Page 145 of Ethan's Sky

Gabe addresses the room. “Let’s get this shit worked out and get our asses on the road, ASAP.”

41

SKYLER

My head is foggy, and my mouth feels like it’s full of cotton. The pounding in my head would rival my last hang over. I reach up to grab my head and discover my hands are bound.

Shit.

Okay. Don’t panic.

I start taking inventory of my body.

My hands are bound, but not excessively tight and only by a zip tie. My eyes are dry and burn, but I can see a little in the dim light of the room. I can stretch my legs, and my feet are not bound.

Okay, I can work with this.

I sit up and lean back against the wall taking deep breaths trying to stave away the sharp pain lancing through my skull. Once the pain settles down to a dull roar, I push up on the wall to a stand.

Taking in my surroundings, I find there’s a small window, too high and too small for a person to crawl through giving me the sense I’m in a basement or storm shelter somewhere. The room is dark except for the small amount of dim light of the moon coming from the dirty window.

How long was I out? It was still light out when I got into the van.

Thinking back to the van, I suddenly rememberwhyI got into the van in the first place.

The girl.

Where’s the little girl?

Not wanting to disturb my captor, I whisper into the room, “Hello. Is anyone in here?”

A tiny whimper comes from across the room.

Using my hand as a guide, I press it to the wall and begin walking in the direction of the sound.

“Hello. Please say something. I’m trying to help you.”

Another soft sound, this one more like a sob, grips my heart as it fills the room.

“It’s okay, Sweetheart. I’m going to help you get out of here. But first, I need to find you.”

The wall seems to go on forever, but it could be the drugs in my system slowing my movements and making the room seem bigger. I take a few more steps, then my foot catches on something and I nearly fall on my ass.

“Shit.” I hiss.

Another whimper is released, only this time it sounds like it’s right next to me.

I reach my hands down and feel what I think is a leg pull away from my touch.

“Shh. It’s okay. You’re okay. I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.” The legs move further away, and I hear what sounds like the shuffling of clothes. I feel around with my hands and discover the body has moved, but not far. I can hear breathing and sniffles, so I sit down and lean my back against the wall.

“Can you speak? Do you understand English?” I ask and quickly explain, “I’m not trying to be a presumptuous asshole, I want to know if you can understand what I’m saying? If we can talk.”

A tiny voice whispers back, “I-I c-can un-d-derstand you.

I turn my body to face the voice and continue to talk to the dark room.

“Are you the girl I saw in the back of the van? The little red-haired girl?”

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