Relentless

7- Sarah

       

"Hey, get up. You need to eat." My eyes remained closed, and frankly it hurt to even open them. "Please Sarah, don't die on me now."

            "I ain't dead dimwit, I'm trying to sleep."

            "Eat it fast, it's all you'll get," the man's heavy footsteps retreated down the hall.

            To my dismay, I pressed my dirt caked palms against the hard floor propelling myself into a sitting position. My body screamed in protest and my stomach twisted in pain when my eyes landed on the plate of food in front of the door. It wasn't much, just a piece of bread and some canned fruit, but my mouth watered none the less. I winced at the sweet juice as it burned the back of my raw throat, but I savored every bit of it. Who knows when I'll eat again.

            I curled up on the sorry of an excuse for a mattress and rubbed my aching arms in attempt to get warm, well knowing it won't help. We haven't been in this facility long, a few days maybe. I was confused why we suddenly left so fast, they wouldn't tell us anything. I've learned the limits on how much I can pry for information; the consequences are not worth it. I pulled my arms into my torn shirt and brought my knees as close to my chest as possible. No one has heeded my request for a blanket. I clung to the hope that my husband would save me. It's a fraying hope and most likely a lost cause, but it's the only thing that has kept me going. With each passing day, my strength dwindles, and the more I grow desperate to go home. But I have to be strong for him, for Ky; for Saige.

            I squeezed my eyes shut wishing for sleep, when it didn't come my mind drifted to another lifetime, and that was the next best thing.

∙∙∙

            "Mommy, look!"

            I wiped the back of my arm across my forehead and glanced up from the cow to see my baby riding a horse for the first time. Ben led the horse towards me holding it by the reigns grinning, "We might have a racer in our midst."

            "Do we?" I taunted with a smirk.

            "Yeah! I'm gonna be the best horse racer ever! Go faster, Dad!"

            "Actually, Dad is supposed to be working," I mock scolded.

            He gave me a sheepish grin, "He begged me, Sarah."

            I fought the smile that threatened to show and shook my head, "Ben, we are on a dead line."

            "There's nothing wrong with taking a break."

            "A break is thirty minutes, not two hours."

            Ky giggled from his perch, when we turned to look at him he covered his mouth with his hand and failed to keep it in, "You just got busted."Ben snatched his under arms swiftly taking him off the saddle and immediately proceeded to tickle him. "Hey! Not fair!"

            "You got me in trouble," my other half beamed at my little boy.

            "Your fault for saying yes!"

            I laughed out loud as they continued their antics. Ben's eyes fell on me with a mischievous glint in them, "What are you laughing at?" He let go of Ky and took a step towards me.

            "No, don't you dare come near me Benjamin Michael Grayson."

            "Oooh, she used your full name Dad."