Too Perfect
Day
had finally turned to night and a bleak darkness settled around us. Only
the dim light of the moon kept us from running into every other shrub and tree
in our path. The forest only added to my horror. It was incredibly
terrifying at night. Each tree branch looked like a gnarled claw reaching
out to strangle you. They seemed to grab at your hair and your clothes,
tangling you up. The moonlight cast shadows that seemed to dance like
little demons through the brush. They taunted you to come and join their
satanic worship.
Then
there were the noises. There were the owl hoots, the howls of coyotes,
the rodents scrambling along the forest floor. The sounds swirled
around you, unceasing even for an instant. Till they got to the point
where they were so maddening that you wanted to scream for them to shut up
before they sent you over the edge. And of course the fact that we had
guns pressed to our backs didn't help either.
We
walked for what seemed like hours. Every inch of the forest looked
exactly the same as another. It felt like you were going
nowhere. I had no idea how these men had any idea where they were
going. And what was worse was it started to rain. The water came
pouring down soaking all of us to the bone. I was cold, tired, terrified
and in pain. I couldn't conceive anything worse.
Eventually
our trek through the woods ended, but the nightmare was still only
beginning. We came to a long ago abandoned road. It was overgrown
by plants and grass. The old gravel barely visible under the brush.
On the road was a semi truck. It was unmarked. The other man, whose
name we had discovered was Jeff, disappeared into the back of the truck and
reappeared with some rope. Without any resistance from any of us they
bound our hands and our feet.
Rick
picked me up and tossed me hard into the back of the truck. Pain ripped
through my body as I landed hard on one of my arms. I cried out tears
filling my eyes. By the end of this I was almost certain Rick would kill
me. He seemed to be rougher with I than everyone else. I weakly sat
up and leaned against a crate. Soon we were all tied up and in the back
of the truck. They shut the door and pitch blackness surrounded us.
The pain from my arm was so great I could feel myself approaching
unconsciousness. The world seemed to spin a bit.
“Lisa,”
I could faintly hear Brian calling my name.
I
let out a slight moan and passed out.
Brian
heard her groan slightly and then there was silence. He could hear his
heart beat as it pounded in his chest.
“Lisa!”
he called out again this time more urgently.
“I
think she passed out,” Anita said from somewhere in the blackness.
Brian
hated this not being able to see anything. He could now see how
incredibly horrible it would be to be blind.
“How
can we be sure?” Brian asked weakly fearing the worst.
“We
can't,” A.J. said matter of factly, no emotion in his
words.
“Alex,
shut up!” Anita said angrily. “She's not dead. She only fell on her
arm. You are just making things worse.”
“Whatever,”
he said. “We will all be dead eventually anyway.”
“What
the hell has gotten into you!?” Anita yelled at him not so much frustrated at
him but at the entire situation.
Anita
liked to be in control of the situation and for once she was not.
“It's
hopeless,” he said.
“If
you do not have anything positive to offer just be quiet!” Anita growled
annoyed.
“What
ever you say, Madame,” he replied cold-heartedly.
Brian
was sure he could hear Anita crying lightly. A.J. was showing much support.
“Well
be okay, Nita,” Brian said soothingly.
She
muttered something that sounded like "I hope." He only wished
he was certain in his own comment as well. They spent the rest of the
ride in silence. Brian spent the time praying over and over that they
would all make it out alive.
***
