Page 16 of Saddles

I can hear Doug shuffle out of my room.

I’m so bruised, it hurts to wipe after I pee.

Is this how my life ends? In a fight with my dad, then stranded in some remote god-forsaken place starring in my very own horror movie?

“I’m ready for my end credits,” I mouth to the blank wall.

Dropping my face into my hands, I take every second I can in the refuge of the bathroom. This seems to be the only place they don’t mess with me.

There’s no window in here, no way to escape. All that’s in here is a handful of cleaning supplies.

Huh. Not like these two buffoons would ever use them.

They both get louder, with occasional banging on the walls as they boast about whatever awful thing that they did.

I could get away.

There’s someone out there who probably hates them as much as I do.

He could help me, if I could make it to him.

But I can hear the wind howling outside, and snow is working its way in through the cracks in the shitty siding.

The sounds of the two brothers yelling grow more sporadic.

Please let tonight be one they skip visiting me.

I swear hours have gone by. Or twenty minutes.

I have no idea.

Yet silence fills the tiny bathroom. The only noises are coming from the storm.

Tiptoeing to the door, I crack it just enough to see two sets of legs sticking out from the couch.

This isn’t the first time they’ve drunk themselves into a stupor.

But it’s never been when I haven’t been chained up.

My heart races and pounds in my ears.

Now is my chance. What should I do?

Bash their fucking heads in is my gut reaction.

Is that the best choice?

Think, April.

I need to get out of here. I haven’t heard them talk about any other vehicle, and with the storm, I doubt I’d be able to get very far in a car.

So I get their keys. And maybe Dave’s snowsuit.

How do I find the guy?

Doug is always messing with his GPS, talking about keeping track of where the cows are.

Would that lead me to the mystery man?

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