Page 2 of Hell Yes
Alessia held her hand to her sore cheek as her fear mounted, a sharp panic that made her skin crawl. Whatever had happened with Annika, it was bad.
“Shut up and get dressed. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
Her mother left the room, slamming and then locking the door. The hollow echo of that sound, the fact that she was now trapped, was a reminder of what was about to become of Alessia’s life. She was shut in, forced to marry a man she didn’t want. In a world where, the older she got, the more she questioned her role and the violence that she witnessed.
Alessia glanced at her reflection in the mirror: long brown hair tied in a simple braid, her green eyes filled with fear. Her body—the body she was always told to cover up—was shaking hard. Then she looked over at her window. It wasn’t locked.
Run. Go. Now.
In that instant, Alessia’s gut revealed the truth.
She wasn’t staying here.
Alessia had read enough of her father’s books to know that the world was bigger than Mosley, Alberta, population 434. And even if she ended up somewhere just as small, at least it would be her choice.
Without hesitation, Alessia grabbed her only bag, and stuffed it with her forbidden books, a small flashlight, and whatever personal items she needed.
Her room was on the first floor of their communal building, and it was already dark outside since it was nearing on nine. Carefully, she opened her window. Looking around, she didn’t notice any of the members outside. Probably because everyone was in the chapel, preparing for her ‘wedding’.
She dropped the bag on the ground and then slipped out of the window onto the flower bed in front of it. It was only a five-minute run to the woods that bordered their property. Alessia had spent all her life here and she loved the outdoors, so she knew every path and trail on their working farm.
With her bag in hand, she ran as fast and far as she could.
Not looking back, she pulled out the flashlight and hightailed it through the woods, through the thick firs, dense brush, and over craggy rock formations.
A half hour later, she’d passed through another farmer’s property. Farmers she’d never met before. Members were not permitted to speak with outsiders.
It was freezing and getting colder, but she ignored her discomfort and kept running.
By the time she’d reached the nearby highway, her lungs were burning, and she was ready to collapse. But what now? She needed to get out of this area and fast.
Surely there had to be a way…
As if her prayer was answered, a pick-up truck drove by and stopped at the side of the road when Alessia waved. The truck was driven by a woman, who looked to be in her thirties.
“Are you lost? Do you need help?” the woman asked.
“I need to get home,” Alessia panted, wracking her brain for a story she could tell. “I had a fight with my boyfriend and ran away, and I need to get back home.”
“I’m on my way to Longford. Where’re you from?”
“Um, from around there. I forget, how far is Longford from here?”
“A three-hour drive.”
Longford sounded perfect. Her family never left the compound, and there’s no way they’d come looking for her. Now that she’d left, defying their demand for obedience, she’d never be welcomed back to Holy Sacrifice.
Her old life as she knew it was over. And a new one, one Alessia could create herself, was just within reach.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. I’m Rochelle. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m… Val.” The name came to Alessia like a flash of lightning. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
She pushed her bag to the floor of the truck and sat down, closing the door with a relief that had her trembling hard.
For the first half hour, the ride was silent. Alessia appreciated the fact that Rochelle didn’t bombard her with questions. But the quiet didn’t go on forever.