Breaking the Chains

Chapter Eight

The street was lit dimly by a few lights on high poles that seemed to be planted somewhat firmly into the ground. The old painted over metal felt rough to Riley's hand as she watched Eli stand by the side of the road with his thumb facing the sky. They had no other idea of what to do. Riley just ended up leaning against the light pole with sore feet while Eli talked about his plans and ideas about how to get away, yet settled on trying to hitch a ride from a complete stranger. It was interesting to Riley to see someone try to do that after being kidnapped by one.

"We've been standing here for at least an hour, Eli. What's the point of being here? Why can't we just walk along the road or something?" Riley said in an exhausted frustrated voice. She hated feeling the chills of the wind hitting against her arms and face, never mind standing in the middle of nowhere after escaping a metal shack.

"Just be patient. Someone will come eventually," Eli breathed out in the same exhausted voice as he crouched down and let a deep breath of air exhaust out of his lungs.

"Take a break," Riley said in a semi-relieved voice as she sat next to the boy. "Over working yourself like this isn't going to end well. Besides, you have a home you need to go to too. Maybe it'd be better if I wasn't here weighing you down." Riley said tiredly as she tucked in her legs and pushed her face into her knees as she closed her eyes.

"Riley," Eli said, but it didn't sound calm or soothing. Riley's nerves sparked inside of her as she kept herself in her position tighter. 

"It was just an idea," she whispered as she listened to the cool winds blowing against her skin.

It wasn't the first time Riley had mentioned them splitting up. He wouldn't leave her until she was home safe and happy. It hurt that she wanted him to leave her. He wasn't sure if it was because she thought she'd do better on her own or if it was because she felt she deserved to be alone. He hoped it was only the first, but a part of him knew just how right the second one was.

Eli knew it was stupid to hitchhike after what they've been through, but any sign of town was miles away, and they had no water or supplies. They had more chance of dying out here than to be kidnapped by a random stranger. Though he knew she wouldn't admit it, Riley was clearly tired. Exhaustion was taking a visible toll on her and all that time off her feet for years didn't help.
 
He was just beginning to debate sitting down when a passing car started to slow down.

He could see Riley about to jump up but he put out a hand, signaling her to wait there. He didn't know if they were going to help or hurt yet. He walked up to the car in what he hoped to be confidently.

There was a man in the car and beside him a little boy. To Eli they looked harmless enough, but from his experience ignorance gets you kidnapped by a crazy lady wearing High-Heels. 

Riley watched, both hopefully but fearfully as Eli made hand gestures and slight expressions while he both asked and answered questions. Thoughts of the people inside of the car grabbing Eli and taking off sent a pang through her body, and in a bolt she stood and grabbed hold of one of his hands subtly, hoping it wouldn't throw him, or the people inside, off from the questions.

"Okay, so you were stuck here for how long, exactly?" The man said in a husky voice, but it was curious with a hint of worry. Riley just watched, keeping her lips slightly curved up to seem like she wasn't so freaked out.

"Well, that's the tricky thing," Eli began and glanced toward Riley as if asking for permission, but when her reaction was a secretive wince, Eli thought of the easy way out. "We've been trying to find out a way home for a while, but we couldn't find out where the right direction would be. My town is really small and it's hard to track that down when you're in the middle of nowhere." Eli lightly chuckled while the man began to have a worry line curve into his forehead.

The man opened his mouth as if he were going to say something, but decided against it and got out of the car. Riley began to squeeze Eli's hand just slightly; enough where it wouldn't explode and wouldn't hurt, and Riley could feel Eli doing the same to her own.

"Well, you're lucky we were headed to a city a hundred miles or so from that town." The man spoke in a cheery voice, and then he came to a halt and turned his body toward the two teenagers. "That's where Darcy lives, isn't it?" The older man leaned his back gently on the side of his grey Honda.

Riley glanced toward Eli, and she gave a light grin when his eyes sparked with relief. The man knew where the town was, and he knew one of the people who lived there. Riley watched as Eli's muscles softened, but Riley couldn't do the same. In fact, she felt more tense. What was the guy's angle and how did he know Darcy?

Darcy. Eli hadn't heard from the boy or Jude since he left the morning he was taken. He felt a pang of nostalgia in his chest. He missed his home. He missed Nona and everyone else that awaited him at home. He wanted to get back as soon as possible to his family. They all fought and roughed each other up but there was no limit to the love the family shared.

They had all gone through much together and were a close group. Eli also wanted to get Riley home. She didn't know where that was at the moment but Eli knew Nona would know what to do. She always knows what to do and would never turn down someone in need. Especially someone who had helped one of her own.

The two males in he car gave off no bad vibes and anyone who knew Darcy knew his family. Darcy and Jude rarely left the old factory-turned house they lived in and Darcy certainly wouldn't have talked to anyone besides Jude on his own.

Eli wondered if the man knew Jude and the others. "Do you know anyone else with Darcy?" He asked the two hoping to trust them. He was tired and just wanted to get home but couldn't take any more risks.
 
A car zoomed by kicking dust and wind in the air. The man and the boy shared a raised eyebrow and turned back. This time the boy's higher voice answering a tinge of something Eli couldn't pick out on his accent.

" You mean like Jude and the bunch?" Eli couldn't help breaking out a relieved grin. He turned to Riley feeling happier then he had in a long time. It was clear Riley wasn't willing to trust as much as he was, and that was okay. As long as they were together they'd be fine. He had a good feeling now settling in his stomach as he led her by the hand into the car, curtasy of a father and son.

At first the car ride was quiet and consisted of slight small talk, but after a little while, they all ended up giving off some laughter before they all began to talk. "So, you guys are from that town?" The older man spoke, whose name was Peter, which Eli and Riley learnt as the small talk was still in the air. His son, who was eight years old, was named Ricky, sort for Richard.

Riley glanced toward Eli, and when a grin spread on his lips, she knew he noticed. "Yeah. I grew up in the town and I'm taking this one along with me." Eli brought his eyes toward her own and gave an honest smile before looking back toward Peter. Riley kept looking toward him a little longer before she brought her eyes to the window, seeing all of the trees and the grass that she hadn't seen for years. She wanted to breathe in the air again, but when she silently sniffed, all she got was dust from the air conditioner.

"Do you guys always hang out? Me and my friend Paul always do! His mom makes the greatest brownies ever." The excited little boy, who was a major talker, which Riley and Eli learnt half way through the small talk, said.

Riley smiled just slightly, as if the boy reminded her of her little brother. "Yeah. We are pretty close," Riley replied with a soft grin before she brought her eyes back out of her window, continuing to look past the trees while Eli lightly squeezed her hand, reminding Riley that he had been holding it the entire time.