Alone

Chapter 17

Riley

I glance at Chloe as we approach the door to our former prison, and I can't help but wonder if we are insane for coming back here of our own free will. There is smoke coming from the stovepipe, drifting serenely in the cold air, and I am starting to shiver despite my heavy jacket, so I walk up to the door and raise my hand to knock. I can feel Chloe pressing close to my right shoulder, and I glance at her scared white face before I bring my hand forward and rap my knuckles on the door. For a long minute, nothing happens, then footsteps cross the floor and the door creaks cautiously open. Peter is standing in front of us, one eye swollen closed and blackened, dried blood crusted below what looks like a bandaged gash on his left cheekbone. He gapes at us until Joe snarls at him from somewhere beyond the door. "Who is it?" Peter rapidly mouths, "Wait!", then shuts the door in our faces. I can hear him in the cabin, talking to Joe. "Just a salesman of some kind." After a brief moment of silence, I hear a chair roughly scrape back from the table and I grab Chloe by the hand and drag her around the corner of the cabin. The door opens again, and I can hear Joe's angry voice. "Up here? I don't think so." After a moment, presumably while Joe looks around, the door slams. I lean back against the wall and listen. Even through the log walls, Joe's voice carries loud and clear. "What game are you playing?!" I hear footsteps retreating across the floor, and Peter's voice is very close to the wall when he speaks. "I- I'm not playing any game. No one was at the door!" Something thumps against the wall directly behind me and I wince as Joe speaks again. "Then what was that noise?" Peter yelps. "Dad- don't! I don't know!" Something heavy hits the floor just inside the wall and I see Chloe flinch as heavy footsteps cross back toward the table. After a moment, there is movement inside the wall and lighter footsteps slowly cross the floor. The ladder creaks, then silence falls. I sink to my heels and lean one shoulder against the wall. Chloe slides down the wall and sits in the snow beside me. Around ten minutes later, the ladder creaks again. I get to my feet and give Chloe a hand up. I lead the way toward the trees, following the Bronco's tracks as far as I can. Once we get out of sight of the door, I slip behind a pinion and gesture Chloe to do the same. Several moments later, Peter steps out the front door and gingerly shuts it behind himself. He starts slowly down the drive, and I carefully shadow him, hidden in the trees. When he goes around the first bend in the road, I step out to join him in the packed snow. Chloe follows me. Peter glances behind us and we walk rapidly down the road without a word. When we reach the end of the driveway, we turn toward the town and Peter finally seems to start to relax. I glance sideways at him as we continue to walk. "What did you tell your dad?" He gives me a grim smile. "I told him I was taking a walk." I look at Chloe, then back at Peter. "So he's going to be coming after you?" He nods silently and I pick up the pace slightly. It takes us a shorter time to get back to the town than it took to get out, because I don't have to study the map at every crossroads. We head for the bus station, and despite the suspicious look the clerk gives us, we are on the next bus out of town.