Captive Bride, page 12
I so desperately want to be the good wife.
I want to please. I want to please more than anything.
“We can look if you want.”
Although I already know it will be useless, he needs to see for himself. He needs to walk down the path of hopelessness on his own. I can only hold his hand and be by his side as he does so… as a dutiful wife.
19
Christopher
I refuse to give up hope. Day after day and I refuse. The snow is thick, the air heavy with evil, and all I can do is sit and wait. There will be a time. There will be an opening of opportunity, and I will take it.
I have to hand it to Richard.
The man is smart.
There is no phone, no way to reach the outside world. Ember is right about that.
I have no idea where he hides his keys to the truck even though I look around the kitchen every time we are there to prepare meals. I know I will have one shot, and I don’t want to be reckless or foolish when I make the move. I have to be patient. The time will come. I know it will.
“We should start prep for supper soon. I want to make a special recipe of mine for you,” Ember says as we sit near the wood stove.
I give her a smile because I know how hard she tries to keep me happy. I wish she could meet the real me. I wish she could see the man I truly am when I’m not shackled and captured against my will. I think she’d like me better. I think she’d feel more loved because I would have more to offer. I would have a soul that wasn’t shattered into a million pieces. I am barely hanging on in here. I feel as if the monster of this place is eating me alive, and though I try hard not to take it out on Ember, I know I do. I see the pain in her eyes when I snap. I see her desperate need to fill my days with the rainbows and flowers she imagines, but I just can’t. I know she wants me to be the Prince Charming she had always fantasized. I know I should be better.
I just can’t.
Not while being here.
Not here in Hallelujah Junction. But if we ever leave… if we ever leave, I’ll be a better man.
Movement outside the window catches my eye. I’d seen deer, rabbit and squirrels before, but something in my gut tells me this time is different. This time I need to pay attention.
“Come to the window,” I say, not wanting to just drag Ember with me to get a better look.
We make our way to the window, and my heart stops.
Two people snowshoeing in the town below.
“They aren’t supposed to be here,” Ember whispers. I hear the fear in her voice, but I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement that nearly paralyzes me.
My instinct is to bang on the window and start screaming, but I also don’t know where Richard is. I don’t want to reveal our guests by making a commotion.
“We need to go outside,” I say, spinning around and nearly causing Ember to fall because she’s not ready.
She reaches for my hand. “Christopher, we can’t.”
I glare at her so she knows I mean business. I don’t want to be mean to her, but I will if I have to. “This is our chance. I’m not going to stand here and miss it.”
“If Papa Rich sees us leave the schoolhouse, he may lock us in the cellar and never allow us to come back here again. We’ll lose his trust.” She looks around the small structure that had become our home with tears in her eyes. “We were just getting comfortable.”
“Now, Ember. Now.” No patience or understanding is left in my body. “Now.”
I take a step forward with my chained leg, and if I have to drag her along, I will.
She walks beside me, but I can sense her internal struggle.
“Pine Cone. Where’s my cat? I can’t leave her.”
“We’ll come back for her. I promise,” I say, not wanting to waste time hunting down her cat.
“Please don’t make me do this,” she begs softly. “He’ll find us. He will.”
“We just need to get to them before he does.”
“He knows they’re here. I’m telling you, Christopher, he knows.” There’s urgency in her voice, but I don’t care. This is our shot. It could be our only one.
I open the door to the schoolhouse, and even that defiant act has Ember gasping.
“We’re barefoot,” she states. “We can’t just walk out there in the snow.”
“We can, and we will.”
If I have to, I am willing to lose both my feet to frostbite if it means escaping. I hope I don’t have to, and I most certainly don’t want that for Ember, but if the sacrifice has to be made, then so be it.
There isn’t a lot of slack in the chain connecting us, but I believe I can pick Ember up if need be. It will be awkward but can still be done. But not yet. We need to reach the couple before they get too far away. I need Ember to run at the same pace as me.
“Just focus on running and keeping your foot at the same speed as me. We’ll worry about the cold effects later.”
We don’t have time to plan, and we don’t have time to discuss this further, so I jerk her out of the schoolhouse and begin running as fast as Ember’s footing can go.
The couple comes into sight and I consider screaming at the top of my lungs. But they are still far enough away that for them to hear me, means that I have to be loud enough for Richard to also hear me. So, instead, I begin waving my arms frantically in hopes they see us coming.
“A little faster,” I say as I wrap my arm around Ember to keep her close at my side and to prevent her from stumbling.
“It’s too cold,” she says. “We’re going to lose our toes. We should go back before it’s too late.”
I ignore her complaints just as I ignore any discomfort in my feet. Escape is so close.
So close.
We are getting close enough now that I can actually see their expressions on their faces. They’re happy, they’re excited to be spending their day playing in the snow. They have no idea what they are about to see. They are both in their twenties and give off the puppy love vibe. So innocent. So free from worry. So in love without a care in the world.
Then the boy sees me. His expression turns from joy to confusion.
