Page 122 of A Foster Fling
“Your boyfriend’s already asking all over Facebook.” He says coldly tugging me forward. “It pisses me off that you two act so fucking normal.”The fuck? “As if social media should even be on your radar.”
My ankle now well past swollen fails to support me and I stumble.
“Jesus Christ, do you not know how to walk?” He snaps, still not raising his voice. “You’ve had plenty of time to get that shit figured out, haven’t you?”
“I have roughly healed trauma, sasquatch, it’s hard to walk!” I pull against his grasp and kick my good foot out.
“Sasquatch?” Did he laugh? “Okay, Bambi. Let’s go.” He hoists me over his shoulder again and I screech through closed lips.
“Bambi was a boy.” It’s all I have right now, okay?
“That’swhat you’re complaining about?” I feel his head tap against my hip as he shakes it.
“Where are we?” I croak losing my pluck.
“Point B.” He says after a tick of the clock.
Okay, what? How the fuck would he know the significance of that? Who is this guy?
“You talk to yourself a lot. Did you know that?” He says amused. “’You’re going to point B, stupid’you said it over and over again all the way here.” Another door opens, I hear his heavy footfalls against creaking wooden stairs, and we descend into what smells like a root cellar.
“I do it when I’m nervous.” I mutter.
It may not seem like a big deal, but it was a habit that took me years to nearly kick. It rarely happens anymore and the backslide is devastating. I sniff against the heavy tears now sliding down my nose.
“Please don’t kill me.” My plea comes out on a broken whisper.
I’d spent so many days wanting nothing but to die, now, I can’t bear the thought.
At the bottom of the stairs he sets me on the floor again and grasps the sides of my face. His thumbs press the material of the bag softly under my eyes catching tears and my brow furrows at the gesture. My chest catches with a suppressed sob and my eyes flutter.
“Don’t give me a reason to.” It’s a threat, not a comfort.
“I’ll try.” He chuckles at my reflex reply.
My mouth often times outruns my brain, but I im used to it. For whatever reason shame never really found a place in my range of being. Misplaced fear has always been my reigning emotion. It’s a blessing and a curse.
“Don’t laugh at me. I’m trying not to fall apart.” My voice is only a fraction stronger.
“Something tells me you’re not quite as fragile as a house of cards.” He takes a slow breath. “But I can’t wait to find out.”
“I’m not fragile I’m just…different.” It sounds stupid out loud and I wish I could take it back.
I rub my chin on my shoulder in irritation, causing the tape to shift and pull the fine hairs on my face. I stomp my foot and huff a breath. Raising my head in his general direction, I grumble.
“Take this shit off my face please.” I try to sound authoritative but I’m sure it’s closer to whiney.
“No.” He says reaching under the hood and squishing the tape back over my mouth. I try to pull my head back and he squeezes my face yanking me forward and up. My toes skim the ground and my teeth cut into my cheeks.
“This is the part where you’re incredibly quiet. We’re all alone and no one can hear you. Remember that. I have an ungodly number of devices at my disposal to make your attempt at escape seriously miserable, so don’t try that either.” He drops my face and scoops me up in the crook of his arms.
I can’t have been with him for more than an hour, but it feels like days to my body already. Small shivers begin to slither across my skin, and I have to fight to keep my head up. But more than my exhaustion, there’s a strange warmth spreading through me. A familiar feeling I can’t place.
“Sit still before I drop you on your ass.” I don’t realize until he’s said something that I was squirming. “This next set of stairs are dark as hell and I don’t need you sending us both down.”
I force myself to stay still and squeeze my palms together behind my back. The air gets significantly cooler which amplifies my chills, my sweat cooling rapidly. The smell of the root cellar fades, and the scent of clean sheets takes over.
There’s a beeping noise and a door opens at the bottom of the stairs. I hear it close quietly behind us with a mechanical click. He moves forward to set me down on what feels like a bed. I wobble slightly before he steadies me and reaches under the hood again.