Page 1 of Mountain Freedom
Prologue
Jackson
Past
“Mama’s going to kill me,”Allison groaned as she kicked a rock, sending up a cloud of dust on the gravel road.
“It’s one B. Besides, it’s gym class. You got straight A’s in everything that matters,” I said, unable to comprehend why Allison was so upset. My report card was almost all B’s, and I was so proud of it I couldn’t wait to show my mom. Not that she’d really care. We both knew it didn’t matter what grades I got. My father had already decided my future, and I wouldn’t need a diploma for what he had in mind.
“Oh, she’ll care,” Allison said, rolling her eyes. She changed her voice, mimicking her mom’s frequent lectures. “Allison, the only hope you have is to work so hard you get a scholarship. I’m counting on you to be the first person in our family to ever go to college.”
“You will be,” I said, shrugging it off. I had no doubt Allison would grow up and do amazing things, but I secretly thoughther mom took everything a little too seriously. Allison had only just turned thirteen. I couldn’t pretend to know anything about college, but I had a hard time believing a B in gym class was going to keep her out of it.
“We’ll see,” Allison said, sighing dramatically. “If Mama doesn’t kill me first.” She glanced over at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Race you home!” she said before taking off in a sprint.
I just laughed. I was a year younger than she was, but my legs were way longer than hers thanks to a recent growth spurt. I could give her a ten-second head start and still beat her.
But Allison stopped, her laughter fading as she turned the final corner in the road where our trailers came into sight. My heart sank as I caught up to her. Russell, my dad, was standing in my doorframe, smoking a cigarette as he stared us down, waiting.
I swallowed hard, knowing I was in for it.
“Don’t go,” Allison whispered, keeping her voice low enough that he didn’t have a chance of hearing. “We can turn around and run back to town. I’ll go with you. We’ll find somewhere you can hide, someone who will let you stay with them.”
“I can’t,” I said, even though the thought had crossed my mind before she’d said it. “You know what happened last time I tried to run away.”
She knew enough, anyway. She knew he’d beaten me even worse than normal for not taking it like a man the first time. What she didn’t know was that he’d warned me if I ever ran again, he’d punish her, too. He said he’d kill her—slow and painful—then make it look like an accident. And he’d get away with it.
Just like he’d gotten away with it before.
“Jackson—”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, forcing false confidence into my voice. “Go home. I’ll see you later, okay?”
She gave me a worried look. “Meet me at the creek tonight?”
“I’ll be there,” I promised, hoping it was a promise I could keep.
“Stop dawdling, boy,” Russell called out. “I’ve got work for you to do.”
“See?” I said under my breath. “He has a job for me. That’s all.”
“Be careful,” Allison warned, reaching over to give my hand a tight squeeze before running off and disappearing through the doorway of her own trailer.
I walked briskly, knowing Russell expected it—and that I might already be in trouble.
“You’re late.” He flicked his cigarette at me.
“Sorry, sir. You said you had some work for me to do?” I kept my voice respectful, even though I wanted to tell him exactly where he could put that work of his.
“I do, and time’s wasting. You’re spending too much time with that pretty little girl. I don’t like it.” He leveled his gaze at me, as if daring me to say something.
I bit my tongue and stayed silent.
His eyes glinted with something evil and dark. “She’s spoken for. She don’t belong to you, and she never will. You got that? You’re not to touch her. There’ll be hell to pay if you do.”
“Yes, sir,” I answered, knowing it was the only response I could give. I knew what he meant, even if I couldn’t explain that it wasn’t like that with me and Allison. She was my best friend. But friendship was something Russell would never understand.
“Although,” he said, scratching his chin as he mulled things over. “It’s high time we found you a girlfriend. That’s exactly what you need to toughen you up and finally make you mean.” He glanced at my mother, who was peeling potatoes in thekitchen. “Isn’t that right?” he asked her, raising his voice. “Worked for me, didn’t it?
