Sang's Freedom (Original And Rewritten)

Chapter 4: Trapped and Cornered

-Chapter 4-

I checked myself in the mirror after slipping in through my bedroom window.

My hair was frazzled, there was a tiny cut just above my temple, and my sweatshirt was covered with broken twig leaves that had snagged the fabric during my fall.

I stripped down into my tank top and panties, tossing the dirty clothes into the hamper before sneaking across the hall and getting in a quick shower.

After that, sleep came instantly.

***

I awoke at the break of dawn, covered in a sheen layer of sweat. I was shaking violently and wrapped my arms around my knees, sitting up.

Nightmare.

Another one.

They happened often.

I took a breath, shaking my head, trying to wake myself up, I did my count.

I could see the walls of my new bedroom. I could smell the dew of the sweet grass outside my open window. I could taste...yuck...morning breath. I could feel the scratch of my old comforter around my shoulders, and I could hear...voices?

Who would be awake at this hour?

I glanced at my alarm clock to see it was a quarter past four.

Seriously?

I had to check this out.

I padded barefoot to my window to see a group of seven boys lined up in Kota's front yard.

Kota.

The thought of him made my stomach roll. Anxiety hit me like a train. I had forgotten about last night and my late night adventure.

I fell out of a tree!

I talked to boys!

...and I was pretty sure that Gabriel got a good handful of my thighs when he helped me up my escape tree.

No one had touched me like that before.

I resisted the urge to smack my head against the window. Instead, I focused my attention on the boys. They stood in two rows, doing drills as Kota barked out commands.

Kota fell into line with the others doing a set of thirty push ups. I counted. My gaze drifted across their faces.

I found Gabriel and monkey boy among the ranks. As if he sensed me, monkey boy's gaze shot to my open window and he grinned, pausing mid-drill to wave wildly in my direction.

The big fellow beside him smacked monkey boy upside the head.

Some dialogue passed between them and then Grumpy looked up at my window, too. His dark eyes shined with curiosity.

I almost sank down to the floor of my room, but instead, I forced my hand up into the air.

I gave a small wave.

He returned it.

And then all seven of the boys looked up at me. Kota smiled. A big one saluted. I watched Gabriel cup his hands around his mouth.

"Oy, Trouble, good morning!"

I blushed, then winced. If they were too loud, they would wake my mother--

Oh, no.

I heard the sudden thump thump thump of footfalls pounding up the staircase as my bedroom door was thrown open.

Mother stood there in an old loose t-shirt and sweatpants. She crossed the room, looking out my window to see the boys watching.

Please, not in front of them.

She slammed the window closed so fiercely the entire pane shook.

"What do you think you're doing," Mother practically snarled. She moved forward, backing me into a corner.

"I...I don't know what you mean. They were making noise and it woke me up."

"I could see them from my window, you little liar. All their eyes were looking up at you. What were you doing? Showing them your body?"

"No!" I yelped as she grabbed me by the hair, yanking me out into the hall.

"Do you think I'm stupid? That boy called you trouble. What kind of trouble have you been getting in?"

"Nothing! Ouch, you're hurting me!"

Mother forced me into the kitchen, pulling out a wooden stool and placed it in the center of the tile floor.

"Sit!" she ordered.

I sat.

"You'll stay here until I tell you otherwise."

I nodded, watching as she went back into her bedroom and slammed the door behind herself.

I sighed.

Day two, Sang. That might be a record.

I sat on the stool for hours. My butt ached and my back was sore, though I didn't dare move. From my seat I had a nice view of the living room window above the couch.

I watched the sun rise into the sky.

My sister, Marie, came out and got herself breakfast. She flashed me an empathetic look, but knew better than to speak to me...let alone feed me.

I watched her prepare her cereal as my eyes drifted back to Mother's bedroom door.

I had expected my father to have gotten up by now and save me, but the longer I waited the more I figured he had already left for work.

That's what always happened after a move. Dad left early in the morning and came back late at night. He had to get a jump start on the new house payments and make a good impression with his new coworkers.

A real go-getter, that one.

I rested my elbows on my knees, half ready to use my "I have to go to the bathroom" card.

Another hour passed.

"Mom!" I called.

It was past noon. I was more bored than I had ever been in my life. I was hungry. I ached. I probably wouldn't be able to sit at a desk my first week of school if this kept up.

"Mom? I have to go to the bathroom."

No answer.

"I'm going to pee myself!" I shouted.

No answer.

Maybe she was dead.

The thought struck me funny as I carefully stepped down from my stool and stretched my arms above my head. Och...I hurt.

I tiptoed to my mother's door, cracking it open to find her in a deep sleep. She was snoring loudly, the television buzzing out crisis media.

An open bottle of pills sat on her dresser and I realized Mother probably didn't even remember the altercation from this morning.

I probably could have gotten up hours ago without invoking her wrath, but truly, it wasn't worth the risk.

I put away the stool and went to my room to get dressed before finding Marie in the driveway with a dark-haired boy.

They were playing a game of HORSE with the basketball hoop the previous owners had left behind.

Marie's cheeks were pink as the boy stood behind her, helping her shoot.

I didn't so much as dream of a boy touching me like that, but Marie was sneakier than I. She knew how to wait until Mother was deep, deep asleep, and because of that she usually had all the friends she could juggle.

Mother trusted Marie.

I snuck past the driveway, rounding the house so I could lose myself in the woods.

It was time to be a ninja again.