It's 11:30, and I'm still wide awake. I'm bored, my mother is sleeping, and I have to stay quiet. Might as well get a head start on packing. What do I bring? How do I pack for a place that I don't even know where I'm going? I grabbed my phone to check my bank account to see what I'm working with for the next few days, weeks, or months. I really don't know. I worked through all last and this year at the grocery store, and put it all in savings except for minor repairs, food, etc. I had to save for something big. I didn't know before, but my parents said they were paying for my education so they told me to spend it on something useful. This was definitely big enough. Saving my girlfriend from her kidnapper was my "useful thing". $8,672.93. Wow. There's a lot more than I expected. Seeing that much, made my heart skip a couple of beats. Was it enough for to get Bayley and I there with accommodations, food, and gas? We'll just wing it. I'm not the kind of guy to plan everything ahead of time anyways. Plus, we didn't know what direction we'd be even heading tomorrow.
I grab my bag and set it on my bed. I go to my dresser and take out boxers, socks, T-shirts, shorts, and pants. It could be cold. I go to my closet and I un-hang a sweater and jacket. That should do. I see my laptop on my desk and unplug it to put it in my bag as well. I notice the envelope and put it in there too. As I was just getting ready for bed, I realized that I forgot to write my parents a letter. I would tell them in person, but one, Mom's asleep and two, Dad's at work. Mom would be up earlier than me because she's got an early surgery to get to. Both my parents are surgeons so I don't see them as often because of emergencies or they're too tired, but in a sense, I was kind of glad I didn't have to tell them what was going on to their faces. I take a piece of paper out of my binder that was laying on my desk and write some words out.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I'll be out for a couple of days as I just kind of need to clear my head, and I need a break from school. I'll be back soon and I'll call you later tonight. Thanks for understanding. Love you lots guys,
Jacob
I read it out again to make sure there are no errors. It sounds pathetic, but it'll get me by until tomorrow night. I feel tired and climb into bed. I doze off into my dream.
***
I'm sitting on the cold, hard, and wet ground, crying.
"Why, Alexa?" I keep saying over and over while sobbing to the point where every time I let one out I might explode. I suddenly see a puddle of blood that magically appeared out of nowhere. I look over to the right, allowing my eyes to follow the puddle to its source. It lead to a body laying there, still. Alexa. She looked peaceful and at ease. I notice the gunshot wound on the left side of her chest. My hands shake as I put one hand over the wound. I lost her, found her, then lost her again. More tears stream down my face. I feel anger, agony, and stress come up over me all at once causing me to have a minor panic attack. It stops immediately into my heart beating rapidly when I hear a faint noise of footsteps arriving behind me. I turned my head around to see a tall distinct figure. The face was blurry, holding a long narrow curve-like weapon in its hand. Move. Move. Move. I keep telling my body to run, but it stayed still. My legs are numb and I can barely feel anything else. It lifts up a crowbar and whams it along the side of my head.
***
I wake up with sweat dripping off my forehead. I can feel the pain of my head as if the dream were actually real. With my hand on my head, I turn to see what time it was. 3:42. I turn back and give a little pout. I can hear my mother up getting ready for work.
After a few minutes of daydreaming, I fall back asleep. Thankfully, no more nightmares.
The light shines into my eyes as I wake up. I forgot to close the blinds. I get out of bed and do my daily routine as if it were like any other regular day. I grab my bag, note, and my phone to head downstairs. I set the note on the fridge, attaching a magnet to hold it in place. I make myself a pretty damn good smoothie with protein powder, mangos, pineapple, strawberries, Greek yogurt, and coconut water. Proud of myself, I put it into my blue smoothie to-go cup, and get my car keys. I text Bayley.
On my way. As I wait for a response, I pack up the car and get in to start it so it can warm up before our journey across hells half acre.
K c u soon. :) With that, I chuck it in reverse and back out of the driveway, leaving my safe place. I didn't know what I was about to get into. I pull into Bayley's driveway and park. She puts her stuff in the back seat, climbs in the passenger side.
"Hey." I say.
"Hey," she says while pulling her hair out of her mouth, "You better have the heat on cause it's frigging cold out here."
"Of course I do." I say sarcastically while quickly turning the dial up. She laughs and gives me an eye roll. "Would you like the butt warmers on too?" I ask.
"Yes, please."
"Spoiled much?" She laughs again. I reverse out of the driveway and drive forward a couple of centimetres then drive to the side and park.
"What are you doing?" She asks.
"I guess I gotta explain, and I don't even know where to start." She looked at me confusingly and then lightens up to a softer look. Her confused look does have a kind of creepier side to it.
"Oh, right, you kind of need to explain a little about this."
"Yeah, but I don't know how." I suddenly got a feeling of butterflies that occupies my whole stomach. This is not a conversation you want to be having with your friend.
"Just start with what made you want to suddenly do this on short notice."
"Yeah, cause like that's easy."
YOU ARE READING
A Way Out
ActionAlexa has gone missing and is presumed dead due to cold weather. One year later, Jacob, her boyfriend, receives a letter in the mail from her about how she was kidnapped and she is very much alive. Jacob and her best friend, Bayley, are now the kidn...
