How I ran away

How I resisted

The policeman is dead. Monster got a good shot at him—a bullet to the head. Blood pouring from that gaping wound. That open circle. Blood pouring down his face, flooding his empty eyes and down his silent unmoving neck. Dead. The policeman is dead.

He shot the policeman.

I am still in shock. Watching the policeman come close to saving me. And then the shot. And then the crash. Now the dead body covered in windshield glass with a steering wheel at his throat, he is no use to me now. He is dead.

                And I have nobody to save me.

                Nobody comes to the rescue when Monster walks over to me and pulls me up by my arm that burned in pain. I got shot. Bullet wounds don’t heal so quickly.

                He shoves me into the car he drove. The passenger’s side. he climbs in the other side and drives. Drives fast away before backup could come and give him a life sentence in jail for murder. Murdering a policeman no less.

                He doesn’t even utter a single word to me. Not a single warning. He doesn’t have to. I understand. Besides, I am frozen, eyes wide and staring. Policeman. Dead.

                It doesn’t bother me much that he is dead, I didn’t know him after all, but how he died. How his light eyes caught mine a second earlier. And then the bullet. And then instant death.

                I shake my head to clear it. If I’m to escape I must be on full alert. Always watching. Always aware.

                And then Monster drives off. And I forget about someone with no hope. Put my thoughts back to me, a person with at least a bit of chance of surviving.

                The canoe is small. A hollowed out slab of wood. Big enough for three. Small enough that the man rowing keeps hitting me with the paddle. There is him, me and Monster. Monster smirks down at me. I stare back into his glare. A brave look on my face and trying to keep it that way inside. I shouldn’t be afraid. I am not afraid of my own death. I promised I won’t tell what I know. I shouldn’t be afraid. And I am not.

I am hungry. Skipping breakfast is taking its toll on me now. Not that it was my fault that I skipped it. And even before that, I don’t remember the last time I ate. I simply don’t. No, I didn’t eat yesterday after school. Maybe I did at the hospital? It doesn’t matter, all those hours on the move  saps my energy. I am starting to regret not taking that cookie at the inn last night. No. What if it was poisoned, drugged? I would’ve been an easy target. And all my running, it would be for nothing.

I am hungry.

I look up and watch the marshmallow clouds in the sky. There is not much I can do. My hands are tied. My mouth is covered. My legs, he didn’t bother binding those. Probably because he has that gun of his, resting the barrel on my knee. His finger is curled around the trigger, daring me to move it. But where would I move to?  I don’t see the end of this lake and already land seems so far away. I won’t be able to swim that. Not now with my injured arm, racing heart and the hunger that makes my stomach growl. But what will they do with me at the middle of the lake anyway?

The man rowing the boat stops. The boat starts drifting a bit. Moving farther from land even though we are far enough.

“Tell me what you know,” he repeats for the second time today.

“Mmm Hph!” I make illegible noises. He gets the hint and rips off the tape. Ow. The area around my mouth stings and I’m sure it is red.

“What do you want to know?” I ask evenly. I am just stalling. Giving myself time to put my thoughts in order. To decide what to say. How much to say. Definitely  not the truth though.

“Let’s start with the beginning, what’s your name?”

“You don’t know?” I ask. I thought that much he would figure out. My first name at least. Nobody knows my last name.

“Just tell me your name!”

“Jane Doe,” I say.

                I guess that’s not too convincing because before I can blink Monster drags me, pushes my head over the side of the boat. I take one deep breath when I realize just a split second what’s going to be. Too late. I breathe in when my head is submerged. Water fills my lungs. I’m drowning. Can't breathe. No air. Neck straining with my head turned into the lake, being held down firmly by Monster as much as I thrash and struggle. Lake. No air. Can't breathe. Food is not a problem. I can live without it. Not without air. I’m choking. Can’t think. Dying.

                Monster pulls me back up. I choke out water and the air rushes to my lungs. Gasping. Panting. And I was only under for seconds. It was just so unexpected. The panic would’ve killed me. Would’ve. I breathe the air because I could.

                “Name?” Monster asks. His hand still on the back of my head. Still in the position to push it down underwater and drown me.

                “Holly,” I say it before I can take the words back and I know instantly that I made a mistake. Now he has a way that gets information. I’ll never give him what he wants but he’ll still try. And now he has a way to. A terrible way. I could've lied. He would’ve believed it if he believes Holly is my name. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I’m scared. I’m afraid to let other things slip. No. I won’t. Nothing passes my mouth. I clamp it shut. Then I open it to breathe.

                Overhead in the distance I hear the whopping of helicopter blades. It blocks out the eerie silence of the lake. But all I can hair now is the sound of my breathing.

                “Where are you from?”

                I purse my lips together.

                He pushes against my head to urge me.

                He pushes down harder. My head nears the water.

                The tip of my nose touches the clear lake.

                That is when my hero comes.