Blainsville

33) Lindsey, The Genius

Jess

I had managed to escape at least with the help of Lindsey, my intelligent, brilliant little seven year old. She never ceases to amaze me but how she had gotten here the way she did made me wonder how she got here to begin with. I had taught her at a young age how to tie her shoes shortly after she could untie any knot in any situation it made me realize how proud Rhea would be of her little sister. That thought made me cry but not right now I had bigger fish to fry I had to get out of this tiny vent shaft. I figured like aaze if I kept making a left at every other turn I would find my way out they teach you that in grade school... Or was it right? Just as I'm about to argue with myself over how stupid I felt not remembering a thing like that I felt a cold breeze hit me I knew then I was close I was almost outside. Sure enough a few feet later I could smell water not normal water either this smelled stronger and fresher when I finally reached the end I was crawling in freezing water it dawned on me that Lindsey crawled in through the drain pipe not a vent. I had barely tried to stand up and glance around to see I was in a ditch on the side of the highway near Connecticut, "Smart girl." I glanced around taking in my surroundings. It was cold as hell and I didn't have a jacket I was in nothing but my pajama pants and a long sleeve shirt just as I'm about to head to the highway I glance down to see a small blanket with a piece of paper on top folded neatly, "For you, head to the woods and you'll come to a small gas station a mile up the road. You will see a payphone, call Nona and get free. Lindsey." I read to myself I catch myself smiling because this was the same little girl who only two years ago couldn't add two plus two. I wrap the small blanket above my head and shoulders the wind had picked up which indicated more snow that explained the fresh smell. I had climbed out of the ditch barely being able to climb the small hill with it being covered in mud and all from leftover snow. I notice that the highway is empty; completely forlorn if I could run across to the forest without getting hit by a tanker truck I would be scott free. I glance around quickly thank God for the blanket it wasn't much but it was helping to a point if I could imagine it were warmer than the snow wouldn't phase me as much. I run across the street after looking a few more times and end up falling into a patch of dead trees which cuts my arm up, "Fucking shit..." I look down to see if I'd done more than just skin my arm due to slipping in mud but I turned out fine thank God. I shake myself off not being able to clear the mud off my feet and pants so I walk into the woods a bit deeper. I glanced up and it was either the very tall pine trees or it was growing dark because it became windier and cloudy leaving me with a fearful feeling of loneliness and concern in the woods by myself. First off I didn't have a weapon if I were to get jumped by wolves or a bear so I had to be crafty, I found a large piece of driftwood as I walked through the dark and held it close in case I needed it. I know it sounded stupid what would a piece of wood defend me against if I ran into a black bear obviously nothing, but being mauled by a fucking bear sounded better than being killed alone by people who were meant to do it. I walk on into a clearing and look around trying to completely aware of my surroundings although it was getting hard to because of how quickly it was getting dark. "Alright, if I die in the freezing snow about to fall god as my witness I'll come back as a poltergeist. Cause my family at least deserves that..." By now my lips are probably blue and I'm shivering so hard. I only had two things on my mind at this moment one, Lindsey was very smart and I was so proud of her we obviously taught her well. Two, please let Johnny be alive you can take me but she can't lose both parents... I already lost Rhea she didn't need me next.

John

"Daddy? Daddy? Daddy..." I could hear someone calling me it sounded like Rhea but that wasn't possible she was dead she had been gone for five months but gosh did it sound like her. "Daddy, wake up. Daddy, get up." I wanted to grab her and hug her I wanted to plant kisses all o er her pretty face but when I barely opened my eyes I was face to face with someone else, "Lindsey? Lindsey, what... How did you get in here? You have to run." I'm untied now but I still feel sleepy and drugged out, "Daddy, please we have to leave." She's begging me and tears come to my eyes, "Baby, you have to get out of here... You have to run..." I'm trying to be quiet but she takes my hand and drags me to a small vent shaft. "Come on daddy, I already got mommy to go we need to get you out now. Come on." I'm half awake but managing to crawl to the small tunnel as she goes in first and I follow suit. Mind you I've been drugged and trying to move about in a small tunnel being six feet tall was rather hard but keeping up was harder. I felt sick like I was going to vomit but I knew if I made any noise we would be caught so I kept swallowing back my bile. "We're almost there daddy... Come on." She seems so far away unless that was just the effect of the drugs I also felt rather strange because my stomach was hurting what was I saying, I was starving I needed food. "Daddy, we're almost there... We're almost there, stay awake..." Suddenly I'm overtaken with drowsiness and illness and begin to vomit I can only watch helplessly as Lindsey attempts to drag me behind her meanwhile I'm having a hard time fighting back. Finally we make it outside or so I believe and it's dark, it's freezing and it's snowing once again. I don't know how long I had been in that room but I do know that once my face was hit with the cold wind I automatically was awoken and that caused me to vomit more. "Daddy, are you ok?" Lindsey asks as I'm laying over in the mud near a freezing puddle, "Yes... Yes baby girl, I'll be alright I just need you to help me up ok? Do daddy a favor and help me stand ok?" I finally stop throwing up and try to stand on my own but I'm overcome with dizziness, "Whoa, easy. We have to go through the woods to find mommy, I wrote her a note saying go to the gas station and call Nona. We need to keep ourselves warm but I couldn't find another blanket so I was stuck with this tarp." Lindsey pulls out a tarp from under a rock she hid and I wrapped it around me I wasn't concerned with the cold I was more concerned about Lindsey so I picked her up and curled her in on myself to keep her warm. "Which way is the woods?" I ask she points ahead of us over the muddy hill, "We better get moving then huh?" I ask Lindsey curls in on me to shield her face from the wind. My biggest fear at this moment was it was dark, it was snowing and it was windy and if Jessica had gone this way there's no telling what wildlife she encountered and no telling if she had died due to freezing temperatures. But I knew there was only one way to find out, I climbed the muddy ditch upward and lifted Lindsey before me. The street was abandoned and it made the situation seem terrifying at this point in the early evening anything could happen, anything.