I was Kidnapped?

Chapter 1

             The dark swallowed the car and our headlights glared against the road, but the narrow beam of light did nothing for the sinking feeling in my gut. The clock on the dashboard flashed 1:17. Its green glow enchanted me and I stared, getting lost in the numbers. In the distance, blanketed by the night, we left my sister behind. 

              She had chosen to spend the weekend eating vegetables and watching soap operas with our grandparents in their home.   I, on the other hand, had selected the opposite route.   My parents and I sped down the highway, longing for the comfort of our home.    But that dream was a few days away. Our eyes were tempting to close on us and our stomachs growled in anticipation. 

                My dad spaced out in the driver’s seat, his hands resting gently against the steering wheel. My mother nodded off in the passenger seat, tapping her hand lightly against her thigh. Me? My eyes were heavy, fluttering in drowsiness every now and then. I unbuckled my seatbelt and crawled back to the trunk of the car. Usually, a grey third seat would be up, but my mom had forgotten to raise it in her haste to leave. Now the space had become my area for rest.

              I stretched out and reached my arms over my head and extended my legs in their full glory. My head bumped none too softly against the carpeted floor as I had not thought to bring a pillow nor a blanket. The plan wasn’t to be at our grandparents’ home for so long: drop off my sister, chat and socialize with them for a few minutes, and then be on our way. But what was supposed to be minutes turned into hours. 

             As we drove down the road, I felt every curve and bump that our vehicle encountered. The blue Durango had miles on it, that much was true, but the tires needed changing, the engine needed tuning, and it definitely needed some new shocks and suspension. However, that didn’t stop my mom from driving the living hell out of the thing.

           I cradled my head in my hands, attempting to get comfortable. My white headphones were jammed into my ears, playing random melodies that were sent from the silver Zune that I always brought along with me, no matter where I went. As a bump on the interstate rattled the car, I pulled myself off of the floor to save myself the pain. Gripping the cool window with my palms flat against its surface, I used it to pull myself off of the floor. My head popped up from behind the seats as I looked out of our back window at the vehicle driving behind us. Instantly, my eyes were met by bright headlights. The semi truck was a good four car lengths away, but it was blinding me with each second that I stared at it.

        The driver was easy to make out. Your average male, some would say: plump with broad shoulders and a fat face. Shadows were cast so I couldn’t make out any details other than his hair that hung down, blocking anything that I might have been able to see. His head bobbed to some unknown beat. He was probably jamming out to stay awake.

         My interest level depleted as a yawn shook my body. As the tires shook from impact with another bump, I allowed myself to fall back to the floor to get some much needed sleep.

        Another song woke me from my short slumber. Using the back of the middle seat to prop myself up, I stared out the front window, watching the gravel with intense interest as it flew up. I loved the sound of the small sand and rocks tapping the body of the car. The lights of the interstate were off in the distance. 

         My dad grumbled about being lost, but continued down the road, potholes and all. Every rock that was slung against the panels and every dip in the road that threatened to swallow us made my body slam back into the seat. At this rate, whip lash seemed to be imminent.

       I crawled into the middle seat and buckled myself in. I question my dad, knowing the answer before he responded. “What ‘cha doing, daddy?”