Revealed

34. Solane

*Picture of spike strip*

We keep driving towards nowhere. At least, that's what it feels like. Everyday we drive around somewhere and do basically the same things. Jeremy tries to keep me entertained by taking me places I want to go, but I'm getting car sick. Not in the sense that I feel like vomiting, but in the sense that I'm tired of driving and just want to settle down a bit.

I rest my head on the glass window and look down at my fingers which I can't stop playing with. In my mind, I cannot get over not knowing what Jeremy's thinking. What if he hates me for what I did? Or what if he feels the same way but can't express it either? I know if I were him, I would hide my emotions too. How can someone be a criminal and know what real love is?

"We're almost there," he says. My face lights up a little. "Almost there?" I'm confused. "Where are we going?"

Jeremy smiles a genuine smile. "It's a surprise."

I don't stop looking all around me. It's so unlikely that I'd know where we were because I have never been outside of the city, but I still want to see where we're going.

In the distance, I notice something shiny on the road. It's strange because the reflection goes all the way across the pavement. Maybe I'm seeing things, but I sit up straighter so I can get an idea of what I'm looking at.

"Jeremy, what's that?" I point at the road. We're getting closer to it. It's very long and seems to be elevated from the ground. "It's probably just a speed bump. Don't even listen to me."

Jeremy slows down his car until he comes to a full stop just before the bump. "That's not a speed bump. Why would there be one out here in the middle of nowhere? I know what that is. It's a spike strip. Someone is trying to stop us. I'm gonna do a U-turn and we're gonna get out of here." By the time the car turns around, a man is standing in the middle of the road. Jeremy keeps stepping on the pedal.

"Jeremy, stop! There's someone there! What if they need help?!" But my words are disregarded and he keep going faster and faster. I pull on the emergency brake and the car stops abruptly. Jeremy gets out of the car, not forgetting to place his gun in the back of his pants. "Stay in the car," he tells me. Stay in the car? What does he think this is? A movie? I immediately follow him.

"Solane. You need to listen to me right now. GET BACK IN THE FUCKING CAR!" Jeremy's angry and I don't care. How can I go back into the car when there's a man strangely standing around who could be a potential threat to him? I stand my ground. "No, you need to listen to me. I'm not going anywhere."

The man, about a good 50 feet away from us, is tall and dark. He stands in the middle of the road, not saying a word. "Do you need help with anything sir?!" I yell out to him. He pulls out a gun from behind his back and starts walking closer.

"It's okay sweetie. I don't need your help taking out your little boyfriend here."

Jeremy pulls out his gun as well and points it at the man. What am I supposed to do in a situation like this? I'm stuck and I have no arms on me. Then, I remember the gun I took from the other guy in the restaurant.

Trying not to make any sudden moves, I slowly back up. Then, I bump into someone else. They grab my arms and hold me in place.

"Get off me!" I scream. Jeremy places his attention on me. I did it again. I made him frustrated and stressed. Now he has to choose between saving me, or saving himself.

It's moments like these when you realize, you need to live like you only have one day left. There is no way I'm going to be a burden on him because I couldn't follow one damn instruction.

I bite the man's hand and he lets go screaming in pain. Another man comes out of nowhere and tries to knock me out with a shovel. Where the hell are all these people coming from?!

Ok, it's time to put all those self-defense classes to use. Grabbing one of the guy's knees, I make him trip over his own feet. While that guy is down. The other guy tries to get control of my arms but I kick him in the gut and he falls to the ground in pain. I quickly run over to the car and open the door. The gun is now in my hands.

I point it at the two men, one who's standing so stiff that I can see his shivers of fear, and the other who's holding his stomach in complete and utter pain. It feels really good to hurt them. After all, they tried to hurt me.

"Get out of here before I pull a trigger," I want to scare them.

The guy who's standing chuckles. "That baby girl isn't going to shoot that gun. It's too complicated for her. She doesn't understand." He's speaking to the floor boy. They both laugh. The one on the floor is still in clear pain. My blood is boiling. I want to prove them wrong so bad. My hand seems to move itself and point the gun at a tree branch above us. I pull the trigger. The loud sound puts all eyes on me. The men who tried to kidnap me are frightened.

"Say I won't shoot it one more time. I want you to say it. Hell, I even want you to think it," I say as my voice becomes very fearsome and nerve-wrecking. My gun points at them once again.

Receiving the message, they run off into the forest. There's only one guy left. The one with Jeremy.