Captivation

13: Captive

Captive (adjective): Imprisoned or confined.

"You're going to have to be quiet." Bradley tells me. "We'll let you out when we get out of the port."

I am hiding in a barrel.

Henry decided that we needed to leave now. Now, with great debate, turned out to be the next morning. And I am being smuggled out like a criminal. I am a criminal. And Andrew ratted me out.

"If we have two people carrying one barrel it will look suspicious." I hear Jamison say.

"We could roll her?" It's Bradley's voice and by the tone I know it is meant to get a rise out of me.

"You're a genius." I tell him
sarcastically.

"I'll carry her, Jamison just be close in case." Henry says.

I sit quietly in my enclosed space.

The door bursts open and I hear the sound of heels on the floor. "Where is she?!" I hear the high and haughty sounding voice of Mrs. Grangerford.

"We have no idea." Henry says smoothly. "She ran last night and we haven't been able to find her."

"You're leaving her with us?!" Mrs. Grangerford sounds terrified.

"I'm sorry," Says Henry, "But if we don't leave now we'll be off schedule."

His answer seems to placate her, and she gives him some well wishes, and curses me. "If only I knew she was a rat from the beginning, I would have thrown her in jail!"

Henry laughs good naturedly, but I can hear that it sounds strange. Her insults of me bother him.

After what seems like forever I am lifted.

"You're not that bad." Henry says to me in the barrel. I remain quiet, like I was told. I am not sure who is around.

I feel the shift in Henry's arms as he gets a good grip of my barrel and the sway of his gait as he walks.

I finally feel myself being deposited.

"On the ship." Henry tells me.

I wonder why I trust him. He could be crossing me, and turning me over in a barrel for reward.

When I hear the shouts of goodbye from the people, I know I haven't been tricked.

I lid of the barrel is pulled off by Bradley. "There you are." He says.
I immediately look toward the shoreline and find a familiar girl in a grey dress I bought her.

Kitty waves from the pier. I watch her, her somber look reminding me of the last time I left this little town.

I close my eyes and allow the memory to hit me in a wave of crashing sorrow.

"Where are you going?" Andrew asks me as the sun hits high noon. He's joking, he sees my bag and assumes that in taking a day trip, or that I'm going camping with my father.

"Away." I tell him.

"Where, dear Toni?" He asks playfully, still not understanding.

"Wherever," I raise my hand and point at the masts in the distance. "That is going." I move my hand back to my bag, opening it up, looking for a letter.

"What?" Andrew pauses, studying my face, seeing if I'm serious, or if I'm joking around, and he can laugh, and then I can tell him I'm going deer hunting for a week with my dad.
I pull out the paper and hand it to Andrew.

"I'm really sorry." I tell him.

He is silent as he pulls out the paper, already knowing that it will explain more than I will. I leave him then, hoping to escape the sad look that will indefinitely reach his eyes, and his pleading words that might have the power to make me stay.