing, Tobin made her way through the metal grating that separated the tunnel from the undergrounds. She gasped as a sharp piece of iron scraped a painfully wounded rib. At least she was out now.

Tobin wandered the undergrounds, looking for a way out, keeping herself going by picturing Alex.

When Tobin would return, Alex would be ecstatic. They would hold each other and not let go. Tobin would be safe and happy once more with her best friend. She wanted to be with Alex the rest of her life- never wanted to leave her.

If only I could find a way out! Tobin thought. Then it would be true. I would never leave Alex again. Never...

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"NO!!" Hope screamed. "GET AWAY!!"

Hope's father loomed above her, a fiery whip in his right hand, and his left hand curled into a tight fist.

"Hope Amelia Solo, you'd better not be weakening now!!" he yelled as he cut the whip through her body.

"Dad! Stop!!" Hope screamed again, trying to dodge the flame. "Please! Don't hurt me!"

"You've always been weak," her father snarled. "A coward."

"No!" Hope shouted. "I will not believe that!!"

"You are a loser. A worthless little bitch."

"No!"

"You're hated and despised by your teammates."

"That's not true!"

"Nobody loves you..."

"You said you loved me!" Hope's eyes were wide with tears of shock and anger. "You said that even though I couldn't see you, you'd always be there for me!! You told me so! Right in the hospital! You told me!"

"You really think I'd let my last words be the truth? Hope, I've lied all my life to you and your brother and your mother. Why did you think I'd change?"

Hope sank to her knees, bending over in mental agony.

"It's not fair!" she screamed.

"Life isn't fair, Hope," her father said harshly. "Of all people, you should know that."

Hope shook her head and closed her eyes.

"Kelley..."

"She can't hear you, you know," her father laughed. "Honestly, don't you know anything? Kelley doesn't love you! She doesn't support you! My, you are really blind to the fact that Kelley is just using you to get to-"

"NO!!!!!"

Hope slammed into her father, knocking him onto the ground.

"No!!" she yelled. "I will not believe that!! I love Kelley and she loves me!! I don't care about what you think about me!! You're DEAD TO ME, FATHER!!"

Hope screamed as fire ripped through her body, tearing her into flames.

"Kelley, help me!!"

"HOPE! HOPE! IT'S OKAY!! HOPE!! IT'S OKAY!! IT'S ME!! WAKE UP!!"