The girl sees me next, and her smile morphs to a look of fear. She sees the chain around our ankles and backs behind her partner for protection.
“Help us,” I call out as we approach. “Help.”
The male fully steps in front of the female as a shield, and though we are the ones asking for help, I can imagine what kind of sight we must be.
“You have to get us out of here,” I say, still hobbling up to them with Ember at my side. “There’s a crazy man here who’s kidnapped us. Call 911 now, but we need to get to your car. Now.”
“What the fuck?” the man says as he looks down and sees that Ember and I are both barefoot, nearly ankle deep in the snow that we keep sinking into with every step.
“Oh my God,” the woman says as her body visibly trembles. “You were kidnapped?”
“We don’t have time to talk. Where’s your car?”
The woman is pulling out her phone with wide eyes. She looks down at the screen and frowns. “There’s no signal.”
“We need to get out of here now,” I say, while the man nods in agreement.
He points to our right. “We’re down the hill some. The snow made it too hard for us to drive to the parking lot. We’re going to have to hike a bit to our Jeep.” He looks back at our feet. “You can’t make it barefoot.”
“Here,” the woman says, as she takes off her gloves. “Try to put these on your feet.”
She hands her gloves to Ember and bends down to help cover her feet. The man does the same with his gloves and gives them to me. Anything is better than nothing, and I’m grateful for the idea and the offer.
The woman then takes off her coat and gives it to Ember. “Don’t worry,” she says. “I have warm winter clothes on underneath.”
The man follows her and does the same, giving me his coat. “Come on,” he says. “Let’s get you both out of here.”
I see Ember look around with panic in her eyes. She’s searching for Richard, and I just pray we get out of here fast enough.
“Hurry,” I say as the four of us start running in the direction of the Jeep.
The gloves make it difficult to run, but the chain around Ember’s and my ankle make it near impossible. I decide to try to pick her up which causes the cuff around my ankle to dig into my flesh, but I ignore the pain. She clings to my shoulders to try to hold on as I plow through the snow with a mission to survive. I can nearly feel the breath of Richard behind me.
He’s coming.
I know he’s coming.
We just have to get out of the town and down the hill to the Jeep before he reaches us.
Run.
Run.
Run faster.
The couple are running in their snowshoes which allows them to be ahead of me, but they both keep turning and looking over their shoulders to make sure we’re close behind. The snowshoes carve a path for me which helps. I’m not sinking down nearly as much in the packed-down snow they create.
“We’re almost there,” the male says.
I’m afraid to look over my shoulder. I’m worried that if I do, I’ll see Richard charging forward with evil and vengeance in his eyes. He’ll kill me if he catches us. I have no doubt he will. He’ll kill me and he’ll torture Ember. He’ll also kill this innocent couple who are only trying to help us.
Run.
Run.
Ignore the cold.
Run.
Even if Richard doesn’t see us yet, it won’t be hard to track us. I can see blood coming from both my and Ember’s ankle. The metal cuff has nearly rubbed us both raw and down to the bone. Our path of blood we leave behind is our own personal bread crumb left for the witch who will boil our bodies alive if found.
Ember is silent.
She hasn’t said much since we left the schoolhouse. I want to soothe her. I want to comfort her in some way. I want to tell her everything will be all right, but I don’t want to lie. I have no idea if this escape attempt will be successful, and until we’re in the back seat of the Jeep heading down the road, I won’t issue a single word of reassurance. I know she’s scared… but I can only focus on marching through the snow one step at a time.
And then I see the Jeep.
Oh Jesus Christ, I see the Jeep.
Freedom is on the horizon and we are nearly there.
My heart skips, my blood boils with renewed energy and determination to pick up my speed. Safety. We are so close to safety.
We’re going to get the hell out of Hallelujah Junction!
“That’s it,” the man says as he and the woman keep shoeing ahead. “Hurry up. We’re almost there.”
The male opens the back door to the Jeep and helps me and Ember into the back seat while the woman crawls into the front seat. The man then runs around to the driver’s side of the Jeep.
I remove the soaked gloves from my feet which somehow had stayed on and begin massaging feeling back into my feet. Ember is frozen in place and doesn’t move.
“Try to get your feet warmed up,” I say, but notice she doesn’t budge.
“He’s going to find us,” she says softly which has the girl turn her head to look at her in fear.
“Who?” the girl asks. “Who is going to find us? Who kidnapped you?” She reaches for her phone again, but when she puts it back down, I know she still has no signal.
“We’re safe now,” I say, taking hold of Ember’s foot and removing the glove.
Her foot looks red from the snow, but doesn’t look like any frostbite is present, which is the same for my feet.
And just as hope begins to warm my frozen body, the sound of the Jeep not turning over happens. The Jeep won’t start.
“Come on!” the man says as he keeps trying but nothing.
“Why won’t it start?” the woman beside him screeches in terror.
I glance toward the road and know there is no way that Ember and I can make it down the road wearing nothing but gloves on our feet. The couple maybe can…
“You both need to get out of here, now,” I say, feeling like I can hear the sound of boots crunching on the snow. “He’ll kill you. You need to run.”
