Page 135 of Broken Pact

My gaze darts between my bound wrist and the closed bedroom door in a dizzying tennis match, my pulse roaring in my ears. Sweat trickles down my spine, plastering my hair to the back of my neck.

Amidst my frenzied sawing motions, a sudden crack rings through the silence. The plastic tie breaks free, and I topple over with relief. The adrenaline coursing through my veins propels me forward as I stumble off the bed, clutching the metal file in one hand. My legs wobble beneath me like a newborn foal, and I jam my hip bone against the sharp edge of the footboard.

“Shit,” I whisper-curse, pressing my free hand to the ache.

I pause for a moment, straining my ears to catch any signs of movement outside the room. The silence is deafening, broken only by the erratic pounding of my heart. With trembling hands, I grasp the doorknob, and slowly pull it open.

Grant appears on the other side, his face twisted into lines of cruelty. “Going somewhere, Coraline?”

A scream lodges in my throat, my body frozen in a moment of fear. Grant’s dark eyes bore into mine, a predatory gleam dancing within their depths. His lips curl into a sinister smile, like he’s enjoying himself.

“I’m leaving.” My words are firm if low. I let my gaze drop to his hands, relief flooding my veins when I don’t see another cloth or anything else.

I can still do this. If I can just get out of the house, I can run to the neighbor’s house. It’s only a mile away.

Grant takes a step forward, his frame filling the doorway. “We’ve been through this, Coraline. You’re never leaving me again.” Each word drips with venom.

This is it. My moment of truth.

I shift my left leg back and adjust my grip on the metal file in my left hand. Blood seeps through my fingers, splattering onto the hardwood floor with a steady drip, drip, drip. I’m right-handed, but with the door only open halfway, I can’t get the right angle I need. I pray to Nana Jo if she’s watching, asking her to momentarily gift me with ambidexterity.

And then I stop thinking about anything, dipping into the fight or flight response and letting my survival instincts take over.

“Do you hear me?” he yells, taking a step toward me. “I said, you are never leaving me! You belong to me, Coraline—me!”

“Fuck you,” I yell and lunge forward, slamming the metal file into Grant’s stomach with all the force I can muster.

62

CORALINE

The two of us stare at one another, our faces matching expressions of surprise. I don’t know who’s more shocked: him or me.

He staggers back a few steps with a grunt, disbelief etched in his wide-eyed expression. His hand flies to his stomach, and it propels me into motion.

I shove past him, thanking Nana Jo for her gift and her wisdom to always wear sneakers.

You gotta be prepared, Cora. You never know when you might need to run, she’d say.

Well, Nana Jo, I need to fucking run now.

I run down the hallway, gripping the newel post on the railing and run down the stairs.

Grant’s enraged bellow echoes behind me. “Coraline! Get back here, you fucking bitch!”

I don’t dare look back, my focus solely on the front door at the bottom of the staircase. If I can just reach it, I’ll be okay. I just have to get outside.

My heart pounds in my ears as I take the stairs two at a time, my sneakers slapping against the wooden steps loud enough to sound like some kind of battle drum.

The front door looms closer with each step, a beacon of hope amidst this nightmare.

“You can’t run from me, Coraline! I’ll find you wherever you go!”

Heavy footsteps thunder behind me, and I do the single most dumbest thing I’ve ever done. I look behind me.

And then I miss a stair. It feels like it happens in slow motion, but too fast for me to stop. My foot slips, misses the edge of the step, and suddenly I’m tumbling forward, my body twisting in the air as I try to catch myself. I cry out, reaching desperately for the railing, but my fingers barely graze the smooth wood before it’s too late.

I hit the stairs hard, my shoulder slamming into the edge of a step as I roll down the remaining few stairs. Pain sears through my body, and for a moment, stars explode across my vision.

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