“We can’t just leave you,” the man says as he keeps trying to start the Jeep.
“Get down the hill and call the police,” I order, scanning the area for any signs of Richard.
The woman hops out of the Jeep and turns and looks at us. “I promise we’ll come back for you.”
Ember doesn’t say anything but removes the woman’s coat and hands it to me. I remove the coat given to me and hand both of them to the woman.
“Run as fast as you can. This man, Richard, is insane. He’s extremely dangerous.”
The couple doesn’t waste any time and start snowshoeing down the hill. Ember and I crawl out of the back seat and hobble our way to the driver’s side of the Jeep. I jump into the seat and try to start the vehicle myself. It’s making no sound at all. It’s not even trying. I get out of the Jeep and open the hood of the engine. I’m no mechanic, but maybe Lady Luck will shine down on me, and I’ll see something that’s an easy fix.
“We need to go back to the schoolhouse,” Ember says. “Maybe if we get back there before Papa Rich notices we’re missing, then this will be like nothing happened.”
I stop staring at all the guts of the Jeep and look at her in the eyes. She has a point. If the couple makes it down the hill and is able to reach the authorities, then it’s just a matter of time until we’re rescued. But if we show our hand, and we have Richard chasing after them… Maybe trying to get back to the schoolhouse undetected is a good idea.
“Okay,” I say, nodding. “Let’s get back.”
I never thought I’d be going back to the schoolhouse if I ever got my chance of escape, and yet, here I am.
We quickly run back to Hallelujah Junction, scanning the area for any signs of Richard. Excuses were running through my head as to what we will tell him if he catches us outside. I decide to remove the gloves from both of our feet and bury them in some snow just in case we are detected. Maybe I can convince him that Ember and I were going stir crazy and had to get out… barefoot or not. I know it’s a stretch, but I have to tell the man something. Ember, however, doesn’t have a lying bone in her body. The chances of her getting away with a lie is about as impossible as escaping this godforsaken town.
“If your father notices the tracks in the snow,” I say as we get closer and closer to the school, “tell him we wanted to play in the snow.”
“He’ll know the truth,” she says. “He always knows everything.”
“Ember,” I snap. “You need to listen to me. Tell him we went for a quick walk. Nothing else.”
A new fear forms. Ember.
If she tells Richard about the couple, he may try to hide us or even relocate. He may go on the run and take us with him to avoid authorities. Hell… he may kill us both to hide any evidence of kidnapping.
“We went for a walk to get some fresh air,” I reiterate. “Are we clear?”
She nods, but I don’t really believe her. And as we open the door to the schoolhouse—our prison—I just pray to a God I don’t know that I believe in any longer that the couple is reaching civilization and getting help quick.
20
Ember
I see our prints all over the town below. If I can see them, then I know Papa Rich can too. There are so many, and two sets have snowshoes. There is no way to explain this. There is no way out.
“Shit,” Christopher sees what I do outside the schoolhouse window. “We need to somehow hide all those.”
It’s snowing but not hard enough. Not fast enough.
Mother Nature is not on our side.
We both have our feet wrapped in a blanket from our bedding, warming them up. I can’t imagine going back into the snow now.
“I don’t see how we can,” I say.
“Okay…” Christopher begins. “We tell him that you and I went for a quick walk outside to enjoy the fresh air. When we were down there, we saw the snowshoe tracks, but saw nothing else. We need to keep to this story.”
I nod for Christopher’s sake, but I already know we are doomed. Papa Rich knows. I know he knows.
“We just have to buy enough time for them to reach the authorities,” he says. He turns to look at me with a look of determination in his eyes. “If he finds out, or if he tries to move all of us, we have to fight him. Do you hear me? We have to do whatever we can to fight the man.”
I shake my head as tears well in my eyes.
“Ember, I need you to be strong. I need you to listen to me.”
“Christopher—”
“I’m your husband!” he shouts. When I flinch, he softens his facial expression. “I’m sorry for yelling. But I’m your husband and you need to trust me. You need to have faith that I’m going to get us out of this. You just have to be on my team. My team.”
“I’m scared,” I admit.
“I know. But we’re so close. We just need time.”
Father Time is not on our side either.
Because the next voice I hear is Papa Rich’s. “Trust,” he begins as he slams the door to the tunnel. “Trust is something that should never be abused.”
He knows.
He knows.
Christopher turns to face him without the slightest show of fear. “Let me guess,” he begins as he crosses his arms against his chest. “You’re annoyed that Ember and I went for a walk? Are we expected to never go outside and see the snow? Ember said that when the tourists leave, we can move about the town more freely.”
“Very true,” Papa Rich says calmly.
“So then why are you standing there as if we did something wrong?” Christopher asks.
I stare down at my feet when Papa Rich looks into my eyes. I can’t face him. I can’t lie, and he knows it.
“I know you think that you are the head of the household now that you are married to Ember. That you make the rules,” he begins. “But not in Hallelujah Junction. I make the rules here. I oversee this kingdom.”
